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This is a list of rivers by length. It includes rivers with a length over 1,000 km.
Definition of length
The length of a river is not always easy to calculate. It depends on the identification of the source, the identification of the mouth, and the precise measurement of the river length between source and mouth. As a result, the length measurements of many rivers are only approximations. In particular, there is disagreement whether the Amazon or the Nile is the world's longest river.
The source of a river may be hard to determine because a river typically has many tributaries. Among the many sources, the one that is farthest away from the mouth is considered as the source of the river, thus giving a maximal river length. In practice, the tributary with the farthest source is not always the one given the name of the river. For example, the farthest source of the Mississippi River system is the source of the Missouri River; but a different tributary is identified as the Mississippi. When the river is measured from mouth to farthest source, it is called the Mississippi-Missouri. Also, it is hard to state exactly where a river begins as very often rivers are formed by seasonal streams, swamps, or changing lakes. In this article, length means the length of the river system, including all tributaries.
The mouth of a river may be hard to determine in cases where the river has a large estuary that gradually widens and opens into the ocean; examples are the Amazon River and the Saint Lawrence River. Some rivers do not have a mouth, instead they evaporate, and the exact point where the river ends will vary seasonally.
The length of a river between source and mouth may be hard to determine because of a lack of precise maps. In these cases, the measured length of a river will depend on the scale of the map on which the measurement is based; in general, the larger the scale, the longer the resulting length measurement. Ideally, length measurements should be based on maps that are of a large enough scale to show the width of the river.
Even when precise maps are available, the length measurement need not to be clear. A river may have multiple arms. It may depend on whether the center or the edge of the river is taken as reference point. It may not be clear how to measure the length through a lake: this may also vary by season. These points make it difficult, if not impossible, to get a precise measurement of the length of a river or stream.
Longest rivers One should take the forementioned discussion into account when using the data in the following table. For most rivers, different sources provide conflicting information on the length of a river system. The information in different sources is between parantheses. Rivers of Earth, sorted by length | River | Some lengths found in sources (km) | Drainage area (km2) | Average discharge (m3/s) | Outflow | Most important countries | | Amazon¹ | 6,762 (6,296) | 6,915,000 | 219,000 | Atlantic Ocean | Brazil, Peru, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela | | Nile | 6,690 | 2,870,000 | 5,100 | Mediterranean Sea | Sudan, Ethiopia, Egypt, UgandaTanzania | | Chang Jiang² | 6,380 (5,797) | 1,800,000 | 31,900 | East China Sea | China | | Mississippi-Missouri | 6,270 (6,420) | 2,980,000 | 16,200 | Gulf of Mexico | United States (98.5%), Canada (1.5%) | | Yenisey-Angara | 5,550 (4,506) | 2,580,000 | 19,600 | Arctic Ocean | Russia | | Ob'-Irtysh | 5,410 (3,650?) | 2,990,000 | 12,800 | Gulf of Ob | Russia | | Amur | 4,410 (4,325) | 1,855,000 | 11,400 | Tatar Strait | Russia, China, Mongolia | | Congo River | 4,410 (4,371; 4,670) | 3,680,000 | 41,800 | Atlantic Ocean | Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic, Angola, Republic of the Congo, Tanzania | | Huang He | 4,350 (4,667) | 745,000 | 2,110 | Bo Hai | China | | Mekong | 4,425 (4,500) | 810,000 | 16,000 | South China Sea | Laos, Thailand, China, Cambodia, Vietnam, Myanmar | | Lena | 4,260 (4,400) | 2,490,000 | 17,100 | Arctic Ocean | Russia | | Mackenzie River | 4,240 (5,427) | 1,790,000 | 10,300 | Beaufort Sea | Canada | | Niger | 4,167 (4,030; 4,200; 4,184) | 2,090,000 | 9,570 | 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%) | | Paraná (Rio de la Plata) | 3,998 (4,700) | 3,100,000 | 25,700 | Atlantic Ocean | Brazil (46.7%), Argentina (27.7%), Paraguay (13.5%), Bolivia (8.3%), Uruguay (3.8%) | | Murray-Darling | 3,750 (3,520; 2,589; 2,574) | 3,490,000 | 767 | Indian Ocean | Australia | | Volga | 3,687 (3,717; 3,530) | 1,380,000 | 8,080 | Caspian Sea | Russia (99.8%), Kazakhstan (minor), Byelarus (minor) | | Shatt al-Arab-Euphrates | 3,596 (2,992) | 884,000 | 856 | Persian Gulf | Iraq (40.5%), Turkey (24.8%), Iran (19.7%), Syria (14.7%) | | São Francisco | 2,900 (3,161; 3,198) | 610,000 | 3,300 | Atlantic Ocean | Brazil | | Yukon | 3,184 | 850,000 | 6,210 | Bering Sea | USA (59.8%), Canada (40.2%) | | Indus | 3,180 | 960,000 | 7,160 | Arabian Sea | Pakistan (52.5%), India (33.5%), China (6.7%), Afghanistan (6.3%) | | Saint Lawrence | 3,058 | 1,030,000 | 10,100 | Gulf of Saint Lawrence | Canada (52.1%), USA (47.9%) | | Rio Grande | 3,057 (3,034; 2,870; 2,896) | 570,000 | 82 | Gulf of Mexico | USA (52,1%), Mexico (47.9%) | | Ganges-Brahmaputra | 3,000 (2,896) | 1,730,000 | 43,900 | Bay of Bengal | India (58.0%), China (19.7%), Nepal (9.0%), Bangladesh (6.6%), Disputed India/China (4.2%), Bhutan 2.4% | | Danube | 2,858 (2,842) | 817,000 | 7,130 | Black Sea | Romania (28.9%), Hungary (11.7%), Austria (10.3%), Serbia and Montenegro (10.3%), Germany (7.5%), Slovakia (5.8%), Bulgaria (5.2%), Bosnia and Herzegovina (4.8%), Croatia (4.5%), Ukraine (3.8%), Czech Republic (2.6%), Slovenia (2.2%), Moldova (1.7%), Switzerland (0.32%), Italy (0.15%), Poland (0.09%), Albania (0.03%) | | Zambezi | 2,650 (2,736) | 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%) | | Xi Jiang | 2,130 | 437,000 | 13,600 | South China Sea | China | | Syr Darya-Amu Darya | 3,078 | ? | ? | Aral sea | Kazakhstan (34.5%), Uzbekistan (31.1%), Tajikistan (11.0%), Kyrgyzstan (9.1%), Afghanistan (8.5%), Turkmenistan (5.7%) | | Salween River | 3,060 | ? | ? | Andaman Sea | China (52.4%), Myanmar (43.9%), Thailand (3.7%) | | Nelson-Saskatchewan | 2,570 (644?) | 1,093,000 | 2,575 | Atlantic Ocean | Canada | - 6,762 km - Amazon, South America
- 6,690 km - Nile, Africa
- 6,380 km - Chang Jiang (Yangtze), People's Republic of China
- 6,270 km - Mississippi-Missouri, USA
- 5,550 km - Yenisei-Angara, Mongolia / Russia, (5,870 km)
- 5,410 km - Ob-Irtysh, North Asia
- 4,410 km - Amur, East Asia
- 4,380 km - Congo, Africa, (or 4,670 km, the source of the river is disputed.)
- 4,350 km - Huang He (Yellow), People's Republic of China, (or 5,463 km)
- 4,425 km - Mekong, South-East Asia
- 4,260 km - Lena, Russia (North Asia)
- 4,240 km - Mackenzie, Canada
- 4,184 km - Niger, Africa, 4,167 km (4,030 km) (4,200 km)
- 3,998 km - Paraná, South America, (4,500 km) (3,300 km) (3,700 km)
- 3,717 km - Murray-Darling, Australia, (3,750 km) (2,574 km)
- 3,685 km - Volga, Russia (Europe) (3,530 km without the delta)
- 3,596 km - Shatt al-Arab-Euphrates, Southwest Asia
- 3,379 km - Purus, Peru / Brazil, (2,948 km) (3,210 km) (tributary of Amazon)
- 3,239 km - Madeira, Bolivia / Brazil (tributary of Amazon)
- 3,199 km - São Francisco, Brazil, (2,900 km) (3,161 km)
- 3,184 km - Yukon, Canada / USA
- 3,180 km - Indus, South Asia
- 3,058 km - Saint Lawrence, USA / Canada
- 3,057 km - Rio Grande, USA / Mexico, (2 870 km) (2 896 km)
- 2,896 km - Brahmaputra, South Asia
- 2,858 km - Danube, Europe
- 2,650 km - Zambezi, Southern Africa
- 2,510 km - Ganges, India / Bangladesh
- 2,129 km - Xi Jiang, People's Republic of China
- 3,078 km - Syr Darya, Central Asia, (2 212 km)
- 3,060 km - Salween, South-East Asia, (2 600 km)
- 2,989 km - Lower Tunguska, Russia (North Asia) (tributary of Yenisei)
- 2,820 km - Yapura, Colombia / Brazil
- 2,750 km - Tocantins, Brazil, (2,416 km) (2,640 km) (tributary of Amazon
- 2,650 km - Vilyuy, Russia (North Asia), (tributary of Lena)
- 2,620 km - Amu Darya, Central Asia
- 2,575 km - Araguaía, Brazil
- 2,570 km - Nelson-Saskatchewan, Canada
- 2,549 km - Paraguay, South America (tributary of Paraná)
- 2,534 km - Ural, Russia / Kazakhstan, (2,428 km)
- 2,513 km - Kolyma, Russia (North Asia), (2,219 km)
- 2,500 km - Orinoco, Venezuela / Colombia, (2 140 km) (3 000 km)
- 2,500 km - Pilcomayo, South America
- 2,490 km - Upper Ob, Russia (North Asia)
- 2,490 km - Shabele, Ethiopia / Somalia
- 2,450 km - Ishim, Kazakhstan / Russia
- 2,410 km - Juruá, Peru / Brazil
- 2,348 km - Arkansas, USA
- 2,333 km - Colorado, USA / Mexico, (2,250 km)
- 2,300 km - Ubangi, Central Africa
- 2,292 km - Olenyok, Russia (North Asia)
- 2,285 km - Dnieper, Europe
- 2,273 km - Aldan, Russia (North Asia)
- 2,250 km - Columbia, Canada / USA, (1,953 km)
- 2,250 km - Negro, South America
- 2,188 km - Red, USA
- 2,153 km - Kasai, Angola / Democratic Republic of the Congo
- 2,150 km - Irrawaddy, Myanmar, (1,880 km)
- 2,100 km - Tarim, People's Republic of China
- 2,100 km - Xingu, Brazil
- 2,010 km - Northern Salado, Argentina
- 1,978 km - Vitim, Russia (North Asia)
- 1,950 km - Tigris, Turkey / Iraq
- 1,927 km - Songhua, People's Republic of China
- 1,900 km - Tapajós, Brazil
- 1,870 km - Don, Russia (Europe)
- 1,865 km - Stony Tunguska, Russia (North Asia)
- 1,860 km - Orange, Southern Africa
- 1,809 km - Pechora, Russia (Europe)
- 1,805 km - Kama, Russia (Europe)
- 1,800 km - Limpopo, Southern Africa
- 1,749 km - Guaporé, Brazil / Bolivia
- 1,726 km - Indigirka, Russia (North Asia)
- 1,670 km - Snake, USA
- 1,641 km - Senegal, West Africa
- 1,610 km - Uruguay, South America
- 1,600 km - Blue Nile, Ethiopia / Sudan
- 1,600 km - Churchill, Canada
- 1,600 km - Khatanga, Russia (North Asia)
- 1,600 km - Volta, West Africa
- 1,600 km - Okavango, Southern Africa
- 1,599 km - Beni, Bolivia
- 1,594 km - Platte, USA
- 1,591 km - Tobol, Kazakhstan / Russia
- 1,579 km - Ohio, USA
- 1,575 km - Içá, South America
- 1,550 km - Magdalena, Colombia
- 1,532 km - Han, People's Republic of China
- 1,500 km - Lomami, Democratic Republic of the Congo
- 1,500 km - Oka, Russia (Europe)
- 1,490 km - Pecos, USA
- 1,480 km - Upper Yenisei, Mongolia / Russia
- 1,465 km - Godavari, India
- 1,438 km - Colorado, USA
- 1,420 km - Belaya, Russia (Europe)
- 1,415 km - Marañón, Peru
- 1,411 km - Dniestr, Ukraine / Moldova, (1,352 km)
- 1,400 km - Benue, Cameroon / Nigeria
- 1,400 km - Ili, People's Republic of China / Kazakhstan
- 1,376 km - Yamuna, India
- 1,370 km - Sutlej, India / Pakistan
- 1,370 km - Vyatka, Russia (Europe)
- 1,368 km - Fraser, Canada
- 1,360 km - Grande, Brazil
- 1,352 km - Brazos, USA
- 1,345 km - Liao, People's Republic of China
- 1,323 km - Yalong, People's Republic of China
- 1,320 km - Iguaçu, Brazil / Argentina
- 1,320 km - Olekma, Russia (North Asia)
- 1,320 km - Rhine, Europe
- 1,310 km - Northern Dvina, Russia (Europe)
- 1,300 km - Krishna, India
- 1,300 km - Iriri, Brazil
- 1,289 km - Narmada, India
- 1,271 km - Ottawa, Canada
- 1,242 km - Zeya, Russia (East Asia)
- 1,240 km - Juruena, Brazil
- 1,236 km - Upper Mississippi, USA
- 1,231 km - Athabasca, Canada
- 1,223 km - Canadian, USA
- 1,220 km - North Saskatchewan, Canada
- 1,210 km - Vaal, South Africa
- 1,200 km - Shire, Southern Africa
- 1,200 km - Tapajós, Brazil
- 1,190 km - Nen, People's Republic of China
- 1,175 km - Green, USA
- 1,173 km - Milk, USA / Canada
- 1,159 km - Elbe, Czech Republic / Germany, (1 165 km)
- 1,158 km - Chindwin, Myanmar
- 1,143 km - James, USA
- 1,130 km - Helmand, Afghanistan / Iran
- 1,130 km - Madre de Dios, Peru / Bolivia
- 1,130 km - Tietê, Brazil
- 1,130 km - Vychegda, Russia (Europe)
- 1,123 km - Cimarron, USA
- 1,120 km - Anadyr, Russia (North Asia)
- 1,115 km - Liard, Canada
- 1,100 km - Huallaga, Peru
- 1,102 km - White, USA
- 1,094 km - Gambia, West Africa
- 1,086 km - Chenab, India / Pakistan
- 1,080 km - Yellowstone, USA
- 1,078 km - Donets, Ukraine / Russia, (1 053 km)
- 1,075 km - Koksoak, Canada
- 1,050 km - Bermejo, South America
- 1,050 km - Guaviare, Colombia
- 1,050 km - Kuskokwim, USA
- 1,049 km - Tennessee, USA
- 1,020 km - Daugava, Europe
- 1,015 km - Gila, USA
- 1,014 km - Vistula, Poland
- 1,012 km - Loire, France
- 1,010 km - Essequibo, Guyana
- 1,010 km - Khoper, Russia (Europe)
- 1,006 km - Tagus, Spain / Portugal
Note that this list is still incomplete, especially with respect to rivers from Africa, North Asia, and South America.
External links - Rivers of the Earth (http://home.comcast.net/~igpl/Rivers.html)
- International river basins of the world (http://www.transboundarywaters.orst.edu/publications/register/index.html#toc)
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