Nature has bestowed many gifts upon us, and rivers happen to be one of them. Rivers are natural bodies of moving freshwater. Their existence has allowed human beings and other living creatures to thrive. Many of the civilizations of the world have lived on the riverbanks for years.
The importance of water bodies like a river is prominent. They are the means of our existence. Without rivers, both humans and animals have to suffer at large.
Longest Rivers of the World by Length
The world is full of water bodies like rivers, lakes, ponds, and oceans. There are numerous rivers worldwide. Some rivers spread themselves to a restricted area, while others are long, stretching many miles long. Want to know about the largest rivers in the world? Here’s the list.
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Nile River
Nile River is the largest river in the world, spreading up to 6,693 kilometers. It is known as the lifeline of Egypt. The Nile is not only important to Egypt but many other parts of the world. This river shares water with 11 countries in Africa.
Nile River is the primary water source in two countries – Egypt and Sedan. The Blue and White Nile are the two tributaries of this river, White having a longer length than the Blue Nile. The final course of this river is in Egypt, from where it drains into the Mediterranean Sea.
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Amazon River
When it comes to discharging volumes of water, the mention of the Amazon River is a must. It is the second-largest river on the planet, spreading up to 6,436 kilometers in length. The origin of this river is highly disputed. It was claimed that the Apurimac River marked the origin of the Amazon River.
However, a study of 2014 stated that the Amazon River owes its origin to the Cordillera Rumi Cruz. Nevertheless, the critics point out that the claim of the latter has remained unpublished.
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Yangtze River
Yangtze River flows through China into the East China Sea. It measures up to 6,418 kilometers, thus the third-longest river the world has today. This river is home to many iconic bridges of China.
It is the longest river in Asia and the longest in the world to flow wholly within one country. The very popular Three Gorges Dam sits on this river. It is considered the biggest hydroelectric dam in the world. This river houses many animals, plants, and sea creatures such as the Finless Porpoise, Chinese Alligator, and Chinese Paddlefish.
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Mississippi-Missouri River
The very popular, Mississippi-Missouri stretches up to 6,275 kilometers, hence considered the fourth-longest river worldwide. This river shares its water with two countries, the United States of America and Canada.
It flows mainly through the United States of America; the remaining portion shares its water with Canada, eventually ending in the Gulf of Mexico. This river is the largest in the USA and North America. It also bags the title of the fourth largest drainage basin worldwide, covering 3,220,000 square kilometers. The river is home to hundreds of fish species, mammal and amphibian species.
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The Yenisei River
The total length of this river is 5,539 kilometers, making it one of the longest rivers existing on the planet. The Yenisei River also has an enormous drainage area, extending up to 2,580,000 square kilometers.
Most of its area rests in Russia. The river shares a small portion of its water with Mongolia too.
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Ob River
Also known as Ob-Irtysh, it is the second-longest river in Russia and one of the longest rivers worldwide. The river measures up to 5,410 kilometers in length. It runs through multiple countries, including Russia, China, Kazakhstan, and Mongolia, and finally drains into the Gulf of Ob.
To tell you more about the Ob River, it is an inexhaustible water resource present today and is extremely important to the Russian Federation. Unlike most rivers in the country, the Ob River flows from the south to the north. It is home to fifty species of fish. The river has three tributaries – the Ishim River, the Tobol River, and the Demyanka River. The riverbanks of the Orb were occupied by the Mongols and Turks in ancient times.
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Rio de La Plata
This river spreads up to 4,880 kilometers and shares its water with five countries – Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina, Bolivia, and Uruguay. Interestingly, there are many claims about the existence of this river.
Rio de la Plata may be considered a river, a gulf, an estuary, or a marginal sea. As a river, it becomes the widest river worldwide as it has a width of 2,000 kilometers. It is also addressed by other names, River Plate or La Plata River.
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Congo River
Another one on the list of the longest rivers in the world is the Congo River. It measures 4,700 kilometers and shares its water with many countries like the Republic of Congo, Angola, Central African Republic, Tanzania, Cameroon, Burundi, Zambia, and Rwanda. The river finally ends in the Atlantic Ocean.
The Congo River is the second-longest river in the African continent. Previously, it was known by the name of the Zaire River. It holds the record of the deepest river in the world, with its deepest point reaching 720 feet below the surface.
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Amur River
The beautiful Amur River is addressed as Heilong Jiang in Chinese. It measures up to 4,444 kilometers in length and is touted as one of the longest rivers worldwide. 
Amur River boasts two tributaries, namely, Kherlen and Argun, both of which flow in the north-eastern direction. They empty themselves in the gigantic Pacific Ocean. The river constitutes the natural border of East Russia and China.
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Mekong River
The Mekong is considered a transboundary river in Southeast Asia. It starts from the Tibetan Plateau and runs through Laos, Myanmar, China, Cambodia, Thailand, and Vietnam.
The Mekong River is the seventh longest river in Asia, measuring up to 4,350 kilometers in length. Interestingly, the river is addressed by many names, for each country has named it differently from others. Mekong River comprises 16 WFE ecoregions of the Global 200.
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