Rivers are very useful to human kind since they provide a source of food, drinking water, means of transporting valuables from one country to another and also provide land that is fertile. They are also a home to various animals. I will take you through the top ten largest, biggest rivers on earth by length, drainage area, and their average discharge.
1.Amazon River
- Length (km): 6,992
- Drainage area (km): 7,050,000
- Average discharge (m³/s): 209,000
It is the world’s largest river with regards to its width and volume reaching a distance of almost 30 miles in some areas when it rains. The river is a home to a wide variety of fish species, trees, plants, and animals. It has a length of approximately 6,992 kilometers, a drainage area of around 7,050,000 kilometer square and an average discharge area of 209,000 cubic meters per second with its first outflow being the Atlantic Ocean.
2.Nile River
- Length (km): 6,853
- Drainage area (km²): 3,254,555
- Average discharge (m³/s): 2,800
Nile River is the world’s second largest river with a length of 6,853 kilometers, a drainage area of approximately 3,254,555 kilometers square and an average discharge of 2,800 cubic meters per square. It flows through the desert of Sahara and pours its water into the Mediterranean Sea. It has got only two tributaries: the Blue Nile in Ethiopia and the White Nile in Rwanda which meets at Sudan. It also flows through eleven countries Kenya, Sudan, Burundi, South Sudan, Congo, Eritrea, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, Egypt, and Ethiopia.
3.Yangtze River
- Length (km): 6,300
- Drainage area (km²): 1,800,000
- Average discharge (m³/s): 31,900
Yangtze is the third largest river, and it is a fascinating river, with a broad range of sites that attract tourists, culture, and scenery along its length. It is approximately 6,300 km long with a drainage area of 1,800,000 kilometer square and an average discharge of 31,900 cubic meters per second.
4.Mississippi River
- Mississippi River
- Length (km): 6,275
- Drainage area (km²): 2,980,000
- Average discharge (m³/s): 16,200
It is the fourth largest river, and it flows in the entire United States, River flows in a twisted turn slowly for 2,320 miles southwards and rises in the western Minnesota. It drains into 31 states in the US and two provinces from Canada. It is also one of the most active commercial waterways on earth, with a lot of modification and human control.
5.Yenisei River
- Length (km): 5,539
- Drainage area (km²): 2,580,000
- Average discharge (m³/s): 19,600
It is the 5th biggest river and the second largest in China with a length of about 5,539 kilometers and a drainage area of approximately 2,580,000 square kilometers and an average discharge of 19,600 cubic meters per second.
6.Yellow River
- Yellow River
- Length (km): 5,464
- Drainage area (km²): 745,000
- Average discharge (m³/s): 2,110
It is the 6th largest rivers on earth. It has a length of approximately 5,464 km and a drainage area of 745,000 square kilometers and an average discharge of about 2,110 cubic meters per second.
7.Ob River
- Length (km): 5,410
- Drainage area (km²): 2,990,000
- Average discharge (m³/s): 12,800
This river is the 7th largest rivers in the world. It has a length of approximately 5,410 km and a 2,990,000 km drainage area with a discharge of around 12,800 m per second. It is one of the Siberian Rivers that flows into the Arctic Ocean. It is divided into three parts depending on the nature of its network, water regime formation, and supply conditions. The top is found in the mountains, and its principal tributaries are Anouilh, Aley, Sandy, Katun, Biya, and Charysh.
8.Parana River
- Length (km): 4,880
- Drainage area (km²): 2,582,672
- Average discharge (m³/s): 18,000
It is at number eight of the largest rivers on earth with a drainage area of around 2,582,672 km2 and a discharge of 18,000 m3. It has a length of about 3,030 miles, and it is found in South America, it flows through three countries namely Paraguay, Argentina, and Brazil.
9.Congo River
- Length (km): 4,700
- Drainage area (km²): 3,680,000
- Average discharge (m³/s): 41,800
9th world’s largest rivers. It is also the deepest river with a depth of approximately 230 m on earth, and it was earlier known as Zaire River. It is about 4,700 km long, and its drainage basin is 3,680,000 kilometers squares by the amount of water released, it is the ninth longest river on earth. Its drainage basin covers an area of approximately 3,680,000 square kilometers. The river flows through the second-largest rain forest in the world.
10.The Amur River [Russia]
- Amur River
- Length (km): 4,444
- Drainage area (km²): 1,855,000
- Average discharge (m³/s): 11,400
Amur River is in number ten of the largest rivers in the world and the most prominent in the Federation of Russia. It is found on the border of Russia and China. It has a length of approximately 4,444 km. Amur has 200 tributaries
