These large rivers may have multiple sources which may remain inaccessible and also may have numerous large and small tributaries, influencing the calculation of their exact lengths
Civilizations would have never flourished if there were no rivers to support them. Such is the importance of this natural flowing watercourse. Naturally it can be expected that, the bigger they are, the more impactful they must be. In that light, let us take a look at the top longest rivers in the world.
It may be worthwhile to note that some of these large rivers may have multiple sources which may remain inaccessible and also may have numerous large and small tributaries, influencing the calculation of their exact lengths.
Nile River
Length: 6650 Km (4132 miles)
Thought to commence from Lake Victoria, this mighty river in Africa courses through Egypt, Uganda, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eritrea, Burundi, Sudan, and South Sudan. Its two tributaries are known as the blue and white Nile.
The Amazon River
Length: 6,400 km (3977 miles)
Though placed second in this list many opine that Amazon is the longest river in the world. What is beyond doubt is that it is the largest river in the world in terms of the discharge of volume of water.
As regards to being the longest, if a claim made by a study, that the Amazon originates from Cordillera Rumi Cruz, checks out, then it will leapfrog over the Nile.
The Yangtze River
Length: 6,300 km (3915 miles)
The longest river in Asia, it also is the lengthiest river to flow entirely within one country. This river nurtures one third of the population of China, which in turn, is the country with the highest population in the world. Draining into the East China Sea at Shanghai, the headwater of this river is traditionally thought to be located in the Tanggula Mountains. New data however, pins its source in the Jari Hill from where the Dam Qu tributary originates.
The Mississippi River
Length: 3,730 km (2320 miles)
If we consider only the Mississippi river, then it starts off at Lake Itasca before emptying into the Gulf of Mexico.
But if we add the Jefferson river to the equation, then the entire Mississippi–Missouri–Jefferson river system traverses 31 United States and two Canadian provinces.
The Yenisei River
Length: 3,487 km (2168 miles)
This, the largest draining water body into the Arctic Ocean, finds its source in the Selenge River, a major river in Mongolia and Buryatia, Russia. Rising in Mungaragiyn-gol in Mongolia, it moves north to empty into the Yenisey Gulf in the Kara Sea.
