Top 10 Longest Rivers in the World
⏱ 8 min read
Rivers are like the veins of our planet. They carry fresh water from the mountains to the sea, feeding fields, supporting wildlife and giving cities a place to grow. Some rivers are short and quick. Others snake across whole continents for thousands of kilometres. Here are the ten longest rivers in the world, in order from longest to shortest.
1. The Nile — about 6,650 km
The Nile flows north through eleven African countries before emptying into the Mediterranean Sea in Egypt. The ancient Egyptians built one of history's greatest civilisations along its banks more than 5,000 years ago. Today crocodiles, hippos and over 300 kinds of fish live in its waters.
2. The Amazon — about 6,400 km
Some scientists actually think the Amazon, in South America, may be even longer than the Nile. What everyone agrees on is that it carries more water than any other river in the world — more than the next seven biggest rivers combined! It runs through the Amazon rainforest, home to jaguars, pink river dolphins and electric eels.
3. The Yangtze — about 6,300 km
The Yangtze is the longest river in Asia and the longest in any single country (China). It is so important to China that around one in every three Chinese citizens lives in the Yangtze river basin. The rare Chinese alligator and finless porpoise live in its waters.
4. The Mississippi-Missouri — about 6,275 km
In North America, the Mississippi joins up with the Missouri River to form one giant river system. It drains water from 31 US states and parts of Canada. Famous American writer Mark Twain wrote stories set on the Mississippi about a boy named Huckleberry Finn.
5. The Yenisei — about 5,540 km
The Yenisei flows northward through Russia and Mongolia and empties into the icy Arctic Ocean. For much of the year its upper sections are frozen solid. Sturgeon — fish that have been around since the time of the dinosaurs — live in its waters.
6. The Yellow River — about 5,464 km
Also in China, the Yellow River gets its name from the yellowy mud (called loess) that it carries. It is sometimes called the 'cradle of Chinese civilisation' because the earliest Chinese cultures grew up along it. It can also be very dangerous — over the centuries it has flooded many times.
7. The Ob-Irtysh — about 5,410 km
Another giant Russian river system, the Ob and its main branch the Irtysh, drains a huge area of western Siberia. In summer it is full of life; in winter it freezes over and people can drive trucks across it.
8. The Paraná — about 4,880 km
The Paraná is the second-longest river in South America and runs through Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina. The world-famous Iguazú Falls, taller than Niagara, sit on one of its tributaries.
9. The Congo — about 4,700 km
The Congo is the deepest river in the world — in some places more than 220 metres deep. It loops through the rainforests of central Africa and is home to forest elephants, hippos and gorillas living nearby.
10. The Amur — about 4,444 km
The Amur forms much of the border between Russia and China. Tigers (the rare Amur tiger), brown bears and wolves live in the cold forests around it.
Why rivers matter
Rivers do far more than look pretty on a map. They give us drinking water, water our crops, generate electricity at hydroelectric dams, and act as natural highways for boats. Almost every great city in history was built on a river — London on the Thames, Paris on the Seine, Cairo on the Nile, New York at the mouth of the Hudson.
Rivers also create some of the most amazing wildlife habitats on Earth. Protecting them keeps both people and animals healthy.
Next time you cross a bridge over a river, take a moment to wonder where the water has come from and where it is going. It might have started as snow on a mountain hundreds of kilometres away — and it might have a long, long way still to flow before it reaches the sea.