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List of river systems by length

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This is a list of the longest rivers on Earth. It includes river systems over 1,000 kilometres (620 mi) in length.

The Nile as seen from a cruise boat between Luxor and Aswan in Egypt

Definition of length

There are many factors, such as the identification of the source,[1] the identification or the definition of the mouth, and the scale of measurement[2] of the river length between source and mouth, that determine the precise meaning of "river length". As a result, the length measurements of many rivers are only approximations (see also coastline paradox). In particular, there seems to exist disagreement as to whether the Nile[3] or the Amazon[4] is the world's longest river. The Nile has traditionally been considered longer, but in 2007 and 2008 some scientists claimed that the Amazon is longer[5][6][7] by measuring the river plus the adjacent Pará estuary and the longest connecting tidal canal.[8] A peer-reviewed article published 2009 in the International Journal of Digital Earth concludes that the Nile is longer.[9]

Even when detailed maps are available, the length measurement is not always clear. A river may have multiple channels, or anabranches. The length may depend on whether the center or the edge of the river is measured. It may not be clear how to measure the length through a lake or reservoir. Seasonal and annual changes may alter both rivers and lakes. Other factors that can change the length of a river include cycles of erosion and flooding, dams, levees, and channelization. In addition, the length of meanders can change significantly over time due to natural or artificial cutoffs, when a new channel cuts across a narrow strip of land, bypassing a large river bend. For example, due to 18 cutoffs created between 1766 and 1885, the length of the Mississippi River from Cairo, Illinois, to New Orleans, Louisiana, was reduced by 351 kilometres (218 miles).[10]

These points make it difficult, if not impossible, to get an accurate measurement of the length of a river. The varying accuracy and precision also makes it difficult to make length comparisons between different rivers without a degree of uncertainty.

List of river systems longer than 1,000 km

For most rivers, different sources provide conflicting information on the length of a river system. The information in different sources is between parentheses.

Legend of colors used in main table, by continent
Continent color key
Africa Asia Australia Europe North America South America
Rank River Length (km) Length (miles) Drainage area
(km2)
[citation needed] 		Average discharge
(m3/s)
[citation needed] 		Outflow Countries in the drainage basin [citation needed]
1. Nile–White Nile–Kagera–Nyabarongo–Mwogo–Rukarara[n 1] 6,650[3]
(7,088)[9] 		4,130[3]
(4,404)[9] 		3,254,555 2,800 Mediterranean Ethiopia, Eritrea, Sudan, Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, Egypt, Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Sudan
2. Amazon–Ucayali–Tambo–Ene–Mantaro[n 1] 6,400[4]
(6,575)[9] 		3,976[4]
(4,086)[9] 		7,000,000[4] 209,000 Atlantic Ocean Brazil, Peru, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela, Guyana
3. Yangtze–Jinsha–Tongtian–Dangqu
(Chang Jiang) 		6,300
(6,418) 		3,917
(3,988) 		1,800,000 30,166 East China Sea China
4. Mississippi–Missouri–Jefferson–Beaverhead–Red Rock–Hell Roaring 6,275
 3,902
 2,980,000 16,792 Gulf of Mexico United States (98.5%), Canada (1.5%)
5. Yenisey–Angara–Selenga–Ider 5,539 3,445 2,580,000 18,050 Kara Sea Russia (97%), Mongolia (2.9%)
6. Yellow River (Huang He) 5,464 3,395 745,000 2,571 Bohai Sea China
7. Ob–Irtysh 5,410 3,364 2,990,000 12,475 Gulf of Ob Russia, Kazakhstan, China, Mongolia
8. Río de la Plata–Paraná–Rio Grande[12] 4,880
 3,030
 2,582,672 22,000 Río de la Plata Brazil (46.7%), Argentina (27.7%), Paraguay (13.5%), Bolivia (8.3%), Uruguay (3.8%)
9. Congo–Lualaba-Luvua-Luapula-Chambeshi
(Zaïre) 		4,700
 2,922
 3,680,000 41,800 Atlantic Ocean Democratic Republic of the Congo, Central African Republic, Angola, Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Cameroon, Zambia, Burundi, Rwanda
10. Amur–Argun–Kherlen (Heilong Jiang) 4,444 2,763 1,855,000 11,400 Sea of Okhotsk Russia, China, Mongolia
11. Lena 4,400 2,736 2,490,000 15,500 Laptev Sea Russia
12. Mekong (Lancang Jiang) 4,350 2,705 810,000 16,000 South China Sea China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam
13. Mackenzie–Slave–Peace–Finlay 4,241 2,637 1,790,000 10,300 Beaufort Sea Canada
14. Niger 4,200 2,611 2,090,000 5,589 Gulf of Guinea Nigeria (26.6%), Mali (25.6%), Niger (23.6%), Algeria (7.6%), Guinea (4.5%), Cameroon (4.2%), Burkina Faso (3.9%), Côte d'Ivoire, Benin, Chad
15. Brahmaputra–Yarlung Tsangpo 3,969 2,466 712,035 19,800[13][14] Ganges India (58.0%), China (19.7%), Nepal (9.0%), Bangladesh (6.6%), Disputed India/China (4.2%), Bhutan (2.4%)
16. Murray–Darling–Culgoa–Balonne–Condamine 3,672[15] 2,282 1,061,000 767 Southern Ocean Australia
17. Tocantins–Araguaia 3,650 2,270 950,000 13,598 Atlantic Ocean (Marajó Bay), Amazon Delta Brazil
18. Volga 3,645 2,266 1,380,000 8,080 Caspian Sea Russia
19. Shatt al-Arab–Euphrates–Murat 3,596 2,236 884,000 856 Persian Gulf Iraq, Turkey, Syria, Iran
20. Madeira–Mamoré–Grande–Caine–Rocha 3,380 2,100 1,485,200 31,200 Amazon Brazil, Bolivia, Peru
21. Purús 3,211 1,995 63,166 8,400 Amazon Brazil, Peru
22. Yukon 3,185 1,980[10] 850,000 6,210 Bering Sea United States (59.8%), Canada (40.2%)
23. Indus–Sênggê Zangbo 3,180 1,976 960,000 7,160 Arabian Sea Pakistan (93%), India and China
24. São Francisco 3,180*
(2,900) 		1,976*
(1,802) 		610,000 3,300 Atlantic Ocean Brazil
25. Syr Darya–Naryn 3,078 1,913 219,000 703 Aral Sea Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan
26. Salween (Nu Jiang) 3,060 1,901 324,000 3,153[16] Andaman Sea China (52.4%), Myanmar (43.9%), Thailand (3.7%)
27. Saint Lawrence–Niagara–Detroit–Saint Clair–Saint Marys–Saint Louis–North (Great Lakes) 3,058 1,900[10] 1,030,000 10,100 Gulf of Saint Lawrence Canada (52.1%), United States (47.9%)
28. Rio Grande 3,057 1,900[10] 570,000 82 Gulf of Mexico United States (52.1%), Mexico (47.9%)
29. Lower Tunguska 2,989 1,857 473,000 3,600 Yenisei Russia
30. Colorado-Green (western U.S.) 2,945 1,830[17] 390,000 1,200 Gulf of California United States, Mexico
31. Danube–Breg (Donau, Dunăre, Duna, Dunav, Dunaj) 2,888* 1,795* 817,000 7,130 Black Sea Romania (28.9%), Hungary (11.7%), Austria (10.3%), Serbia (10.3%), Germany (7.5%), Slovakia (5.8%), Bulgaria (5.2%), Croatia (4.5%), Ukraine (3.8%)
32. Irrawaddy River–N'Mai River–Dulong River–Kelaoluo–Gada Qu 2,809* 1,745.8* 404,200* 13,000* Andaman Sea China, Myanmar
33. Zambezi (Zambesi) 2,740* 1,703* 1,330,000 4,880 Mozambique Channel Zambia (41.6%), Angola (18.4%), Zimbabwe (15.6%), Mozambique (11.8%), Malawi (8.0%), Tanzania (2.0%), Namibia, Botswana
34. Vilyuy 2,720 1,700 454,000 1,480 Lena Russia
35. Padma-Ganges-Alaknanda (Ganga) 2,704[18] 1,690 1,024,000 12,037[19] Bay of Bengal India, Bangladesh, Nepal
36. Amu Darya–Panj 2,620 1,628 534,739 1,400 Aral Sea Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan
37. Japurá (Caquetá) 2,615* 1,625* 242,259 6,000 Amazon Brazil, Colombia
38. Nelson–Saskatchewan–South Saskatchewan–Bow 2,570 1,597 1,093,000 2,575 Hudson Bay Canada, United States
39. Paraguay (Rio Paraguay) 2,549 1,584 900,000 4,300 Paraná Brazil, Paraguay, Bolivia, Argentina
40. Kolyma 2,513 1,562 644,000 3,800 East Siberian Sea Russia
41. Pilcomayo 2,500 1,553 270,000 200 Paraguay Paraguay, Argentina, Bolivia
42. Upper Ob–Katun 2,490 1,547 1,040,000 Ob Russia
43. Ishim 2,450 1,522 177,000 56 Irtysh Kazakhstan, Russia
44. Orange 2,432 1,511 973,000 365 Atlantic Ocean South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Lesotho
45. Ural 2,428 1,509 237,000 475 Caspian Sea Russia, Kazakhstan
46. Juruá 2,410 1,498 200,000 6,000 Amazon Peru, Brazil
47. Arkansas 2,348 1,459 505,000
(435,122) 		1,066 Mississippi United States
48. Songhua 2,309[20] 1,435 557,180 2,410 Amur China
49. Olenyok 2,292 1,424 219,000 1,210 Laptev Sea Russia
50. Dnieper 2,287 1,421 516,300 1,670 Black Sea Ukraine, Belarus, Russia
51. Aldan 2,273 1,412 729,000 5,060 Lena Russia
52. Ubangi–Uele[21] 2,270 1,410 772,800 4,000 Congo Democratic Republic of the Congo, Central African Republic, Republic of Congo
53. Negro 2,250 1,398 720,114 26,700 Amazon Brazil, Venezuela, Colombia
53. Columbia-Snake 2,250 1,398[22] 415,211 7,500 Pacific Ocean Canada (30%),United States (70%)
55. Tapajós-Teles Pires 2,210 1,290 494,254 13,540 Amazon Brazil
56. Pearl–Xi-Xun-Qian-Hongshui-Nanpan 2,200 1,376 437,000 13,600 South China Sea China (98.5%), Vietnam (1.5%)
57. Red (USA) 2,188 1,360 78,592 875 Mississippi United States
58. Kasai 2,153 1,338 880,200 10,000 Congo Angola, Democratic Republic of the Congo
59. Ohio–Allegheny 2,102 1,306 490,603 7,957 Mississippi United States
60. Orinoco 2,101 1,306 1,380,000 33,000 Atlantic Ocean Venezuela, Colombia, Guyana
61. Tarim 2,100 1,305 1,020,000 Lop Nur China
61. Xingu 2,100 1,305 520,292 10,023 Amazon Brazil
63. Brazos-Double Mountain Fork-North Fork-Blackwater Draw 2,060 1,280[23] 116,000 237.5 Gulf of Mexico United States
64. Northern Salado 2,010 1,249 203,000 Paraná Argentina
65. Içá (Putumayo) 2,005 1,246 120,545 7,034.6 Amazon Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Ecuador
66. Vitim 1,978 1,229 225,000 1,937 Lena Russia
67. Chenab 1,974 675 160,000 977.3 Indus India, Pakistan
68. Tigris 1,950 1,212 375,000 1,014 Shatt al-Arab Turkey, Iraq, Syria, Iran
69. Don 1,870 1,162 425,600 935 Sea of Azov Russia, Ukraine
70. Stony Tunguska 1,865 1,159 240,000 1,750 Yenisey Russia
71. Pechora 1,809 1,124 322,000 4,100 Barents Sea Russia
72. Kama 1,805 1,122 507,000 4,100 Volga Russia
73. Limpopo 1,800 1,118 413,000 313.4 Indian Ocean Mozambique, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Botswana
74. Chulym 1,799 1,118 134,000 Ob Russia
75. Guaviare 1,760 1,090 151,607 6,778.9 Orinoco Colombia
76. Marañón 1,737 1,079 364,873 16,708 Amazon Peru
77. Indigirka 1,726 1,072 360,400 1,810 East Siberian Sea Russia
78. Platte 1,690 1,050 219,900 199.3 Missouri United States
79. Senegal 1,641 1,020 419,659 680 Atlantic Ocean Guinea, Senegal, Mali, Mauritania
80. Khatanga–Kotuy 1,636 1,017 364,000 3,200 Laptev Sea Russia
81. Uruguay 1,610 1,000 370,000 4,622[24] Atlantic Ocean Uruguay, Argentina, Brazil
82. Churchill 1,609 1,000 281,300 1,200 Hudson Bay Canada
83. Blue Nile 1,600 994 326,400 1,548 Nile Ethiopia, Sudan
83. Okavango (Cubango) 1,600 994 530,000 475 Okavango Delta Namibia, Angola, Botswana
83. Volta 1,600 994 407,093 1,210 Gulf of Guinea Ghana, Burkina Faso, Togo, Côte d'Ivoire, Benin
86. Beni 1,599 994 283,350 8,900 Madeira Bolivia
87. Shilka-Onon 1,592 989 206,000 440 Amur Russia (86%), Mongolia (14%)
88. Tobol 1,591 989 426,000 805 Irtysh Kazakhstan, Russia
89. Alazeya 1,590 988 64,700 320 East Siberian Sea Russia
90. Jubba–Shebelle 1,580* 982* 749,000 Indian Ocean Ethiopia, Somalia
91. Kafue 1,576 979 155,000 320 Zambezi Zambia (99.6%), Democratic Republic of the Congo (0.4%)
92. Yalong 1,571 976 128,444 1,810 Yangtze China
93. Magdalena 1,550 963 263,858 9,000 Caribbean Colombia
94. Han 1,532 952 174,300 1,632 Yangtze China
95. Kura/Mt'k'vari 1,515 941 188,400 575 Caspian Sea Turkey, Georgia, Azerbaijan
96. Oka 1,500 932 245,000 1,258 Volga Russia
96. Upper Murray 1,500[25] 932 260,000 Lower Murray Australia
98. Yana-Sartang 1,492 927 238,000 1,110 Laptev Sea Russia
99. Pecos 1,490 926 115,000 7.5 Rio Grande United States
100. Murrumbidgee River 1,485 [15] 923 84,917 120 Murray River Australia
101. Upper Yenisey–Little Yenisey (Kaa-Hem) 1,480 920 360,000 Yenisey Russia, Mongolia
102. Godavari 1,465 910 312,812 3,061 Bay of Bengal India
103. Sangha-Ngoko-Dja 1,459 907 233,740 Congo Cameroon (45%), Republic of Congo (31%), Central African Republic (25%)
104. Vaal 1,458 906 196,438 125 Orange South Africa
105. Sutlej 1,450 900 395,000 2,946.66 Chenab China, India, Pakistan
106. Ili (Yili) 1,439 870 140,000 480 Lake Balkhash China, Kazakhstan
107. Olyokma 1,436 892 210,000 2,110 Lena Russia
108. Upper Columbia[26] 1,430 889[22] 292,316[26] 3,364[27] Columbia United States, Canada
109. Upper Tocantins 1,427 887 310,000 Tocantins Brazil
110. Belaya 1,420 882 142,000 858 Kama Russia
110. Cooper–Barcoo 1,420 880 270,000 Lake Eyre Australia
112. Dniester 1,411 (1,352) 877 (840) 72,100 310 Black Sea Ukraine, Moldova
113. Taz 1,401 871 150,000 1,450 Taz Estuary Russia
114. Benue 1,400 870 319,000 3,477 Niger Cameroon, Nigeria
114. Chari 1,400[28] 870 548,747 1,059 Lake Chad Chad, Cameroon, Niger, Nigeria
114. Parnaíba 1,400 870 344,112 Atlantic Ocean Brazil
114. Warburton–Georgina 1,400 870 365,000 Lake Eyre Australia
118. Colorado (Texas) 1,387 862 103,000 73.9 Gulf of Mexico United States
119. Yamuna 1,376 855 366,223 2,950 Ganges India
120. Nen (Nonni) 1,370 851 270,000 Songhua China
120. Vyatka 1,370 851 129,000 890 Kama Russia
122. Fraser 1,368 850 220,000 3,475 Pacific Ocean Canada, United States[29]
123. Grande 1,360 845 143,000 Paraná Brazil
124. Kızıl River 1,355 734 115,000 400 Black Sea Turkey
125. Madre de Dios 1,347 837 125,000 4,915 Beni Peru, Bolivia
126. Liao-Xiliao-Laoha 1,345 836 232,000 500 Bohai Sea China
127. Lachlan River 1,339 [15] 832 84,700 49 Murrumbidgee River Australia
128. Narmada 1,333 [30] 828 98,796 1,447 Arabian Sea India
129. Hai 1,329 826 318,200 717 Bohai Sea China
130. Branco-Uraricoera 1,326 824 192,393 6,469 Rio Negro Brazil (96%), Guyana (7%), Venezuela (1%)
131. Iguaçu 1,320 820 67,537 1,746 Paraná Brazil, Argentina
132. Taseyeva-Chuna 1,319 820 128,000 740 Angara Russia
133. Northern Dvina–Sukhona 1,302 809 357,052 3,332 White Sea Russia
134. Iriri 1,300 808 141,943 3,028 Xingu Brazil
134. Neva-Vuoksi 1,300 808 282,300 2,628 Gulf of Finland Russia, Finland, Belarus
136. Ruki 1,296 805 173,800 4,450 Congo Democratic Republic of the Congo
137. Krishna 1,290 800 258,948 2,213 Bay of Bengal India
138. Lomami[31] 1,280 795 110,000 Congo Democratic Republic of the Congo
139. Ottawa 1,271 790 146,300 1,950 Saint Lawrence Canada
140. Rio Grande de Santiago-Lerma 1,270 789 119,543 320 Pacific Ocean Mexico
141. Guaporé (Itenez) 1,260 780 341,000 2,430 Mamoré Brazil, Bolivia
141. Red (Canada)-Assiniboine-Souris 1,260 780 287,500 244 Lake Winnipeg Canada (56%), US (44%)
143. Elbe–Vltava 1,252 778 148,268 711 North Sea Germany, Czech Republic
144. Zeya 1,242 772 233,000 1,810 Amur Russia
145. Juruena 1,240 771 192,628 4,936.7 Tapajós Brazil
146. Upper Mississippi 1,236 768 450,000 4,800 Mississippi United States
147. Rhine 1,233 768 185,000 [32] 2,330 North Sea Germany (57.3%), Switzerland (15.1%), Netherlands (12.3%), France (12.2%), Luxembourg (1.4%), Austria (1.3%), Belgium (0.4%), Liechtenstein (0.1%), Italy (0.03%)
148. Athabasca 1,231 765 95,300 783 Mackenzie Canada
148. Markha 1,231 765 99,000 405 Vilyuy Russia
150. Canadian 1,223 760 123,220 182.2 Arkansas United States
151. North Saskatchewan 1,220 758 122,800 238 Saskatchewan Canada
152. Kansas-Republican 1,218 757 155,690 205 Missouri US
153. Vistula–Narew-Bug 1,213 754 194,424 1,080 Baltic Sea Poland, Belarus, Ukraine
154. Awash 1,200 746 116,000 Lake Abbe Ethiopia
154. Shire 1,200 746 160,000 486 Zambezi Mozambique, Malawi
154. Ogooué (or Ogowe) 1,200 746 223,856 4,706 Atlantic Ocean Gabon, Republic of the Congo
157. Fimi-Lukenie 1,194 742 133,432 Kasai Democratic Republic of the Congo
158. Mobile 1,192 741 115,000 1,900 Gulf of Mexico US
159. Lukuga 1,184 736 244,500 Lualaba Tanzania (62%), Democratic Republic of the Congo (26%), Zambia (6%), Burundi (5%), Rwanda (2%)
160. Min-Dadu 1,182 734 133,000 2,850 Yangtze China
161. Markha 1,181 734 99,000 405 Vilyuy Russia
162. Aripuanã 1,175 730 147,224 4,064 Madeira Brazil
163. Milk 1,173 729 62,000 17.5

Missouri

United States, Canada
164. Mun - Chi 1,162 722 119,180 725 Mekong River Thailand
164. White 1,162 722[33] 71,910 834.8 Mississippi United States
166. Chindwin 1,158 720 114,685 4,740 Ayeyarwady Myanmar
167. Sankuru 1,150 715 150,000 Kasai Democratic Republic of the Congo
167. Wu 1,150 715 80,300 1,108 Yangtze China
169. Red (Asia) 1,149 714 143,700 2,640 Gulf of Tonkin China, Vietnam
170. James (Dakotas) 1,143 710 54,240 18.3 Missouri United States
170. Kapuas 1,143 710 98,749 6,507 Natuna Sea Indonesia
172. Paraíba do Sul 1,137 696 56,000 Atlantic Ocean Brazil
173. Yobe-Hadejia 1,135 705 183,009 Lake Chad Nigeria (68%), Niger (32%)
174. Desna 1,130 702 88,900 360 Dnieper Russia, Belarus, Ukraine
174. Helmand 1,130 702 150,000 Hamun-i-Helmand Afghanistan, Iran
174. Tietê 1,130 702 72,168 937 Paraná Brazil
174. Vychegda 1,130 702 121,000 1160 Northern Dvina Russia
178. Sepik 1,126 700 77,700 5,000 Pacific Ocean Papua New Guinea, Indonesia
178. Sobat-Pibor 1,126 700 225,000 412 White Nile South Sudan (60%), Ethiopia (29%), Kenya (10%), Uganda (2%)
180. Orkhon 1,124 698 132,835 66 Selenga Mongolia
181. Cimarron 1,123 698 49,100 32.9 Arkansas United States
182. Anadyr 1,120 696 191,000 2,020 Gulf of Anadyr Russia
183. Jialing River 1,119 695 160,000 Yangtze China
184. Liard 1,115 693 277,100 2,434 Mackenzie Canada
185. Omolon 1,114 692 113,000 Kolyma Russia
186. Mamberamo River 1,112 691 78,992 5,923 Pacific Ocean Indonesia
187. Cumberland 1,105 687 46,830 862 Mississippi United States
188. Bani 1,100 684 146,570 Niger Mali (80%), Ivory Coast (15%), Burkina Faso (5%), Guinea (0.1%)
188. Huallaga 1,100 684 90,000 3,800 Marañón Peru
188. Kwango 1,100 684 263,500 2,700 Kasai Angola, Democratic Republic of the Congo
188. Draa 1,100 684 95,000 Atlantic Ocean Morocco
192. Gambia 1,094 680 78,000 Atlantic Ocean The Gambia, Senegal, Guinea
193. Tyung 1,092 679 49,800 Vilyuy Russia
194. Barito River 1,090 680 81,675 5,497 Java Sea Indonesia
195. Maya 1,087 675 171,000 1,180 Aldan Russia
196. Yellowstone 1,080 671 114,260 390 Missouri United States
196. Ghaghara 1,080 671 127,950 2,990 Ganges India, Nepal, China
198. Huai River 1,078 670 270,000 1,110 Yangtze China
199. Aras 1,072 665 102,000 285 Kura Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iran
200. Chu 1,067 663 62,500 none Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan
200. Sanaga-Djérem 1,067 663 140,000 2,072 Bight of Biafra Cameroon, Nigeria, Central African Republic
202. Seversky Donets 1,053 (1,078) 654 (670) 98,900 159 Don Russia, Ukraine
203. Bermejo 1,050 652 125,000 Paraguay Argentina, Bolivia
203. Cunene 1,050 652 108,943 Atlantic Ocean Angola (85%), Namibia (15%)
203. Fly 1,050 652 75,800 6,500 Gulf of Papua Papua New Guinea, Indonesia
203. Kuskokwim 1,050 652 120,000 1,900 Bering Sea United States
207. Tennessee 1,049 652 105,870 1,998 Ohio United States
208. Oder–Warta 1,045 649 118,861 550 Baltic Sea Poland, Germany, Czech Republic
209. Apure 1,038 645 167,000 2,300 Orinoco Venezuela (99.8%), Colombia (0.2%)
210. Logone 1,033 642 78,000 492 Chari Chad (53%), Cameroon (34%), Central African Republic (14%)
211. Aruwimi[31] 1,030 640 116,100 2,200 Congo Democratic Republic of the Congo
212. Chambal 1,024 636 143,219 456 Yamuna India
212. Pur 1,024 636 112,000 Taz Estuary Russia
214. Daugava 1,020 634 87,900 678 Gulf of Riga Latvia, Belarus, Russia
215. Gila 1,015 631 151,000 7 Colorado (western U.S.) United States
216. Loire 1,012 629 115,271 840 Atlantic Ocean France
217. Essequibo 1,010 628 156,828 4,951 Atlantic Ocean Guyana
217. Khopyor 1,010 628 61,100 150 Don Russia
219. Tagus
(Tajo/Tejo) 		1,006 625 80,100 444 Atlantic Ocean Spain, Portugal
220. Flinders River 1,004 [15] 624 109,000 122 Gulf of Carpentaria Australia
221. Koksoak 1,000 621 133,400 2,800 Ungava Bay Canada
221. Usumacinta 1,000 621 134,400 Gulf of Mexico Mexico, Guatemala

Notes

  • When the length of a river is followed by an asterisk, it is an average of multiple information sources. If the difference in lengths between given information sources is significant, all lengths are listed. But if the lengths from secondary information sources are similar, they are averaged and that figure has an asterisk.
  • Scientists debate whether the Amazon or the Nile is the longest river in the world. Traditionally, the Nile is considered longer, but recent information suggests that the Amazon may be longer. Differences in the recorded length of the Amazon mainly depend on whether the course south of the Ilha de Marajó at the Amazon's mouth is to be treated as part of the Amazon, or as part of the separate Tocantins River. New evidence, (dated 16 June 2007) obtained from a high-altitude scientific venture in the Andes, claims that "the Amazon is longer than the Nile by 100 km, with its longest headwater being the Carhuasanta stream originating in the south of Peru on the Nevado Mismi mountain's northern slopes and flowing into the Río Apurímac".[34] However, the origin of the river at Nevado Mismi had already been known more than one decade earlier (see Jacek Palkiewicz), and satellite based measuring from this origin to the Amazon mouth has resulted in not more than 6,400 km.
  • Generally, the most commonly used/anglicised name of the river is used. The name in a native language or alternate spelling may be shown.
 
The Mississippi River just north of St. Louis
 
Saint Lawrence River along the New York-Quebec border

River systems that may have existed in the past

Amazon–Congo

The Amazon basin formerly drained westwards into the Pacific Ocean, until the Andes rose and reversed the drainage.[35]

The Congo basin is completely surrounded by high land, except for its long narrow exit valley past Kinshasa, including waterfalls around Manyanga. That gives the impression that most of the Congo basin was formerly on a much higher land level and that the Congo River was rejuvenated by much of its lower course being removed, likeliest when Africa split from South America when Gondwanaland broke up due to continental drift, and before that, the Congo would likely have flowed into the Amazon,[35] producing a river around 6000 miles or 10,000 km long.

West Siberian Glacial Lake drainage

Main article: West Siberian Glacial Lake

This river would have been about 10,000 km (6,200 mi) long, in the last ice age. Its longest headwater was the Selenga river of Mongolia: it drained through ice-dammed lakes and the Aral Sea and the Caspian Sea to the Black Sea.

Lobourg

During the last glacial maximum, much of what is now the southern part of the North Sea was land, known to archaeologists as Doggerland. At this time, the Thames, the Meuse, the Scheldt, and the Rhine probably joined before flowing into the sea, in a system known by palaeogeographers as the Loubourg or Lobourg River System.[36] There is some debate as to whether this river would have flowed southwest into what is now the English Channel, or flowed north, emerging into the North Sea close to modern Yorkshire. If the latter hypothesis is true, the Rhine would have attained a length of close to 1,650 kilometres (1,030 mi). The former hypothesis would have produced a shorter river, some 1,400 kilometres (870 mi) in length. Current scientific research favours the former opinion, with the Thames and Rhine meeting in a large lake, the outflow of which was close to the present-day Straits of Dover.[37]

See also

Notes and references

Notes
  1. ^ a b The Nile is usually said to be the longest river in the world, with a length of about 6,650 km,[3] and the Amazon the second longest, with a length of at least 6,400 km.[4] In 2007 and 2008, some scientists claimed that the Amazon has a length of 6,992 km and was longer than the Nile, whose length was calculated as 6,853 km.[6][11][7] They achieved this result by adding the waterway from the Amazon's southern outlet through tidal canals and the Pará estuary of the Tocantins.[citation needed] The dispute is: "Is the channel south of Isla de Marajó to be treated as part of the Amazon, or as part of the Rio Tocantins?"[citation needed] A peer-reviewed article, published in 2009, states a length of 7,088 km for the Nile and 6,575 km for the Amazon, measured by using a combination of satellite image analysis and field investigations to the source regions.[9] According to the Encyclopædia Britannica, as of 2020, the length of the Amazon remains open to interpretation and continued debate.[4][8] Note that disputed values have been put in parentheses.
References
  1. ^ "Where Does the Amazon River Begin?". National Geographic News. 2014-02-15. Archived from the original on February 15, 2014. Retrieved 2018-12-25.
  2. ^ for more on this, see coastline paradox
  3. ^ a b c d "Nile River". Encyclopædia Britannica. 2020. Archived from the original on 10 October 2017. Retrieved 8 December 2020.
  4. ^ a b c d e f "Amazon River". Encyclopædia Britannica. 2020. Archived from the original on 8 November 2020. Retrieved 8 December 2020.
  5. ^ Amazon Longer Than Nile River, Scientists Say Archived 15 August 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  6. ^ a b "Amazon river 'longer than Nile'". BBC News. 16 June 2007. Archived from the original on 26 September 2010. Retrieved 3 August 2010.
  7. ^ a b "Studies from INPE indicate that the Amazon River is 140km longer than the Nile". Brazilian National Institute for Space Research. Archived from the original on 11 April 2011. Retrieved 3 August 2010.
  8. ^ a b "How Long Is the Amazon River?". Encyclopedia Britannica. Archived from the original on 2018-12-24. Retrieved 2018-12-24.
  9. ^ a b c d e f Liu, Shaochuang; Lu, P; Liu, D; Jin, P; Wang, W (2009-03-01). "Pinpointing the sources and measuring the lengths of the principal rivers of the world". Int. J. Digital Earth. 2 (1): 80–87. Bibcode:2009IJDE....2...80L. doi:10.1080/17538940902746082. S2CID 27548511. Archived from the original on 2018-12-23. Retrieved 2018-12-24.
  10. ^ a b c d J.C. Kammerer (1 September 2005). "Largest Rivers in the United States". US Geological Survey. Archived from the original on 13 May 2020. Retrieved 25 January 2015.
  11. ^ Roach, John (18 June 2007). "Amazon Longer Than Nile River, Scientists Say". National Geographic. Archived from the original on August 22, 2007. Retrieved 4 March 2015.
  12. ^ "Río de la Plata". Encyclopædia Britannica. Archived from the original on 9 May 2015. Retrieved 11 August 2010.
  13. ^ "Scientists pinpoint sources of four major international rivers". Xinhua News Agency. 22 August 2011. Archived from the original on December 30, 2013. Retrieved 8 September 2015.
  14. ^ "Brahmaputra River". Encyclopædia Britannica. Archived from the original on 2020-04-26. Retrieved 2017-04-11.
  15. ^ a b c d "Longest Rivers". Geoscience Australia. 15 May 2014. Archived from the original on 5 September 2015. Retrieved 9 February 2021.
  16. ^ Syvitski, James P. M., Vörösmarty, Charles J., Kettner, Albert J., Green, Pamela (2005). "Impact of Humans on the Flux of Terrestrial Sediment to the Global Coastal Ocean". Science. 308 (5720): 376–80. Bibcode:2005Sci...308..376S. doi:10.1126/science.1109454. PMID 15831750. S2CID 11382265. Archived from the original on 2006-09-19. Retrieved 2006-02-27.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  17. ^ "The Mighty Colorado River – Once Known as Merely Grand". Colorado LegiSource. 2021-05-06. Retrieved 2024-02-19.
  18. ^ Parua, Pranab Kumar (3 January 2010). The Ganga: water use in the Indian subcontinent. Springer. p. 272. ISBN 978-90-481-3102-0. Retrieved 17 May 2011.
  19. ^ "Ganges–Farakka". Archived from the original on 2018-03-10. Retrieved 2007-03-27.
  20. ^ Simonov, Eugene A.; Dahmer, Thomas D., eds. (2008). Amur-Heilong River Basin Reader. Hong Kong: Ecosystems Limited. ISBN 978-988-17227-1-3.
  21. ^ Bossche, J.P. vanden; G. M. Bernacsek (1990). Source Book for the Inland Fishery Resources of Africa, Volume 1. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. p. 338. ISBN 978-92-5-102983-1. Archived from the original on 2023-11-10. Retrieved 2016-10-28.
  22. ^ a b "The Columbia River and Its Tributaries". USGS Volcanoes. Retrieved 2024-02-17.
  23. ^ Kammerer, J.C. (1987). "Largest Rivers in the United States". United States Geological Survey. Archived from the original on 2020-05-13. Retrieved 2006-07-15. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  24. ^ "Uruguay River". Comisión Técnica Mixta de Salto Grande. Archived from the original on 8 June 2023. Retrieved 9 August 2023.
  25. ^ "Longest Rivers". Murray Darling Basin Authority. 24 November 2015. Archived from the original on 7 February 2019. Retrieved 4 February 2019.
  26. ^ a b "USGS Water Resources: About USGS Water Resources". water.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2024-02-17.
  27. ^ "USGS Gage #12472800 on the Columbia River below Priest Rapids Dam, WA (Water-Data Report 2013)" (PDF). National Water Information System. U.S. Geological Survey. Retrieved December 15, 2023.
  28. ^ "Chari River". Encyclopædia Britannica. Archived from the original on 21 May 2023. Retrieved 25 May 2023.
  29. ^ "The Chilliwack River Valley: An Outdoor Enthusiast's Paradise". Camping & RVing BC. Camping and RVing British Columbia Coalition. 10 October 2017. Archived from the original on 11 March 2016. Retrieved 27 April 2019.
  30. ^ "Narmada Basin" (PDF). India WRIS. Archived (PDF) from the original on 29 November 2021. Retrieved 29 November 2021.
  31. ^ a b Bossche, J.P. vanden; G. M. Bernacsek (1990). Source Book for the Inland Fishery Resources of Africa, Volume 1. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. p. 333. ISBN 978-92-5-102983-1.
  32. ^ If the Meuse is considered a tributary, the Rhine basin is 218,300 km2.
  33. ^ Rogers, Aaron W. "White River - Encyclopedia of Arkansas". www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net. Archived from the original on 27 October 2018. Retrieved 27 October 2018.
  34. ^ Daily Telegraph, Monday 18 June 2007, page 18
  35. ^ a b "Amazon river flowed into the Pacific millions of years ago". mongabay.com. 24 October 2006. Archived from the original on 2017-12-12. Retrieved 2017-12-11.
  36. ^ Vaikmäe, R., Edmunds, W. M., and Manzano, M., (2001) "Weichselian palaeoclimate and palaeoenvironment in Europe: Background for palaeogroundwater formation Archived 2023-12-21 at the Wayback Machine", in "Palaeowaters in Coastal Europe: Evolution of Groundwater Since the Late Pleistocene" (W. M. Edmunds and C. J. Milne (eds)). London:The Geological Society. p. 177
  37. ^ Bridgland, D. R., and D'Olier, B. (1995) "The Pleistocene evolution of the Thames and Rhine drainage systems in the southern North Sea Basin (abstract) Archived 2022-06-27 at the Wayback Machine", Geological Society, London, Special Publications, v. 96, p. 27–45, in Lyell Collection. Retrieved 12 November 2015.
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