Nature is very diverse and amazing. You can argue for hours about which man-made sights are better, but one thing is certain: the wonders of nature are always more beautiful. Today we will talk about the water arteries of our planet, we will try to figure out which river is longer: the Amazon or the Nile. Or maybe someone else holds the title of world's longest?
The eternal dispute: the Amazon or the Nile
Man has always been interested in which mountain peaks are the highest on the planet, which lake has the largest area, which desert is the most extensive. Now we will try to figure out which river is longer. Amazon or Nile? These are the two options that scientists have been wrestling with in recent years. Until recently, in the first place was the sacred Nile, which carries its waters from the depths of Africa through the sands of the Sahara. The South American river is recognized as the most full-flowing, but it was placed in a different place along its length. Buta recent expedition by Brazilian scientists discovered that the Amazon is longer. It is 6800 kilometers, and the river itself begins in the north of Peru, and not in the south, as previously thought. At that time, the length of the Nile is 6695 kilometers. The main thing when measuring rivers is to accurately determine the source, because the length can vary depending on it.
Natural champions
So, we have already decided on the first two record holders. True, about whether the Nile or the Amazon is longer, disputes will still be going on for a long time. But the names of other rivers that are the greatest in the world are known, these are:
- The Yangtze is not only one of the longest rivers (third place, 6300 kilometers) on the planet, but also ranks third in terms of full flow.
- Jefferson, Missouri and Mississippi create the longest river system in the world with a total length of 6,300 kilometers.
- The Yellow River (Huang He) carries its waters along 5464 kilometers and flows into the sea with a powerful jet, and the washed-up rock colors the waves not only of the river, but also of the sea.
- Ob is the longest river in Russia. Its length is 3650 km, and together with the Irtysh tributary - 4248 km.
- Congo is the main waterway of Central Africa. And the river ranks second in full-flowing water after the Amazon and first in depth. It crosses the equator twice and is 4,700 kilometers long.
- The Mekong carries its waters through China and Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia, Thailand and Myanmar. The length of the river with a very developed delta is 4500 kilometers.
- Lena. The most beautiful river innorth-east of Siberia carries its waters through Yakutia and the Irkutsk region. Its length is 4480 kilometers, width in some places is 5-7 km, and in some places 20-30.
- Niger, located in West Africa. The river begins in Guinea and carries its waters through the territory of Niger, Mali, Nigeria, Benin. Its length is 4180 kilometers.
Amazing Amazon: the origin of the name
So, which river is longer, the Amazon or the Nile, we have already figured out. Now let's talk about her, the absolute record holder, an amazing water artery. The conquistadors discovered it while searching for the fabulous golden country of Eldorado. They also gave her the name, having met the Indians with long hair and believing that these are the legendary female warriors described by the ancient Greeks. According to another version, the European invaders were amazed that aboriginal women fought on an equal footing with men, fiercely resisting the aliens.
The Queen of Rivers and her features
This is the name given to the Amazon by the tribes of Indians who have long lived on the banks. In their language it sounds like Parana Tingo. It carries a quarter of all water into the World Ocean, and this flow desalinates the Atlantic Ocean four hundred kilometers from the mouth!
The mouth of the river is formed by three large branches and a huge number of small ones. The picturesque islands of Mexiana, Maraio, Caviana are lost in it. The Amazon boasts over two hundred tributaries, many of which are deep and navigable. During the wet season in the tropics, there is a largethe amount of precipitation, so the river overflows to an incredible size, and the water level in it rises by ten to fifteen meters. The shores are covered with virgin forest, which is home to a unique fauna. In the Amazon itself, there are various fish, caimans, turtles, dolphins, pira-ruku, manatees.
Colorful stream
The Amazon rushes in a powerful, seething stream, washing out silt from the bottom, which colors its waters white. Its tributary, the Rio Negro, on the contrary, is very clean and transparent, and the waves in it have an almost black tint (hence the name - Black River). In the place where they merge together, one can observe an interesting and unique phenomenon: water rushes in a two-color stream from the city of Manaus to the mouth along fifteen kilometers of the coast.
Amazing inhabitants of the Amazon
Because the Amazon is a unique and amazing river, the inhabitants in its basin are also unusual. Two and a half thousand species of fish (including the famous piranha with sharp teeth, and giant arapaima, and electric stingrays, and river sharks), huge anacondas, the largest rodents capybaras, howler monkeys, tiny hummingbirds - this is just a short list of representatives of the fauna Amazon.
The flora is no less rich: slender palm trees and unique fruit trees, cinchona, hevea are entangled in vines that can withstand an adult. Victoria regia blooms on the water surface - a water lily with one and a half meter leaves. No wonder this part of the world is called the "green lungs of the planet." The only pity is that man and his economicevery day is reflected in the state of the natural miracle. Trees are being cut down, rare species of flora and fauna are rapidly dying out.
The Sacred Nile
So, no one doubts which river is longer: the Amazon or the Nile. But although the South American took the palm from the African, he did not become worse from this. The Nile is the main asset of the mainland, its main waterway, the cradle of the most ancient civilization and the source of life in the desert. The source of the sacred river is located on the East African plateau, and it flows into the Mediterranean Sea. The Nile does not have as many tributaries as the Amazon. These are Bahr el-Ghazal, Sobat, Blue Nile, Achva, Atbara. But all of them are located in the first half of the river's length, and the last three thousand kilometers of the Nile carries its waters through the semi-desert, having no tributaries.
In the Lake Victoria area, the Nile carves its way through the rocks, forming dangerous rapids and picturesque waterfalls. The delta of the African giant is huge. Its area is approximately equal to the area of the Crimean peninsula, and the river flows into the sea, dividing into several powerful branches. The Nile is navigable, and a cruise on it will give the most positive emotions.
Instead of an epilogue
So which river is longer? It is worth forgetting what was taught in schools: not the Nile, on the banks of which the pyramids rise, but the amazing Amazon, a river that has no analogues!
