Rivers and Lakes

Rivers and lakes are water bodies and are often excluded from studies of hydrosphere. They are of much smaller size than the oceans and seas and are scattered in different parts of the continents. A brief description of some of the important rivers of the world is given here:

Rivers

Nile in Africa is the longest river of the world and traverses a length of 6690 km from its source to north near Alexandria on the southern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. The whole river system consists of White Nile and Blue Nile. White Nile originates from Lake Albert in Uganda and the Blue Nile has its source in Ethiopia. These two rivers join with each other at Khartoum (Sudan) to form the Nile River.

Amazon River in South America is 6280 km long and is considered to be the second longest river in the world. It originates from the Andes Mountain in Peru and falls into the Atlantic Ocean. It has a large number of tributaries which originate from Brazil, Peru, Columbia, Venezuela, Bolivia etc. But the major part of the river system was through Brazil.

Mississippi Missouri comprise the largest river system of North America and together they form 6260 km river course. Mississippi rises in Lake Itasca located in the Rocky mountain system in Minnesota State. Missouri joints it at Saint Louis. e combined water of these two rivers flows in a southerly direction and joins the Gulf of Mexico at New Orleans.

Ob rises in the Altai Range of central Asia and falls into the Gulf of Ob after travelling a distance of 5150 km. Its upper course is in China but its major part was through Russia.

Chiang Jiang (Yangtze Kiang) is 4990 km long and is the major river system of China. It originates in north-east Tibet and drains into the South China Sea near Shanghai.

Yenisei is the longest river of Asia wing through central Siberia. Its total length is 5550 km. It rises in Mongolia and ends in Kara Sea (Arctic Ocean).

Lena is 4848 km longest river which rises from Baikal Mountain about 20 km west of Baikal lake. It discharges its water in Laptev Sea of Arctic Ocean.

Niger is also about 4848 km long. It originates near Sierra Leone and enters Gulf of Guinea after wing through Mali, Niger and Nigeria.

Zaire (Congo) rises in the highlands of the East African Rivers through Zambia and Republic of Congo and falls in the Atlantic Ocean. Its total length is 4848 km.

Huang He (Hwang Ho or Yellow River) s 4827 km longest river is the second largest river of China. It rises in the Yueguzonglic and was eastward to discharge its water into Bo Hai (Po Ho) Gulf of Yellow Sea.

Murray-Darling is the largest river system of Australia. The 3720 km long Murray River originates from the Australian Alps. Its largest tributary Darling joins it near Mildura in New South Wales. The combined water of both the rivers was into the Indian Ocean at Encounter Bay.

Parana rises in the Brazilian Plateau and falls in the Atlantic Ocean near Rio de la Plateau. It flows through the southern part of Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina and traverses a distance of 3942 km before entering the Atlantic Ocean.

Volga rises in Valdai Plateau north-west of Moscow and enters the Caspian Sea at Astrakhan. This river is 3 862 km long.

Danube rises in Baden (Germany) and flows through Austria, Slovakia, Hungary and Romania before entering into the Black Sea. Its total length is 2775 km.

Mackenzie in Canada rises in Great Slave Lake and enters Mackenzie Bay in the Arctic Ocean. It is 4240 km long.

Mekong is 4500 km long river which rises in Tibet. It flows through China and along the border between Thailand and Laos. It ultimately falls into the South China Sea.

Salween river is 2800 km long. It rises in Tibet and was through Myanmar and Thailand. It ultimately falls in the Andaman Sea.

Aryeyar waddy (Irrawaddy) rises in northern Myanmar and was in a southerly direction to fall in Andaman Sea. This river is 2010 km long.

Zambezi rises in Zambia and flows through Zambia, Angola and Mozambique before falling into the Indian Ocean. Its total length is 3540 km.

Orinoco is 2740 km long river which rises in Prima Range on Brazil, Venezuela border. It flows through Brazil, Venezuela and Columbia before falling into the Atlantic Ocean.