List of 20 Longest Rivers in the World

Rivers have been a source of water for human lives. The first human civilizations were all near a river as these provided humans with water. With the advent of technology, water transport systems have developed and we no longer need to settle on the river banks. Rivers have now become a lot more than just sources of water. They have become recreational spots, being hosts to many activities such as kayaking, boating, and fishing.

The topic of the longest river in the world has been a much-debated issue for the past two decades. The technique of the length measurements varies from one group to another, and therefore we have a range of lengths in which the river’s length lies. Also taken into consideration is the furthest water source which drains into the river. Therefore, it is a much-debated topic.

In 2007, scientists on an expedition discovered that the Amazon was much longer than the Nile, which made the Amazon the longest river in the world. In 2009, a study published in the International Journal of Digital Earth showed that the Nile is much longer than the length it was previously measured, and if this length is taken into account, the Nile remains the longest.

In this list of rivers, we have taken the longest lengths of the rivers from all the lengths provided. Happy Reading and Discovering some facts about the longest water bodies in the world.

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Longest rivers in the world

1. Nile River (7,088 km)

The Nile River is the longest river in the world which is about 7,088 km long. This African wonder travels through eleven countries, which include Ethiopia, Eretria, Sudan, Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, Egypt, Congo, and South Sudan. The river is the lifeline of South Sudan and Egypt. There are mainly two tributaries of this mighty river- the Blue Nile, which starts in Ethiopia, and the White Nile, which starts in South Sudan. The 7,088km of this river includes the Nile, White Nile, Kagera, Nyabarongo, Mwogo, and Rukarara Rivers.

The tributaries merge together in the Sudanese city of Khartoum and flow north into the Mediterranean Sea. More than 95% of the Egyptian population lives within a few miles of the banks of the Nile. It is also home to wonderful wildlife, and the cause of the annual two-week holiday in Egypt called the ‘Wafaa an-Nil’.

2. Amazon River (6,992 km)

This Central American river is the second largest and runs through Brazil, Peru, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela, and Guyana. The river originates from various tributaries and ends in the Atlantic Ocean. The total length of this iver includes Ucayali, Tambo, Ene, and Mantaro rivers. During the monsoon, the width of this river with absolutely no bridges can reach up to 190 kilometers. There are over 3000 species of fish (including piranhas) found in the waters of this river, along with the giant anacondas.

3. Yangtze–Jinsha–Tongtian–Dangqu River (6,418 km)

This river flows through China into the East China Sea. Many iconic bridges have been built on this river. The Yangtze is also the longest river in Asia and the longest in the world to flow entirely within one country. The total length of this river includes the Yangtze, Jinsha, Tongtian, and Dangqu River. The Three Gorges Dam on the river is the biggest hydroelectric dam in the world. It houses various animal, fish, and plant species, some of which, including the Chinese Alligator, the Finless Porpoise, and the Chinese Paddlefish are endangered.

4. Mississippi-Missouri–Jefferson–Beaverhead–Red Rock–Hell Roaring (6,275 km)

Ending in the Gulf of Mexico, this river flows mainly through the United States, (97%) and the rest through Canada (1.5%). The Mississippi- Missouri River system is the largest in the USA and North America. This River also has the world’s fourth-largest drainage basin, which covers more than 3,220,000 square kilometers. In and around the river, more than 260 fish species, 325 bird species, 59 mammal species, and 145 amphibian species have been found.

5. Yenisey–Angara–Selenga–Ider River (5,539 km)

This major part of this river flows through Russia (97%) and the remaining through Mongolia (2.9%). This river is a great source of hydroelectric power. Not only this, an oil refinery lies on one of its tributaries. Salmon and Sturgeon are amongst the most found fish in the river, which makes it a brilliant spot for fishing. In the winter, the river sometimes freezes and floods can be a result. To shatter ice, explosives are used and icebreaker boats are also used to keep the shipping lanes open.

6. Yellow River (5,464 km)

The Yellow River or the Huang He is a Chinese river that ends in the Bohai Sea. It is called the Yellow River because the color of the river turns yellow due to the presence of less sediment. It has a very slow flow and is one of the muddiest major rivers in the world. The Hukou Waterfall which originates from his river is the second largest waterfall in China.

7. Ob River–Irtysh (5,410 km)

This river runs through Russia, Kazakhstan, China, and Mongolia before draining into the Gulf of Ob. This river is an inexhaustible water resource of great importance to the Russian Federation. And, interestingly, this river flows from the South to the North, unlike most Russian Rivers. This river is home to almost fifty kinds of fish.

8. Río de la Plata–Paraná–Rio Grande (4,880 km)

This approximately five thousand kilometers long river runs through five countries- Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, Bolivia, and Uruguay. This water body may be considered a river, an estuary, a gulf, or a marginal sea. If considered a river, it is the widest river in the world with a width of about 2,000 kilometers. It is also known as the River Plate or La Plata River.

9. Congo–Chambeshi River (4,700 km)

The ninth longest river ending in the Atlantic Ocean travels through the Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic, Angola, Republic of Congo, Tanzania, Cameroon, Zambia, Burundi, and Rwanda.

10. Amur–Argun–Kherlen River (4,444 km)

The Amur or Heilong Jiang (as it is known in Chinese) is the tenth-longest river and it flows through the nations of Russia, China, and Mongolia. This river is called “Beige” by the Chinese, which means the black river. Along with salmon and Sturgeon, there are about 140 different types of fish found in the waters of Amur, which is more than any Russian River. The water does not enter the rivers through the glaciers but through the monsoon. Also, the river has breathtaking views and floods annually, like many other Russian Rivers.

11. Lena River (4,400 km)

This Russian River is the eleventh in the list, and it outflows into the Laptev Sea. It is also the longest river to flow in Russia. The river is situated in areas that experience harsh cold and is ice-free for only 130 days a year. Flooding occurs annually as a result of the melting of ice in spring. When it isn’t frozen, it is home to various fish and migratory birds.

12. Mekong River (4,350 km)

The Mekong is a transboundary river in Southeast Asia that starts from the Tibetan Plateau and runs through China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam. It is the twelfth longest river in the world and the seventh longest in Asia with an estimated length of 4,350 km.

Traveling through China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam to the South China Sea, this river is sure to surprise you. This river is addressed by different names in each country and contains 16 WWF ecoregions of the ‘Global 200’.

13. Mackenzie-Slave-Peace-Finlay River (4,241 km)

Mackenzie River has a total length of 4,241 kilometers which makes it the longest river system in Canada and the 13th world’s longest river. The origin of this river is Thutade Lake, in the Northern Interior of British Columbia.

14. Niger River (4,200 km)

The Niger is the third-longest river in Africa and 14th longest river in the world with a length of 4,180 km approx. This river origins from Guinea Highlands and passes through Guinea, Mali, Niger, Benin and Nigeria.

15. Brahmaputra River-Yarlung Tsangpo (3,848 km)

Brahmaputra River is also a transboundary river like the Mekong River which flows through China, India, and Bangladesh. The origin of this river is in the Manasarovar Lake region, near Mount Kailash, located on the northern side of the Himalayas. It is the ninth-largest river by discharge and the 15th-longest river in the world.

16. Murray River-Darling–Culgoa–Balonne–Condamine (3,672 km)

The Murray River, also called the River Murray in South Australia, is a very long river in Southeastern Australia. It’s the longest river in Australia, stretching for about 2,508 km. Many other rivers, like the Murrumbidgee, Darling, Lachlan, Warrego, and Paroo Rivers, flow into it. These rivers, along with the Murray, make up the Murray–Darling basin, covering a big part of Australia. This area is crucial for irrigation, which means watering crops.

The Murray River starts in the Australian Alps, taking water from the highest mountains in Australia. Then, it flows northwest across the plains inside Australia, creating the border between the states of New South Wales and Victoria before reaching South Australia.

17. Tocantins River-Araguaia (3,650 km)

The Tocantins River is a big river in Brazil, and it’s like the main road for rivers in the country. In the Tupi language, the river’s name means “toucan’s beak.” It goes from the south to the north for about 2,450 km. It’s not really a part of the Amazon River, but its water goes into the Atlantic Ocean next to the Amazon.

The river goes through four states in Brazil (Goiás, Tocantins, Maranhão, and Pará) and even gave its name to a new state in 1988. This new state was made from what used to be the top part of Goiás. The Tocantins River is one of the biggest clearwater rivers in South America.

18. Volga River (3,645 km)

The Volga is the longest river in Europe, and it’s in Russia. It flows through different parts of Russia, starting from Central Russia and going all the way to Southern Russia before reaching the Caspian Sea. The Volga is really long, measuring about 3,531 km. It has a big area, called the catchment area, which is about 1,360,000 km².

This river is also the largest river in Europe when we look at how much water flows through it. Many people in Russia consider the Volga as their national river. A long time ago, around 830 AD, the old Russian state, called the Rus’ Khaganate, started near the Volga. Throughout history, the Volga has been a significant place where different civilizations from Eurasia met.

19. Indus River-Sênggê Zangbo (3,610 km)

The Indus is a big river in Asia that goes through different countries. It’s also a river that comes from the Himalayan mountains in South and Central Asia. This river is quite long, about 3,120 km. It starts from springs in the mountains near Mount Kailash in Western Tibet. Then, it goes northwest through a place called Kashmir, which has been disputed. After that, it turns left near the Nanga Parbat mountains and flows south-by-southwest through Pakistan. Finally, it goes into the Arabian Sea close to the city of Karachi.

The river has a large area where the water from it goes, which is about 1,120,000 km². Every year, it carries a lot of water, around 243 km³, making it one of the 50 biggest rivers in the world when we look at how much water it carries on average each year.

20. Shatt al-Arab River-Euphrates-Murat (3,596 km)

The Shatt al-Arab is a river in southern Iraq that’s around 200 kilometers long. It starts where the Euphrates and Tigris rivers meet in a town called al-Qurnah in the Basra Governorate. This river makes up the border between Iran and Iraq until it reaches the end, where it flows into the Persian Gulf. The width of the Shatt al-Arab changes along its course, from about 232 meters in Basra to 800 meters at the place where it meets the sea. Scientists think that this river was formed not too long ago in the history of the Earth. Initially, the Tigris and Euphrates rivers used to flow into the Persian Gulf through a different channel to the west. Also, part of the Shatt al-Arab’s delta includes Kuwait’s Bubiyan Island.

Read More, List of river islands in India

The list of the longest rivers ends here and you can now decide which picturesque riverbank is the next in your visit list. You can either take in the amazing scenery at the Amur River or become a part of the two-week-long Egyptian celebrations of the Nile and make memories worth a lifetime with your loved ones.