Longest Rivers in the World 2023, Top 10 Rivers List
Longest Rivers in the World 2023, Top 10 Rivers List: Rivers are natural flowing streams of water that travel across the land, often starting from mountains or springs and ending in oceans, lakes or other rivers. They supply water for drinking, farming, and livestock. Rivers are used for transportation and are home to a variety of creatures and plants. Rivers shape landscapes and have been important throughout history, supporting civilizations and ecosystems.
Daily Current Affairs Quiz: August 2023
When attempting to determine the world’s longest river, there are a few crucial elements to consider:
- The origin of the river (the point/source where the river starts)
- The river mouth (the point at which the river ejects and the sea/ocean/estuary begins)
With an overview of 10 of the world’s longest and largest rivers, their country of origin, and length, the demography of the country also needs to be understood.
Longest Rivers in the World by Length
With a total length of 6650 kilometres, the Nile River is considered the world’s longest river, followed by the Amazon (6575 kilometres), Yangtze (6300 kilometres), and Mississippi (6275 kilometres).
The Top Ten Longest Rivers of the world according to their length in Kms:
| River | Location | Length (in km) | Length (in miles) | Drainage Area | Mouth |
| Nile | Africa | 6650 | 4130 | 32,54,55 | Mediterranean Sea |
| Amazon | South America | 6575 | 4086 | 70,50,000 | Atlantic Ocean |
| Yangtze | China | 6300 | 3917 | 18,00,000 | South China Sea |
| Mississippi | USA | 6275 | 3902 | 29,80,000 | Gulf of Maxico |
| Yenisei River | Russia | 5539 | 3445 | 25,80,000 | Kara Sea |
| Yellow | China | 5464 | 3398 | 7,45,000 | Bohai Sea |
| Ob-Irtysh | Russia | 5410 | 3364 | 29,90,000 | Gulf of Ob |
| Parana | Uruguay | 4880 | 3030 | 25,82,672 | Rio da la Plata |
| Congo | Africa | 4700 | 2922 | 26,80,000 | Atlantic Ocean |
| Amur | Asia | 4480 | 2800 | 18,55,000 | Sea of Okhotsk |
Longest Rivers in the World- Facts
A detailed description of the top 10 longest rivers in the world:
1. Nile River- (length- 6650 Km)
The Nile River is thought to be the world’s longest river. The Nile River stretches about 6650 kilometers. The river’s source is thought to be Lake Victoria. The river flows through Egypt, Uganda, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eritrea, Burundi, Sudan, and South Sudan. The Blue and White Niles are the river’s two tributaries. Although the Nile River is the longest river in the world for most of us, there is a group of scholars who believe the Amazon River is the genuine winner. Large rivers, such as the Nile and the Amazon, have a plethora of sources as well as several large and tiny tributaries. If the true length of a river must be calculated, it is necessary to locate its farthest source. Such sources are frequently found in remote and inaccessible regions, making their detection a difficult undertaking.
2. The Amazon River- (length- 6575 Km)
The Amazon River is without a doubt the world’s greatest river in terms of water flow volume. However, its claim to being the world’s second-longest river is hotly debated, as the distinction has long been held by Egypt’s Nile River. The battle originates from the discovery of the Amazon’s genesis. According to a 2014 study, the Amazon started in the Cordillera Rumi Cruz.
3. The Yangtze River- (length-6300 Km)
The Yangtze River is the world’s third-longest river and the world’s longest river that runs fully within a single country. It is also Asia’s longest river. One-third of the population of the world’s most populous country, China, lives in the Yangtze River basin. The Chinese government has historically identified the Tuotuo tributary in the Tanggula Mountains as the river’s source. According to new knowledge, the Yangtze River’s headwaters start on Jari Hill, where the Dam Qu tributary originates. These and other tributaries combine to form the Yangtze River, which empties into the East China Sea in Shanghai.
4. The Mississippi River- (length- 6275Km)
The Mississippi, Missouri, and Jefferson rivers make up the world’s fourth longest river system. The river system drains 31 US states as well as two Canadian provinces. The Mississippi River originates in northern Minnesota, where Lake Itasca is thought to be its source, then flows into the Gulf of Mexico. When we consider the Jefferson River as the Mississippi River’s farthest source, we obtain the Mississippi–Missouri–Jefferson river system.
5. The Yenisei River- (length-5539 Km)
This is the world’s fifth-longest river system, and the Arctic Ocean’s largest. The Selenge River is considered the river system’s headwaters. The Selenge River flows into Lake Baikal and is 992 kilometres long. The Angara River begins near Listvyanka in Lake Baikal and flows through Russia’s Irkutsk Oblast before joining the Yenisei River near Strelka. The Yenisei eventually drains into the Arctic Ocean. The entire journey distance was 5,539 km.
6. The Yellow River- (length- 5464 Km)
This gigantic river, also known as the Huang He, is named after its colour, which is the result of massive volumes of loose debris in the water. Its basin is regarded as the birthplace of ancient Chinese civilisation, and it continues to possess significant symbolic and practical significance for the country.
7. The Ob-Irtysh River- (length- 5410 Km)
The Ob-Irtysh, often known as the Ob River, is one of the three major Siberian rivers, together with the Yenisei and the Lena. It runs into the Arctic Ocean and originates in the Altas Mountains.
8. The Parana River- (length- 4880 Km)
The Parana River, located in South America, is one of the world’s longest rivers and the continent’s second-largest. Its name is a contraction of the Tupi phrase para rehe onáva, which means “like the sea.”
9. The Congo River- (length- 4700 Km)
The Congo River, formerly known as the Zaire River, flows in a curved path across Africa’s continent and is the only river to cross the equator twice. It is also the deepest river in the world, with some portions reaching depths of over 700 feet.
10. The Amur River- (length- 4480 Km)
The Amur River, also known as the Heilong Jiang, is the world’s tenth longest river, running along the boundary between northeastern China and Russia. The Chinese Heilong Jiang translates to “black dragon river,” whereas the word Amur is supposed to come from a term for “water.”