Understanding rivers | National Geographic Society (2023)

ARiois a great, naturalArroyoof running water.

rivers

are found in everyonecontinentand on almost all types of terrain. Some flow all year round. Others flow seasonally or in wet years. A

Rio

it can be only kilometers long, or it can encompass many of a

continent

.

The longest

rivers

in the world are the Nile in Africa and theAmazonasin South America. Both

rivers

flow through many countries. For centuries, scientists have debated what

Rio

it's longer measure a

Rio

it is difficult because it is difficult to pinpoint its precise beginning and end. Also the length of

rivers

can change like themmeander, Is it like thispent up, about areDeltasgrow andwalk away.

That

Amazonas

It is estimated to be between 6,259 kilometers (3,903 miles) and 6,800 kilometers (4,225 miles) long. The Nile is estimated to be between 5,499 kilometers (3,437 miles) and 6,690 kilometers (4,180 miles) in length. However, there is no debate that the

Amazonas

Air mMineralwater than any other

Rio

on earth. About a fifth of allFreshwaterthat ends up in the oceans

Amazonas

.

rivers

They are important for many reasons. One of their most important tasks is the transport of large amounts of water from land to sea. Over there,seawaterconstantevaporates. The resulting watersteamto formClouds.

Clouds

Transport moisture across the earth and release it againprecipitation. it is

Freshwater

feeds

rivers

and smaller

streams

. The movement of water between land, ocean and air is calledthe water cycle. That

the water cycle

constantsubstitutesupply of the earth

Freshwater

, which is essential for almost all living beings.

Anatomy of a River

not two

rivers

they are exactly the same. However, all

rivers

sure haveCharacteristicstogether and go through similar stages with age.

the beginning of one

Rio

it's called hisfuenteÖheaders. That

fuente

can be a breakdownglacier, like the Gangotri

glacier

, Die

fuente

del Ganges

Rio

in Asia. That

fuente

it could be melted snow, like Andean snow, that feeds

Amazonas

Rio

. A

Rio

's

fuente

could be aLagowith overflow

Arroyo

, such as

See

Itasca, Minnesota, USA

fuente

of Mississippi

Rio

. APrimaveraIt can also be gushing out of the ground

headers

individually

Rio

. That

fuente

the Danube

Rio

is a

Primavera

in black f

Hour

from Germany.

Of his

fuente

, a

Rio

flows downhill like a little one

Arroyo

.

precipitation

jgroundwatercomplement the

Rio

the flow is also fed by others

streams

, called tributaries. For example him

Amazonas

Rio

gets water from me

Mineral

of 1,000 tributaries. together, a

Rio

and its tributaries form ariver system. A

Rio

System

also called acatchment areaor pelvis. A

Rio

The catchment area includes

Rio

, all its tributaries and all

groundwater

concerning

fuentes

In the area.

the end of a

Rio

This isboca. Here the

Rio

flows into another body of water, a larger one

Rio

, a

Lago

, or the sea. Many of the greatest

rivers

learn ins More.

The water flows from a

Rio

It has great power to carve and shape the landscape. Many geographical features, like the Grandcanyonin the US state of Arizona, were modeled by

rivers

over time. This process is called weatheringErosion.

The energy to flow

Rio

The water comes from the power ofheaviness, which pushes the water down. The steeper the slope of a

Rio

, the faster one

Rio

moves and the m

Mineral

energy you have

The movement of the water in a

Rio

means aIndeed. That

Indeed

is usually stronger near the

Rio

's

fuente

. Storms can also increase it

Indeed

. a swift

Indeed

can even move bigboulders. These break, and the parts carried along in the flowing water scratch and get stuck in the

Rio

Below, the bed.

Gradually, a

Rio

tearing stones uTierraalong his bed and carries her downstairs

Arroyo

. That

Rio

carve a narrow V shapeOf.fastjwater fallsare common

rivers

, especially close to his

fuentes

.

Finally the

Rio

flows to lower lands. When the slope of its course flattens out, the

Rio

Cut less deep into your bed. Instead, it begins to squirm back and forth in so-called circular curvessubtleties. This action expands the

Rio

Of

.

At the same time the

Rio

begins to leave behind some of the rocks, sand, and other solid materials he has collectedupstream. This material is calledSediment. once the

Sediment

is deposited, it saysfloating land.

floating land

may contain a large amount of erosiontopsoilsince

until

Arroyo

and from its shores

subtleties

. Because of this, a

Rio

deposits veryfruitful

Tierra

in yourflood plain. A

flood plain

is the area next to that

Rio

affected by floods.

The deepest part of aRiverbedmeans aChannel. That

Channel

usually found in the middle of a

Rio

. Here the

Indeed

is usually strong. In the large

rivers

, the ships are arriving

channels

. engineers canSchatz, or dig, deeper

channels

so M

Mineral

Water can flow through them

Rio

or the

Rio

It can carry larger ships.

Towards the end of his journey, the

Rio

slows down and appears to be movinginactive. It has less energy to cut through the earth and can no longer carry a heavy load

Sediment

. Where is he

Rio

meets the ocean or a

Lago

, You can deposit as much

Sediment

this new country, a

Delta

, it forms.

Not all

rivers

I have

Deltas

. That

Amazonas

has no real

Delta

, for example. The strength oftidej

currents

of the Atlantic Ocean to avoid the accumulation of

Sediment

.

Deltas

almost always has

fruitful

Tierra

. Der Nil

Delta

and the Ganges

Delta

they are, for example, the most important agricultural areas in Egypt and Bangladesh.

rivers through history

rivers

They have always been important to people. InprehistoricAt that time, people settled on the banks of the

rivers

, where they found fish to eat and water to drink, cook and bathe.

Later people found out that the

fruitful

Tierra

through

rivers

it is good to growGrain. The first great in the worldcivilizationsoriginated in the

fruitful

meadows

the Nile in Egypt, the Indus in South Asia, the Tigris and Euphrates in the Middle East, and the Huang (Yellow) in China.

centuries later,

rivers

providedstretchProHandel,exploration, jsettlement. the Volga

Rio

allowed in Eastern EuropeScandinavianand Russian cultures, near the

fuente

von

Rio

, a

Handel

Goods and ideas withlostcultures nearby

boca

the Volga in southern Europe. the Hudson

Rio

in the US state of New York it is named after the English Expl

ears

Henry Hudson, who used the

Rio

to explode

Mineral

that was thethe new world.

As cities and industries developed, the raging waters of

rivers

power supply for operationmachinery. Hundreds of factories operatedmillspowered by the River Thames in England, the Mississippi in the United States and the Ruhr in Germany.

rivers

they are still important today. If you look at a world map, you will see that there are many well-known cities on it

rivers

. Big

Rio

Cities include New York City, New York; Buenos Aires, Argentina; London, England; Cairo, Egypt; Calcutta, India; and Shanghai, China. Actually,

rivers

They are usually the oldest parts of the city. Paris, France, for example, was named after himiron agepeople known as thefrom Pariswho lived on the islands and banks of the Seine

Rio

that crosses the city.

rivers

continue to take care of the transport

stretch

, drinking water and irrigationfarmlandand energy for households and industry.

rivers of Europe

The longest

Rio

in Europe it is the Volga. It flows approximately 3,685 kilometers (2,290 miles) through Russia and empties into the Caspian Sea. The Volga has been used for transportation for centuriesmaderafrom the north of f

Orestes

,Kornsince

farms

while his

Of

and finished goods. That

Rio

He is also known for hisDisturb, a type of large fish whose roe is used to make a famous oneDelicacy-Russiancaviar.

The River Thames in England is one of the most historic in Europe.

rivers

. On its banks stands the City of London, abusy urban areathe picture

Mineral

of a thousand years By the year 100 AD, London had already become a major Roman city.

settlement

jTrading posts. Because of its location in the

Rio

and near the coast London became the capital of England and

Handel

Center.

busiest in Europe

Rio

it is the Rhine, which stretches from the Alps in Switzerland through Germany and the Netherlands and empties into the North Sea. It flows through many industries and

Agriculture

Regions and LeadsA child's claw loadedcon

Farm yard

Products,Money,Eisen

Mineral

and a variety of finished goods.

asian rivers

The longest and most important in Asia

Rio

It's the Yangtze River in China. It flows from the Dangla Mountains between Tibet and the Chinese province of Qinghai. 6,300 kilometers later it flows into the East China Sea. The Yangtze River is a highway for

Handel

for the most populous country in the world.

The Yangtze River is also an agricultural area

Rio

. They are

Of

It is an important rice growing region and its water is used forwaterFields. Many Chinese live in the

Rio

inmocking housesÖsailing boatscalledscrap metal.

the Yangtze

Rio

It is the home of the most powerful in the worldHydropowerplant thatThree Gorges Dam. Eventually, the plant will be able to consistently produce 22,500 megawatts of electricity. China's rural population will have access to affordable serviceselectricityfor private households, companies, schools and hospitals. create the

three throats

Damm

was one of the biggestengineering

Services

in the history. engineers

pent up

Yangtze River, creating a 39.3 cubic kilometer (31.9

Million

acre-pie)Reservoir, or artificial

Lago

.

The Ganges is the largest.

Rio

in asian indiaSubcontinent. is sacred to him

millions

by supporters ofHindu-Religion. For thousands of years

Hindus

have worshiped

Rio

as goddess, Ganga Ma (Mother Ganges).

Hindus

Believe in him

Rio

Water purifies the soul and heals the body.

millions

of people use the Ganges daily for bathing, drinking and for industry.

The historical Tigris and Euphrates

Rio

System

flows from Turkey through Syria and Iraq and into the

lost

Golf. That

rivers

They are in an area calledFertile Crescent. The region between the two

rivers

, known asMesopotamia, is the so-called “cradle of

civilization

.” The earliest evidence of

civilization

jAgriculture—

Agriculture

jdomesticationof animals - appears in the

Fruitful

Growing

.

Rivers of North America

In North America,

rivers

served as highways for the nativesStammand later for European expansion

Era

.

ex. English

Era

began touring the St. Lawrence and others

rivers

of Canada in the 16th century. They found oneabundanceof fish and other wild animals and met Indians

Stamm

the beaver hunted. the exp

Era

took beaverskinsback to Europe, where fashionable hats were made from it. Soon hunter expl

aired

and traveled networks of

rivers

in North America in search of the beaver

skins

. The establishment of

Trading posts

through

rivers

later it opened the way for permanent European settlers.

Saint Lawrence

Rio

is still importantwaterway. That

Rio

, which empties into the Atlantic, is connected to thebig lakesfor himSan Lorenzo Seaway-a row ofchannels,Castles,

dams

, j

Lagos

. That

San Lorenzo Seaway

allows transoceanic ships to enter the interior of the

continent

.

The Mississippi is the boss

Rio

of North America It flows approximately 3,766 kilometers (2,340 miles) through the heart of the United States, from its

fuente

in Minnesota to his

Delta

in Louisiana and the Gulf of Mexico.

Spanish and French exp.

Era

first traveled up the Mississippi in the 1500s and 1600s. In 1803 the United States bought most of Mississippi

Rio

Of

of France as part ofLouisiana Kauf. After that, the Mississippi was crossed extensively

merchants

and settlers on rafts, boats, etc

A child's claw

.

With the introduction of thesteamship, a new industrial age began on the Mississippi.Rad palettestransported

Handel

Were up and down the

Rio

. Work boats soon followedcruise shipsand anotherluxuriouspassenger boats. writerMark Twainwho was once a

steamship

Pilot im

Rio

He describes this time in his bookLife on the Mississippi.

Over time, the Mississippi gained prominence as a

Handel

Ruta

. Today it takesinvoiceBoot you

A child's claw

in rows that can span m

Mineral

than a kilometer in large quantitiesPetroleum,

Money

, and other bulky goods are transported in the

Rio

from massive

A child's claw

pushed by mightytractor.

Colorado of North America

Rio

is famous for the formation of the great

canyon

in Arizona too

millions

of years that

Rio

has carved its way through layers of rock to carve them

canyon

. long ago that

Rio

flowed over a flat plain. Then the earth's crust began to rise, lifting the land. That

Rio

started cutting the earth. The great

canyon

It is now about 1.5 kilometers deep at its deepest point and 29 kilometers wide at its widest point.

Rivers of South America

The strength of

Amazonas

Rio

in South Americain yearsevery body else

rivers

on the planet. The amount of water flowing through

Amazonas

It is greater than the amount carried by the Mississippi, Yangtze and Nile combined.

That

Amazonas

starts like ice cream

Arroyo

high in the Andes of Peru. It flows through Brazil and empties into the Atlantic Ocean. That

Amazonas

and its tributaries drain a basin covering an area of ​​three quartersadjacentUSA.

The first Europeans to see

Amazonas

They were Spanish

Era

who toured it in the 16th century. They encountered a group of natives who appeared to be women, so the story goes. the exp

Era

called people

Amazonas

, after female warriors described in GreekMythology. Name

Amazonas

handed over later

Rio

.

For much of its course, the

Amazonas

flows through the largest in the worldtropicalRegen f

Hour

. The region has a rich and unusual fauna, including carnivorous fishPiranhas; named giant fisharapaima, which can weigh m

Mineral

125 kilograms (275 pounds); and called giant snakesHe loved it.

Some

Amazonas

Stamm

Stay independent from western culture. ThatKammFor example, people live on anomadiclife based on

Amazonas

and its tributaries in the rain f

Hour

from Ecuador Due to the request of

madera

des Regens n

Hour

, the land ofindigenouspeople of

Amazonas

shrinking Today there are less than 100

Kamm

live in the rain m

Hour

.

rivers

power many South American communities. The Itaipu

Damm

overlooks the Paraná

Rio

on the border between Brazil and Paraguay. Construction of

Damm

needs theWorkedby thousands of workers and costs m

Mineral

of $12 billion. That

Damm

The power plant can regularly produce around 12,600 megawatts

electricity

. The huge

Reservoir

formed by the

Damm

provides drinking water and irrigation.

rivers of Africa

The two largest in Africa

rivers

They are the Nile and the Congo.

Awealthyof the Nile, theI need Blanco, flows off tiny

streams

through the mountains of Burundi

See

Victoria, the largest in Africa

Lago

. The other

wealthy

, DieBlue Nile, reboots

See

Tana, Ethiopia. The two meet in Khartoum, Sudan. The Nile then flows through the Sahara in Sudan and Egypt and empties into the Mediterranean Sea. Because the area where the tributaries meet is near the two

fuentes

of the Nile the area is called theEverything Nile, although geographically it is further south. ThatThe Lower Niletouring egypt

One of the first

civilizations

in the developed world throughout

The Lower Nile

. ancient egyptian

civilization

It was formed about 5,000 years ago. It was directly related to the Nile and itsYearlyFlood. Every year the

Rio

overflowing, spreading profusely

Sediment

in its breadth

flood plain

. That made the country extreme

fruitful

. Egyptian

farmers

could growplentiful

Grain

. In fact, the ancient Egyptians called their countryKemet, meaning "Black Earth", due to the rich and black

Tierra

deposited by the

Rio

.

The Egyptians also used the Nile as an important means of transport.

Ruta

both in the Mediterranean and in the interior of Africa. Thatgift, or doubleCoronaworn by Egyptiansmonarchs, combined symbolism of the two

Everything Nile

j

The Lower Nile

. A big white one

Corona

in the shape of a bowl represented the countries of

Everything Nile

. it is

Corona

was paired with a spiky red

Corona

that had a curly wireoutgoingfrom the front. The color red symbolizes red.

Floors

from Lower Egypt, while the curly wire represented abee. While dressing

gift

, an Egyptian ruler took control of the entire Nile.

The Nile provided the enterprising Egyptians with material to form a mighty one

civilization

. SincePapyrus, a tall reed that grew in the

Rio

The Egyptians made a type of paper, as well as rope, cloth, and baskets. The Egyptians also built great cities, temples and monuments around the world.

Rio

, including graves for their

monarchs

, Öpharaohs. Many of these ancient monuments are still standing.

the Congo

Rio

flows through the center of Africa, through a hugeequatorialRegen f

Hour

, In front

Mineral

Estuary in the Atlantic Ocean. Congo is only second

Amazonas

in terms of water flow. it is the deepest

Rio

in the world, with measured depths of m

Mineral

than 230 meters (750 feet). Enormously

City areas

, including the capitals of Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo, and Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, lie on the banks of the river

Rio

.

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo is the

Rio

It is the main route for transporting goods such as cotton, coffee and sugar. passing ships

Rio

SectionwhenToo largefreighter.

That

Rio

also delivers a

abundance

of fish to Central Africa. Fishermen use baskets and nets hung from tall poles over waterfalls

fast

for fishing. They also use m

Mineral

traditional networks run from onsh

Mineral

or in boats.

australian rivers

Much of Australia isdry, Then what

rivers

still pull through. Australian manager

rivers

They are the Murray and the Darling, both in the southeastern part of the

continent

. The Murray runs approximately 2,590 kilometers (1,610 miles) from the Snowy Mountains to aLagoonin the Indian Ocean. Near the town of Wentworth, the Murray joins the Darling, a distance of 2,739 kilometers (1,702 miles).

Rio

flows from the highlands of the east coast.

Indigenous

The Australians placed great value on the Murray

Rio

. the Murray

Of

had the highest population density in the

continent

In front

Mineral

the arrival of Europeans in the 17th century.

Mid 19th century Europeans

farmers

had settled in both

rivers

and some of its tributaries. Most Australians

farmers

They raise sheep and cows.

river boats

They began plowing through the waters, and cities grew on the banks.

much of australia

farmland

still lies in the Murray-Darling Basin, where

Rio

agua

water

something 1.2

Million

Hectares(3

Million

hectares). The region is the country's main supplier of agricultural products.Export– Wool, Beef, Wheat and Oranges.

contaminated rivers

People have relied on it for centuries

rivers

for many things.

rivers

have provided

waterways

B. for shipping, urban construction sites and

fruitful

country for

Agriculture

. Similarextensiveuse of

rivers

has contributed to hiscontamination.

Rio

contamination

came straight from castinggarbagejsewage, availableGiftmüllfactory and agricultureEscapecontainsfertilizerjpesticides.

In the 1960s, many of the

rivers

They were so polluted that fish and other wild animals could no longer survive in them. Its waters became unsafe for drinking, swimming, and other uses. One of the most famous examples of a contaminated

Rio

it was the Cuyahoga. The Cuyahoga is a busy one

Rio

in the US state of Ohio

See

series It is one of the most important highways for goods and services in theMiddle WestAl

Big

Lagos

. 1969 the oily

contamination

On the Cuyahoga it was so great that the

Rio

actually caught fire, something I had done m

Mineral

more than a dozen times in the 19th and 20th centuries.

Since the 1969 fire, stricter laws have helped clean up

rivers

. have the lawsrestrictedthe substances that factories can dispose of

rivers

, limited the amount of farming

Escape

, toxic prohibited

pesticides

such asDDT, and the required treatment of

sewage

.

Although the situation has improved in some parts of the world, serious problems remain. The citrum

Rio

In Indonesia, for example, it is often cited as the most polluted

Rio

in the world.TextileFactories near the Citarum Landfill

Giftmüll

inside

Rio

. That

garbage

floating above that

Rio

it is so thick that the water is invisible.

Even after communities have limited themselves

Rio

contamination

, toxic chemicals may remain. Many contaminants take years to dissolve. Pollutants also accumulate

Rio

wild life. Toxic chemicals can stickstarted, which are eaten by insects or fish, which are then eaten by larger fish or humans. At every stage of

Rio

'sfood webthe amount of the toxic chemical increases.

There is also a serious problem in parts of North America and Europeacid rain.

acid rain

develops whenemissionsfrom factories and vehicles mix with moisture in the air. The resulting acid can be toxic to many living things.

acid rain

It falls like rain and snow. accumulates

glacier

,

streams

, j

Lagos

, contaminate water and kill wildlife.

Umschl

iron mentalists

, governments and communities are trying to understand and solve these

contamination

problems. Provide safe drinking water and habitats for fish and other wildlife to thrive,

rivers

must be kept clean.

dams

A

Damm

It is a barrier that stops or diverts the flow of water along a

Rio

. people have built

dams

For thousands of years.

dams

They are built for many purposes. Some

dams

prevent flooding or allow people to develop or "reclaim" land beforehand.submergedPro

Rio

. Others

dams

are used to change a

Rio

of course in favor ofdevelopmentÖ

Agriculture

. Others supply water to rural or nearby communities.

City areas

. Lots

dams

serve to provide

electricity

to the local communities.

1882 the world's first

Hydropower

Plant was built in the Fox

Rio

in the American city of Appleton, Wisconsin. Since then, thousands of hydroelectric power plants have been built

rivers

worldwide. These plants use the energy of flowing water to produce

electricity

. About 7 percent of all energy in the United States and 19 percent of all energy worldwide comes from hydroelectric power plants. China is the world's largest producer of

Hydropower

.

Hydropower

is renewable because the water is always available

filled up

over

precipitation

. Why hydroelectric power stations don't burnfossil fuels, they do not emit

contamination

Ögreenhouse gases. However,

Hydropower

has some negative effects on the environment

Iron

.

dams

and hydroelectric power plants change the flow andTemperaturevon

rivers

. These changes in theecosystemmay harm fish and other wildlife living in or near the water

Rio

. And that although hydroelectric power plants do not release

greenhouse gases

,rotten Vegetationcaught in

dams

'

reservoirs

can make them.expiredMaterial vegetable emitesMoneyDioxide, an important one

greenhouse gases

, to the atmosphere.

dams

They also affect the people who live nearby

rivers

. for example M

Mineral

the 1.3

Million

People had to leave their homes to make way for China

three throats

Damm

forks

Reservoir

.human rightsOrganizations confirm that many of these people did not receive thiscompensationThey were promised in exchange for their expulsion.

Next to,

dams

may affect fish populations and fertility

meadows

. The fish may not be able toemigrateand spawn.

farmers

what depended

fruitful

the tide can be cut off by the

Rio

Pro

Damm

. This can harm fishermen's livelihoods and

farmers

who live everywhere

Rio

, as much asconsumerthey have to pay higher prices for food.

dams

with very big

reservoirs

can also triggerearthquake.

earthquake

happens when two or more

Mineral

vontectonic platesthat make up the earth's crust slide against each other. The weight of the water in the

reservoirs

can cause existing cracks orMistaketo slide onto these disks and create a

earthquake

.

Flussmanagement

Rio

administration

is the process of balancing the needs of manyaffected parties, the communities that depend on it

rivers

.

rivers

provide natural habitats for fish, birds and other wildlife. They also offer recreational areas and sports facilities such as fishing and kayaking.

The industry also depends on it

rivers

.

rivers

Transport of goods and people through

Continent

. They provide affordable energy for

millions

of houses and shops.

farmers

jAgricultureare often based on

rivers

to transport.

rivers

Also water supply for irrigation.

Rio

Managers must consider everyone's needs

Indeed

and future

affected parties

.

National Geographic Channel: World's Toughest Solutions: Columbia River DamNational Geographic Kids: The Thames

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