The history of mankind has always been directly related to water bodies - it is not only a matter of origin, but also the development of civilizations in river basins and off the coast of the seas. In the Middle Ages, the powers with the fleet ruled the planet. To this day, the impact of water on human life is enormous. Therefore, the study of rivers can be not only a curious occupation, but also a better way to understand the history of mankind and the relationship of different processes. First of all, it is worth paying attention to the most ambitious, famous and significant water flows of the Earth.
Nile
Although not the deepest river in the world, it is the longest, and therefore most important. It is located on the African continent. The Nile is the longest - its length along with the tributary of the Kageroy is 6671 kilometers. The river crosses the territory of Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, Sudan and Egypt, on the lands of the latter flowing into the Mediterranean Sea. The pool consists of two streams - the White and Blue Nile, and occupies almost three thousand square kilometers. The main tributaries are Sobat, Atbara and Bahr al-Ghazal. On the banks of the Nile, one of the first civilizations known to mankind arose, and at the same time, this river remained unexplored for a long time. Until the nineteenth century, travelers wandered around the continent, trying to find the source, and this despite the fact that the Europeans made their first attempt back in 1613. There is also Lake Victoria in the pool, replenishing the river with water due to frequent rains in the area. A distinctive feature of the Nile is a large number of crocodiles - swimming in a pond is extremely undesirable.
Amazon
Listing the great rivers of the world, it is impossible to forget about this. The Amazon is the largest in South America, flows through the territories of Peru and Brazil, flowing into the Atlantic Ocean. Its name is associated with the legend of a warlike tribe of women who once lived on the local shores. Their life was described by the traveler Carvajal, so vividly that there was no doubt in the reliability of the stories. Europeans began to study the largest rivers of the world during the era of the Great geographical discoveries. In 1539, Pissarro arrived on the shores of the Amazon, trying to find gold. Hopes did not materialize, but the Spaniards managed to study the basin of an unfamiliar river with a strong current. The Amazon is the deepest river in the world. Its pool is almost seven thousand square kilometers. The river has about five hundred tributaries, forming a dense network, the most important - Purus, Jurua, Madeira. The banks of the river are covered with impenetrable forests, and piranha fish known throughout the world live in the waters .
Mississippi
For the inhabitants of North America, this is the greatest river in the world. The Mississippi has many large tributaries - these are Missouri, Illinois, Red River, Arkansas, Ohio. Many waterways flow into the river. In Native American, the name of this hydronym means "father of waters." The source is located in Lake Itasca, located in Minnesota. Like many other major rivers in the world, the Mississippi flows into the ocean - through the Gulf of Mexico. The shores are protected almost over the entire length by ramparts, and in some places dams strengthen them. The mouth looks like a huge delta with six sleeves. The length of the river is almost four thousand kilometers. Mississippi is fed by spring floods and floods caused by heavy rain. A dense forest used to grow along the coast, but now there are many coastal cities.
Yangtze
Listing the largest rivers of the world, it is worth mentioning the one that flows through the territory of Asia. The Yangtze is the longest on the continent and fourth on the planet. The length of the river is 5800 kilometers. The Yangtze flows through the territory of China and flows into the South China Sea, which belongs to the Pacific Ocean basin. The first Europeans who found themselves on the banks nicknamed the Blue River, but in fact the water in it is yellowish, with a lot of sand. The source is located in Tibet. Almost half its length the river is navigable. During floods, the water level rises by a dozen meters, at which time the opportunities for swimming along the Yangtze increase. In winter, it becomes smaller, and shipping ceases. In order to avoid floods along the riverbed, several reservoirs and dams were built. The Yangtze basin is extremely favorable for agriculture. The shores are fertile soils, so the locals are engaged in rice cultivation here. Like the other great rivers of the world, falling into the sea, the Yangtze forms an extensive delta of several tens of thousands of kilometers.
Ob
Listing the greatest rivers of the world, it is necessary to mention the Russian. The Ob flows in the west of Siberia and flows into the Gulf of Ob, which belongs to the Arctic Ocean. At the confluence of Biya and Katun , the source is located, and the mouth creates a delta the size of several thousand square kilometers. Like other great rivers of the world, the Ob is very long - its length is almost four thousand kilometers. The tributaries include Vasyugan, Irtysh, Bolshoy Yugan and Severnaya Sosva, as well as Chumysh, Chulym, Ket, Tom and Vakh. The largest city in the area, Novosibirsk, is located on the shores. In addition, the basin is known for several oil fields. Irtysh waters are used to generate electricity, in addition, several large reservoirs have been created near it.
The yellow river
The great rivers of the world flowing through the territory of China are not limited to the Yangtze. There is also the Yellow River, which flows into the Yellow Sea and is part of the Pacific Ocean basin. The river waters are yellowish due to the large amount of silt. The length is almost five thousand kilometers, so the river is in sixth place in the world. However, the Yellow River basin is relatively small. The river originates in the Tibetan Highlands, then flows along the Hetao Plain, along the Loess Plateau and the Great Plain of China, and then flows into the Bohaiwan Bay, where it forms a delta. Along the shores there are several large cities. However, living here is not too calm - the Yellow River regularly erodes dams, resulting in severe flooding.
Mekong
It just so happens that the most famous rivers of the world are most often located in Eurasia. So the Mekong - the most important waterway of Indochina - flows there. It is the fourth longest river in Asia and the eighth on the planet. The pool passes through the lands of China, Laos, Burma, Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam. The length is about four and a half thousand kilometers. The Mekong begins on the Tibetan plateau, from where it goes to the Sichuan Alps, then to the east of the peninsula, it appears on the Kampuchean plain and breaks up into several branches in the delta. The tributaries are Tonle Sap, Moon, Bassak and Bangkhiang. Prior to Phnom Penh, the water area is called the Upper Mekong, and then - the Lower. The pool is ideal for navigation throughout the year. Uninterrupted movement is possible for seven hundred kilometers. Monsoon rains falling from June to October provide food for the river.
Amur
To complete the list, which includes the most famous rivers of the world, is worth this. Cupid serves as the border between China and Russia. From the source, its length is almost four and a half thousand kilometers. It flows into the Tatar Strait, located between the Sea of Japan and the Sea of Okhotsk. The area of the river is 1856 square kilometers. The largest tributaries are the Tunguska, Zeya, Bureya, Amgun and Goryun, as well as Ussuri and Sungari. Cupid is used as a transport highway, as well as for fisheries. Twenty-five valuable species of fish can be caught in the waters: pink salmon, common carp, chum salmon, sturgeon, and others. The name of the river means "black water" in Mongolian. In the Far East, Amur is considered the main waterway. Half of its basin falls on the territory of China. From July to September, the river is replenished with floods, sometimes they can take a catastrophic character. Some areas freeze in winter from the beginning of November and are covered with ice until the very beginning of May.