Determining the length of a river can be difficult due to river systems and tributaries. The Nile is the longest river passing through ten countries, while the Amazon carries the most water. Australia’s longest river, the Murray, is in the top 20 when combined with other rivers. Only one of the top 20 longest rivers is in Europe, while nearly half are in Asia.
There are a number of long rivers in the world, but it can be unexpectedly difficult to determine the length of a river. Because many rivers merge into river systems, it’s not always easy to tell where an individual river begins. In many cases, river length is measured from the sources farthest from the river mouth; in some cases this means that the “source” of the river is on a tributary known by a different name than the main river.
Of the longest rivers in the world, one passes through ten countries. The Nile passes through Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda. Other rivers, such as the Mississippi, flow through only one country.
Although the Amazon is generally considered to be the second longest river, it carries more water than any other river. The second and third longest rivers in the Amazon system, the Madeira and Purus, respectively, are also some of the longest rivers in the world, as are two major parts of the Mississippi-Missouri system.
Australia does not have a single river in the top 20. The longest river in Australia is the Murray River at approximately 1,475 miles (2,375 km). When combined with other rivers in the Murray-Darling River system, however, the length grows to at least 2,094 miles (3,369 km), putting it in the top 20 list.
Of the top 20 longest rivers in the world, only one is in Europe, while three are in Africa. The next longest river in Europe, after the Volga, is the Danube, at approximately 1,771 miles (2,850 km). Nearly half of the 20 longest rivers are in Asia.
The longest rivers in the world and their approximate lengths
RangoFiumeLocalitàlunghezza in miglia (km) 1NileAfrica4,132 (6,650)2AmazonSud America3,980 (6,405)3Chang Jiang (Yangtze)Asia3,915 (6,300)4Mississippi-MissouriNord America3,870 (6,228)5YeniseiAsia3,434 (5,526)6Huang He (giallo) Asia3,395 (5,464)7Ob-IrtyshAsia3,354 (5,398)8Zaire (Congo)Africa2,914 (4,690)9Heilong (Amur)Asia2,744 (4,416)10LenaAsia2,734 (4,400)11MackenzieNord America2,635 (4,241)12MekongAsia2,600 (4,184)13NigerAfrica2,590 (4,168)14ParanaSud America2,485 (3,999)15VolgaEuropa2,266 (3,647)16Shatt al-Arab-EufrateAsia2,236 (3,598)17PurusSudamerica2,100 (3,380)18Murray-DarlingAustralia2,094 (3,369)19MadeiraSudamerica2,013 .3,240 (20)1,980YukonNord America3,186 (XNUMX)
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
