The longest Russian river. Don is a witness of Russian history. Countries in the drainage basin

Russia is located in eastern Europe and northern Asia, occupying about 1/3 of the territory of Eurasia and 1/9 of the earth's landmass. The European part of the country (about 23% of the area) includes territories west of the Ural Mountains (the border is conventionally drawn along the Urals and the Kuma-Manych depression); The Asian part of Russia, occupying about 76% of the territory, lies east of the Urals and is also called Siberia (however, the exact definition of the boundaries of Siberia is a controversial issue) and the Far East. The total length of Russia's borders is 60,933 km (of which 38,808 km are maritime boundaries); Russia's borders in the north and east are maritime, in the south and west they are mainly land. Despite the fact that Russia is the largest in terms of area largest country world, climatic and soil conditions in most of its territory are not conducive to Agriculture.

Russia is one of the most water-rich countries in the world. The country has some of the world's largest fresh water reserves. Surface waters occupy 12.4% of the territory of Russia, while 84% surface waters concentrated east of the Urals; Many densely populated areas of the European part of Russia experience a shortage of water resources. The structure of water use is dominated by industrial needs.

Russia has the most deep lake world (Baikal), the longest river in Europe (Volga) and largest lake Europe (Ladoga), pole of cold Northern Hemisphere(Verkhoyansk), as well as the highest peak in Europe (Elbrus) (when drawing the border between Europe and Asia along the Great Caucasus ridge, and not along the Kuma and Manych rivers to the mouth of the Don).

Lakes of Russia.

There are over 2.5 million lakes in Russia. The largest lakes are the Caspian, Ladoga, Onega, and Baikal. The Caspian Sea is the largest lake in the world by area, and the deepest is Lake Baikal. The lakes are distributed very unevenly. There are especially many of them in the Vilyui depression, on the West Siberian Plain and in the north-west European plain- in Karelia. All these areas are in conditions of excessive moisture. To the south, in the zone of steppes and semi-deserts with their arid climate, the number of lakes decreases sharply, and many lakes have salty or brackish water. Such large drainless lakes as the Caspian Sea are salty, as well as lakes Elton and Baskunchak, where they extract table salt.
There are also countless smaller lakes, located mainly in the poorly drained lowlands of the Russian and West Siberian Plains, especially in the more northern regions. Some of them reach significant sizes, in particular, Lake Beloe (1.29 thousand sq. km.), Topozero (0.98 thousand sq. km.), Vygozero (0.56 thousand sq. km.) and Lake Ilmen (0.98 thousand sq. km.) in the European northwest of the country, and Lake Chany (1.4-2 thousand sq. km.) in the southwest of Siberia.
Lakes also differ in the origin of their basins. Lakes of tectonic origin are located in troughs and depressions earth's crust. The largest tectonic Lake Baikal is located in a graben and therefore reaches a depth of 1637 m.
Glacial-tectonic lake basins arose as a result of glacier processing of tectonic depressions of the earth's crust: Imandra, Ladoga, Onega. In Kamchatka and the Kuril Islands, lakes are mainly of volcanic origin. In the north-west of the European Plain, the origin of lake basins is associated with continental glaciations. Many basins are located between moraine hills: Seliger, Valdai.
As a result of landslides in mountain valleys, dam lakes: Sarez in the Pamirs, Ritsa in the Caucasus. Small lakes appear above karst sinkholes. On South Western Siberia many saucer-shaped lakes that arose as a result of subsidence of loose rocks. When ice melts in areas where permafrost Saucer-shaped shallow lakes also form. Oxbow lakes are located on floodplains lowland rivers. There are estuary lakes along the shores of the Black and Azov Seas.
All large and largest lakes Russia are widely used in the national economy. They catch and raise fish there. Especially a lot of fish, including the most valuable sturgeon, are caught in the Caspian Sea. There is an omul fishery in Baikal. The lakes are also used for shipping. A variety of minerals are mined in the basins of the lakes: oil and mirabilite in the Caspian Sea, table salt in Elton and Baskunchak.

The largest lakes in Russia.

Caspian Sea, area - 376,000 sq. km., greatest depth- 1,025 meters.
Lake Baikal, area - 31,500 sq. km., greatest depth - 1,620 meters.
Lake Ladoga, area - 17,700 sq. km., greatest depth - 230 meters.
Lake Onega, area - 9,690 sq. km., greatest depth - 127 meters.
Taimyr lakes, area - 4,560 sq. km., greatest depth - 26 meters.
Lake Khanka, area - 4,190 sq. km., greatest depth - 11 meters.
Lake Peipus-Pskov, area - 3,550 sq. km., greatest depth - 15 meters.
Lake Chany, area - 1,708-2,269 sq. km., greatest depth - up to 10 meters.
White Lake, area - 1,290 sq. km., greatest depth - 6 meters.
Topozero, area - 986 sq. km., greatest depth - 56 meters.
Lake Ilmen, area - 982 sq. km., greatest depth - up to 10 meters.
Lake Imandra, area - 876 sq. km., greatest depth - 67 meters.
Khantayskoye Lake, area - 822 sq. km., greatest depth - 420 meters.
Segozero, area - 815 sq. km., greatest depth - 97 meters.
Kulundinskoye Lake, area - 728 sq. km., greatest depth - 4 meters.
Lake Teletskoye, area - 223 sq. km., greatest depth - 325 meters.

Rivers of Russia.

Russia occupies a vast geographical area, and it is not surprising that numerous rivers stretch across its expanses, which played an important historical role in the settlement and development of new lands. Almost everything is located on rivers Largest cities countries. Within Russia there are about 3 million rivers with a total length of almost 10 million km. Most of the rivers in Russia belong to the Arctic Ocean basin. It makes up over 66% of the country’s area; up to 80% falls within its borders. atmospheric precipitation. The rivers flowing into the northern seas are the longest and deepest in Russia. The longest river is Lena - 4400 km. The deepest river is the Yenisei (623 km3 per year). In terms of drainage area, the Ob River ranks first in the country (2975 sq. km.). The rivers of the Arctic Ocean basin are freezing. In winter, a winter road is installed along them for about four months - roads for the movement of cars and sleighs.
The largest rivers of Siberia originate in the south of the country in the Altai, Sayan and Baikal mountains. The rivers of the Arctic Ocean basin are fed by snow and rain. In the spring, due to the melting of snow on the rivers, water rises. The flood begins in the south, and in the north the ice for a long time prevents the flow of melt water to the ocean. Therefore, in all rivers of the Arctic Ocean basin, high water rises occur in the middle and lower reaches in the spring. In the southern parts of Siberia the rivers are swift and rapid. On these segments of the valleys, large hydroelectric power stations have been built and are being built: Krasnoyarsk and Sayano-Shushenskaya on the Yenisei, Novosibirskaya on the Ob, Bukhtarminskaya and Ust-Kamenogorskaya on the Irtysh, Irkutsk, Bratsk and Ust-Ilimskaya on the Angara, on the tributaries of the Lena - Vilyue and Vitim - Vilyuiskaya was built and Mamakan hydroelectric station. On the northern plains, the flow of these rivers is calm and smooth. In summer they are used for timber rafting and shipping, connecting the southern and inland regions of the country with the Northern Sea Route and the Trans-Siberian Railway.
Rivers of the European part of the Arctic Ocean basin - Pechora, Mezen, Northern Dvina and Onega are much shorter than Siberian rivers. They flow entirely across the plains and therefore have a calm current.
Approximately 19% of the country's area belongs to the Pacific Ocean. The main river of this basin is the Amur and its tributaries Zeya, Bureya and Ussuri. The rivers are predominantly rain-fed. In the monsoon climate in the Pacific Ocean there is little snow in winter, so there are no spring floods, but there are very significant floods due to summer monsoon rains. The water in the Amur and its tributaries rises by 10-15 m and floods vast areas. Catastrophic spills usually occur in early autumn. At this time, the Far Eastern regions of the country are often hit by sudden and violent downpours of cyclones - typhoons. River floods reach several tens of kilometers and cause enormous damage to agriculture, cities and towns.
The Amur and its tributaries have a large fall and are rich in hydroelectric power. The Zeya hydroelectric power station was built on the Zeya River. Amur - the main river highway Far East, through which internal communications are carried out remote areas with the seas. The Russian state border with the Argun, Amur and Ussuri rivers People's Republic China.
The rivers of Chukotka and the Sea of ​​Okhotsk basin are predominantly fed by snow. Therefore, they are full of water in late spring and early summer, which is favorable for movement salmon fish, rising up rivers and streams to spawn.
The Caspian basin is called endorheic, since the rivers carry their waters not to the World Ocean, but to an internal endorheic reservoir - the Caspian Sea. The basin covers the interior of the East European Plain, Southern Urals, eastern part Caucasus.
The rivers Volga, Ural, Araks, Terek, Emba and others flow into the Caspian Sea. The largest river is the Volga. Its basin occupies 34% of the East European Plain. Most of the Volga's tributaries are located in a temperate continental climate with sufficient moisture. The food is predominantly snowy. In the spring, when the snow melts, there is a significant rise in water in the river. In summer, the main source of nutrition is groundwater and rain. Some rise in water in the riverbed also occurs in autumn, when evaporation decreases significantly. Below the mouth of the large left tributary of the Kama, the Volga flows through steppe and semi-desert zones, where very little precipitation falls and therefore there are no significant tributaries. Below Volgograd, the Volga has no tributaries and is of a transit nature. It only carries water and partially evaporates it. From here the Volga breaks up into branches, the largest of which is Akhtuba. Below Astrakhan, the channel is divided into 80 branches, forming a vast delta. Nowadays, almost the entire Volga has turned into a cascade of dams and reservoirs. On the Upper Volga not far from Tver there is the Ivankovskoye Reservoir. The channel named after him begins from here. Moscow, through which Volga water is pumped for water supply to Moscow. Below, the entire Volga to Volgograd has turned into a chain of interconnected reservoirs (Uglich, Rybinsk, Gorky, Cheboksary, Kuibyshev, Saratov and Volgograd). They retain a significant part of the spring flood water, which is used to generate electricity, supply water to cities, and irrigate dry lands. Thanks to reservoirs, the movement of large river vessels is possible. Nowadays the river is connected by the Volga-Don shipping canal with the Black and Azov seas, and the Volga-Baltic with the Baltic and White seas. Half of all river cargo and passengers in the country are transported along the Volga. But the reservoirs were flooded large areas fertile floodplain lands. The dams led to a slowdown in the flow of the Volga. As a result, large amounts of pollutants began to accumulate in reservoirs, which come from fields, as well as from industrial and domestic wastewater. Therefore, the river is currently heavily polluted.
Pool Atlantic Ocean occupies the smallest area - about 5% of the entire territory of Russia. The rivers flow west into the Baltic Sea and south into the Black and Sea of ​​Azov. They flow to the west Western Dvina, Neman, Neva, etc. To the south - Dnieper, Don and Kuban. All rivers of the Atlantic Ocean basin are deep all year round, because most of their catchments are located in areas of sufficient moisture. They feed primarily on snow, and in summer - underground and rain. For rivers flowing into the Baltic Sea, flow fluctuations are very small, since precipitation falls evenly throughout the year. Only small spring floods and autumn floods are observed. The Neva River occupies a special place. This short river (74 km long) carries great amount water - 79.7 km3 per year, four times more than the Dnieper, which has a length of over 2 thousand km. The Neva originates in Lake Ladoga and therefore its flow is constant throughout the year.
But almost every year it floods part of St. Petersburg with its waters. Floods are caused by surges of water from Baltic Sea, which gird the Neva. As a result, the water in the river rises by 2 - 3.5 m and splashes out from the granite embankments onto the streets and squares of the city.
The rivers of the southern Atlantic basin receive water in their branched upper reaches. In the lower sections they are of a transit nature, since here the rivers cross the steppe zone with an arid climate. The Dnieper and Don are predominantly fed by snow, which is why they experience high spring floods. On southern rivers a cascade of waterworks and reservoirs was built. The reservoirs are used both to generate electricity and to irrigate the arid lands of the southern East European Plain. In the Azov region and the Northern Caucasus, thanks to the waters of the Don and Kuban, rice and other agricultural crops are grown.

The largest rivers in Russia.

Lena, length - 4320 km, basin area - 2418 thousand sq. km.
Yenisei (with Biy-Khem), length - 4012 km, basin area - 2707 thousand sq. km.
Ob (with Katun), length - 4070 km, basin area - 2425 thousand sq. km.
Volga, length - 3690 km, basin area - 1380 thousand sq. km.
Amur, length - 2824 km, basin area - 1855 thousand sq. km.
Ural, length - 2530 km, basin area - 220 thousand sq. km.
Kolyma, length - 2150 km, basin area - 644 thousand sq. km.
Don, length - 1950 km, basin area - 422 thousand sq. km.
Indigirka, length - 1790 km, basin area - 360 thousand sq. km.
Pechora, length - 1790 km, basin area - 327 thousand sq. km.
Northern Dvina (with Sukhona), length - 1300 km, basin area - 411 thousand sq. km.
Yana (with Dulgalakh), length - 1070 km, basin area - 318 thousand sq. km.
Selenga (with Ider), length - 1020 km, basin area - 445 thousand sq. km.
Mezen, length - 966 km, basin area - 76 thousand sq. km.
Kuban, length - 906 km, basin area - 51 thousand sq. km.
Terek, length - 626 km, basin area - 44 thousand sq. km.
Onega, length - 416 km, basin area - 58 thousand sq. km.
Neva, length - 74 km, basin area - 282 thousand sq. km.

There are about 2.5 million rivers in Russia. Large quantity These rivers are relatively small and their length is usually no more than 100 kilometers. But here's the thing big rivers, then they are truly huge and reach shocking sizes.

1

the largest river in Russia

The Ob is a river in Siberia, formed by the confluence of the Katun and Biya rivers. If we count from the source of the Irtysh, then it has a length of 5410 kilometers, which makes it the most big river Russia by length. In the North, the river flows into the Ob Bay, a bay in the Kara Sea. The area of ​​the Ob basin is 2,990,000 square kilometers (which is why the river takes first place in our ranking). The waters of this river are home to more than 50 species of fish, half of which are of industrial importance.

2

The Yenisei is a river in Siberia that flows into the Kara Sea. The length of the river from the sources of the Small Yenisei is 4287 kilometers. The Yenisei flows through two countries (Russia and Mongolia), its area is 2,580,000 square kilometers, which allows it to take second place among the rivers of Russia.

3

The Lena River originates in the mountains of Siberia and flows into the Laptev Sea. Lena, one of the largest Russian rivers, having a length of 4,480 kilometers. Its area is 2,490,000 square kilometers, which rightfully makes it the third largest river in Russia. It is believed that the Russians first learned about this river in the 17th century, when they sent a detachment of Cossacks to search for it.

4

The Amur is a river flowing through the territory of three states (Russia, Mongolia and China). The area of ​​the basin is 1,855,000 square kilometers, and the length of the river is 2,824 kilometers. There are many points of view about the origin of the name Amur, one of which is general basis Tungus-Manchu languages ​​"amar" and "damur" (big river).

5

This river originates from the Valdai Plateau in the Tver region. The Volga is one of the largest rivers on Earth, its length is 3530 kilometers, and it is located on the territory of two states (Russia and Kazakhstan). The basin area is about 1,361,000 square kilometers, making it the largest river in Europe.

6

This is a river in Yakutia, the length of which is 2,129 kilometers. The Kolyma is formed by the confluence of two rivers (Ayan-Yuryakh and Kulu) and flows into the Kolyma Bay. The basin area is approximately 645,000 square kilometers. The discovery of Kolyma by the Russians was also accomplished by the valiant Cossacks.

7

The Don is a river in Russia, originating in the Central Russian Upland (Tula region). Its area is 422,000 square kilometers and its length is about 1,870 km. The Don is one of the oldest rivers in Russia.

8

A river located in the Krasnoyarsk Territory. Its length is 1636 kilometers. Khatanga is formed at the confluence of two rivers (Kheta and Kotuy) and flows into the Khatanga Bay. The basin area is about 364,000 square kilometers.

9

It originates on the slopes of the Halkan ridge, and its source consists of two rivers - Kuidusun and Omyokon. The area of ​​Indigirka is 360,000 square kilometers.

10

It originates in the Vologda region, at the confluence of two rivers (Sukhona and Yug). The basin area is 357,000 square kilometers. It was on this river that the history of Russian shipbuilding began.

That's basically it! Now you know what they are, the largest rivers in Russia.

	Name	Length (km)	Basin area (thousand km²)	Average water flow at the mouth (thousand m³/s)	Highest water flow at the mouth (thousand m³/s)	Solid waste (million tons/year)
	Amazon
	Nile
	Yangtze
	Mississippi - Missouri
	Yellow River
	Ob (with Irtysh)
	Parana (from the origins of Paranaiba)
	Mekong
	Amur (from the sources of Arguni)
	Lena
	Kongo (with Lualaba)
	Mackenzie (from the headwaters of the Peace River)
	Niger
	Yenisei (from the origins of the Small Yenisei)
	Volga
	Indus
	Yukon
	Danube
	Orinoco
	Ganges (with Brahmaputra)
	Zambezi
	Murray
	Dnieper

5 largest, longest and largest rivers in the world by continent. Descriptions and characteristics of rivers.

1. The Amazon (6992 m) is the largest, longest and largest river in the world and South America.

Description of the Amazon River - the longest river in the world and South America.

Amazon is absolute record holder both in length and in terms of the depth and area of ​​the basin. For many years it was believed that longest river in the world is the Nile, but the latest research, carried out by comparing photographs from space and computer data processing, has refuted this long ago known fact. The Amazon turned out to be 140 km longer than the Nile!

In 2011, according to the results of a global competition, Amazon was recognized as one of seven natural wonders peace. And this is no coincidence. The Amazon is not only the longest, largest and largest river in the world and South America, but also a unique place on our planet, home to more than a million species various plants and animals. According to researchers, per 10 km² tropical forest There are 1.5 thousand species of flowers, 750 species of trees, 125 species of mammals, 400 species of birds and countless invertebrate animals. Many of their species are not even described or identified. The Amazon and its tributaries are home to up to 2,000 species of fish, one of which is the well-known voracious predatory piranha.

The largest tropical rainforest on the planet is located in the basin of the longest river in the world. The climate here is hot and humid, all year round the air temperature fluctuates only between 25-28°C and it rains very often. There is practically no wind in the forest - the lush vegetation does not allow gusts of air to pass through. Even during a storm, only the tops of the trees sway here, and below reigns twilight and peace.

At the beginning of the 21st century, the world's longest underground river was discovered under the longest surface river in the world., flowing parallel to the Amazon at a depth of 4000 m. It originates in the Andes and flows into the Atlantic Ocean. Its unofficial name is Hamza, in honor of the scientist who discovered it. The flow speed of the Hamza River does not exceed several meters per year, and the width is about 400 meters.

Main characteristics of the Amazon River. Description of the longest river in the world in numbers. Table.

River name	Amazon
Length of the Amazon River:
From the main source of the Marañon
From the source of Apacheta	about 7000 km
From the source of Ucayali	over 7000 km
Continent	South America
	Brazil, Peru, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela, Guyana
Source of the Amazon River	Confluence of the Marañon and Ucayali rivers
Source coordinates	4°26′25″ S w. 73°26′50″ W. d.
Estuary of the Amazon River	Atlantic Ocean
Mouth coordinates	0°35′35″ S w. 49°57′22″ W d.
Pool	7,180,000 km²
Water consumption
Average annual flow	about 7000 km³
Solid drain	498 million tons/year
River slope
Amazon River flow speed
Main tributaries on the right	Jurua, Purus, Madeira, Tapajos, Xingu, Tocantins
Main tributaries on the left	Isa, Japura, Rio Negro
Annual rainfall

2. Nile (6852) - the second of the largest, largest and longest rivers in the world and the longest river in Africa.

Description of the Nile River is the second largest, largest and longest river in the world and the longest river in Africa.

Nile- this is the true “river of life”, since it is the only river North Africa crossing the sands of the Sahara without drying out. The constant water flow is carried out due to precipitation falling in the upper reaches of the river.

Almost all settlements in Egypt are located along the Nile bed and almost all economic activities are concentrated. The waters of the world's second longest river are used for irrigation and electricity production (the Nile's energy resources are estimated at 50 GW), fishing and fish farming, water supply and shipping.

The Nile originates on the East African Plateau (Kagera River), flows through Lake Victoria (some sources indicate this lake as the source of the Nile River). The exit from the plateau is characterized by an abundance of rapids and waterfalls. After the confluence of the El Ghazal River, the river is called the White Nile and flows through semi-deserts and deserts to Khartoum, takes main tributary- The Blue Nile and under the name of the Nile itself flows to Mediterranean Sea, at the confluence with which it forms an extensive delta.

Floods in various parts rivers occur in different seasons: in the equator region - in the summer and winter seasons, in the northern part of the river - in the summer and autumn periods. Dams were built to regulate the flow of one of the world's longest rivers: Gebel Auliya on the White Nile, Aswan and Aswan High. The construction of dams protected the population from annual floods. This, on the one hand, deprived agriculture of the most important natural fertilizer– silt, but, on the other hand, it increased the area of ​​irrigated land and made it possible to harvest three crops from the fields per year.

Main characteristics of the Nile River. Description of the second longest, largest and largest river in the world and the longest river in Africa in numbers. Table.

River name
Length of the Nile River:
Rukarara – Kagera – Nile
From the lake Victoria to the Mediterranean
Current direction	From south to north
Continent
Countries in the drainage basin	Rwanda, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Sudan and Egypt
Largest cities	Cairo, Khartoum, Aswan, Alexandria
Source of the Nile River	Confluence of the Rukarara and Kagera rivers
Mouth of the Nile River	Mediterranean Sea
Mouth coordinates	31°27′55″ n. w. 30°22′00″ E. d.
Area of ​​the Nile River Delta	24 thousand km 2
Pool	2.8-3.4 million km²
Water consumption	average 2600 m³/s
Solid drain	62 million m3/year
Main tributaries on the right	Achwa, Sobat, Blue Nile and Atbara
Main tributaries on the left	El Ghazal

3. Yangtze (5800 km) - the third of the largest, largest and longest rivers in the world and the longest, largest and largest river in Eurasia.

Description of the Yangtze River - the third of the largest, largest and longest rivers in the world and the longest river in Eurasia.

Yangtze River originates in the eastern part of the Tibetan Plateau at an altitude of about 5600 km and flows through China from west to east, making a large turn to the south after Qinghai province. The lower reaches of the Yangtze pass through southern part The Great Chinese Plain, where the river is often divided into branches, with the width of the main channel reaching 2 km or more. In the area where it flows into the East China Sea, the Yangtze forms a large delta with an area of ​​about 80 thousand km².

Four of China's five largest freshwater lakes drain into the Yangtze. The third of the longest rivers in the world has about 700 tributaries, the largest of which are the Yalongjiang, Minjiang, Jialingjiang, Tuo, Hanshui (Juhe).

The Yangtze River has a huge cultural and economic importance for the country. This is China's main waterway. The total length of the waterways of the Yangtze basin exceeds 17 thousand km. The river is one of the world's busiest waterways. The volume of freight traffic in 2005 reached 795 million tons.

Covering a fifth of China, the Yangtze River basin is home to a third of the country's population and produces about 20% of GDP. The world's largest hydroelectric power station, the Three Gorges Hydroelectric Power Station, was built on the longest river in Eurasia.

The Yangtze River is home to many animals, including several endangered species such as the Chinese river dolphin, Chinese alligators and Korean sturgeons. In the basin of the third of the largest, largest and longest rivers in the world there are several nature reserves and part national park"Three Parallel Rivers" listed World Heritage UNESCO.

Main characteristics of the Yangtze River. Description of the third of the longest, largest and largest rivers in the world and the longest river in Eurasia in numbers. Table.

River name	Yangtze
River length Yangtze:	5800 km (according to other sources - 6300 km)
Current direction	From west to east
Continent
Countries in the catchment area
Largest cities, located on the longest river in Eurasia and the third longest river in the world.	Panzhihua, Yibin, Luzhou, Chongqing, Yichang, Jingzhou, Shashi, Shishou, Yueyang, Xianning, Wuhan, Ezhou, Huangshi, Huanggang, Chaohu, Chizhou, Jiujiang, Anqing, Tongling, Wuhu, Hefei, Chuzhou, Maanshan, Taizhou, Yangzhou, Zhenjiang, Nanjing, Nantong, Shanghai
Source Yangtze River	Tibetan plateau
Coordinates	33°26′39″ n. w. 90°56′10″ E. d.
Estuary Yangtze River	East China Sea
Delta area Yangtze River	80 thousand km 2
Pool area Yangtze River	1,808,500 km²
Average annual flow
Water consumption
Solid drain	280 million tons/year
Main tributaries	Yalongjiang, Minjiang, Jialingjiang, Tuo, Hanshui (Juhe)
Average precipitation in the Yangtze River basin

Description of the Mississippi River - the fourth largest, largest and longest river in the world and the longest river in North America.

Mississippi- one of greatest rivers peace. Together with the Missouri, it is the fourth longest river in the world and the largest, largest and longest river North America. The Mississippi flows through ten US states from north to south. The source of the river considered to be the Nicolette Creek River (according to other sources, Lake Itasca), flows into the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico. River basin(the third largest after the Amazon and Congo river basins) stretches from the Rocky Mountains to the Appalachians and from the Great Lakes region to the Gulf of Mexico, occupying an area of ​​3268 thousand km 2, which is 40% of the area of ​​the United States, not counting Alaska.

Length of the Mississippi River is 3950 km (according to the Big Soviet Encyclopedia) or 3774 km (Wikipedia). It takes a drop of water 90 days to travel from its source to the mouth of a river.

Speaking about the Mississippi as the fourth of the longest rivers in the world, it should be borne in mind that we're talking about about the length river system Jefferson-Missouri-Mississippi. In total, the length of the three rivers is 6275 kilometers. When it comes to the longest river in North America, various sources call either the Mississippi River (3,774 km) or its tributary, the Missouri (3,767 km). In our classification of rivers by length, we proceeded from determining the length of the river from the source of its longest tributary to the mouth. Considered this way, the Mississippi is definitely the longest river in North America.

Mississippi- convenient waterway from the Gulf of Mexico to central parts mainland, an important transport artery of the United States, connecting developed industrial and agricultural areas of the country. The rivers of the Mississippi system are of great economic importance. The total length of the basin's shipping routes is over 25 thousand square meters. km. A number of large power plants have been built on tributaries of the Mississippi.

River feeding mixed, snow and rain. The right tributaries bring mainly meltwater formed by melting snow in Rocky Mountains, left tributaries feed the Mississippi with rain and stormwater. The Mississippi regime is characterized by spring-summer floods and stormy rain floods.

The longest, largest and largest river in North America is divided into three sections, the boundaries of which are the places where its largest tributaries, the Missouri and Ohio, flow into the Mississippi.

On the upper section the river flows through small lakes, overcoming rocky rifts and rapids in many places, the most significant of which are near the cities. Minneapolis (St. Anthony Falls), Davenport and Keokak. From Minneapolis to the mouth of the Missouri, the river is locked; there are more than 20 dams in this section.

On the middle section The fourth longest river in the world flows predominantly in one channel. Width river valley, limited by steep slopes, 15-20 km. In the middle section of the Mississippi it has interesting feature: dirty for 150-180 km, muddy waters Missouri flows next to relatively clear water Mississippi without mixing.

On the lower section The Mississippi River flows through a vast valley, gradually widening from 25 to 70 km. The river bed is winding, with numerous branches and oxbow lakes, forming in the lower reaches a labyrinth of channels, oxbow lakes, and vast floodplain swamps that are flooded during floods. At the end of the delta, the longest, largest and largest river in North America branches into 6 main relatively short sleeves length 20-40 km, flowing into the Gulf of Mexico.

Main characteristics of the Mississippi River. Description of the fourth of the longest, largest and largest rivers in the world and the longest river in North America in numbers.

River name	Mississippi
River length Mississippi:	3950 km (according to other data - 3774), together with Missouri - 6420 km (according to other data - 6275)
Current direction	From North to South
Continent	North America
Countries in the catchment area	USA (98.5%), Canada (1.5%)
Source of the river Mississippi	Nicollet Creek
Source coordinates	47°14′23″ n. w. 95°12′27″ W d.
Mouth of the river Mississippi	Gulf of Mexico
Mouth coordinates	29°09′13″ n. w. 89°15′03″ W d.
Delta area Mississippi River	OK. 32 thousand km 2
Pool area Mississippi River	3268 thousand km 2
Average annual flow	about 600 m/km
Water consumption	7-20 thousand m³/s
Solid drain	400 million tons/year
Right tributaries Mississippi River	Minnesota, Des Moines, Missouri, Arkansas, Red River
Left tributaries Mississippi River	Wisconsin, Illinois, Ohio

5. Yellow River (5464 km) - the fifth of the largest, largest and longest rivers in the world and the second longest river in Eurasia.

Description of the Yellow River - the fifth of the largest, largest and longest rivers in the world and the second longest river in Asia.

Yellow River- one of the greatest rivers in the world, is the second longest river in Asia and the fifth longest river in the world. The name of the river means "Yellow River" in Chinese. The yellow color of the river's waters is given by the abundance of sediment, of which there is so much in the river that the sea into which it flows is called the Yellow Sea. The Yellow River ranks first in the world in terms of sediment volume (1.3 billion tons/year).

The Yellow River begins in the eastern part of the Tibetan Plateau at an altitude of over 4000 m, it flows through lakes Orin-Nur and Dzharin-Nur, spurs of the Kunlun and Nanshan mountain ranges. When crossing the Ordos and the Loess Plateau, in its middle course it forms a large bend, then through the gorges of the Shanxi Mountains it enters the Great Chinese Plain, along which it flows about 700 km before flowing into the Bohai Bay of the Yellow Sea, forming a delta in the confluence area. According to various sources, the length of the river is from 4670 km to 5464 km, and the area of ​​its basin is from 745 thousand km² to 771 thousand km².

Nutrition method Yellow River: rain, in the mountainous part of the basin also snow. The fifth of the longest, largest and largest rivers in the world has a monsoon regime during summer floods with a rise in water levels of up to 5 m on the plains and up to 20 m in the mountains. For flood protection A system of dams with a total length of more than 5,000 km was built along the river. Dam breaks led to catastrophic floods, accompanied by large-scale destruction and changes in the river bed (the maximum change in the river bed was about 800 km). Due to the incredible catastrophic floods, the Yellow River received the nickname “The Mountain of China.” It is known that over the past two thousand years, the Yellow River has overflowed its banks more than a thousand times, broken through dams, and at least 20 times significantly changed the trajectory of its bed. In 1931, during the Yellow River flood, according to various estimates, from 1,000,000 to 4,000,000 residents of the North China Plain died.

But despite this, the Yellow River basin provides about 140 million people drinking water and water for irrigation. A number of hydroelectric power stations were built on the river. Through the Grand Canal, the fifth largest, largest and longest river in the world is connected to the Huaihe and Yangtze Rivers.

The Yellow River flows through a total of seven modern provinces and two autonomous regions, namely the following (from west to east): Qinghai, Gansu, Ningxia Hui, Inner Mongolia, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Henan and Shandong. The mouth of the Yellow River is located in Kenli County (Shandong).

The river is usually divided into three parts- upper, middle and lower reaches. Upstream the river runs through the northeast of the Tibetan Plateau and the Loess Plateau of northwestern China; the middle course includes the valley between Ordos and Shaanxi and the gorges further downstream; the lower course of the river runs along the Great Chinese Plain.

Main characteristics of the Yellow River. Description of the fifth of the longest, largest and largest rivers in the world in numbers.

River name	Yellow River
River length Yellow River:	According to various sources, from 4670 km to 5464 km
Current direction	From west to east
Continent
Countries in the catchment area
Largest cities	Lanzhou, Yinchuan, Wuhai, Baotou, Luoyang, Zhengzhou, Kaifeng and Jinan
Source Yellow River	Tibetan plateau
Source coordinates	34°59′33″ n. w. 96°03′48″ E d.
Estuary Yellow River	Yellow Sea
Mouth coordinates	37°47′03″ n. w. 119°18′10″ E. d.
Delta area Yellow River	127 thousand km 2 (submitted by G.E. Reinika and I.B. Singh)
Pool area Yellow River	from 745 thousand km² to 771 thousand km²
Water consumption	2000 m³/s
Solid drain	1.3 billion tons/year
Right tributaries Yellow River
Left tributaries Yellow River	Wudinghe, Fynhe

This was the article The largest, largest and longest rivers in the world. List and descriptions." Read on:

We can say with great confidence that Russia is the most prosperous fresh water a country. There are more than 2.5 million rivers (both small and large) on the territory of the Russian Federation. All of them belong to the three oceans. Let's talk to you about what are the most important rivers in Russia. The names of most of them were formed historically, so we will touch on the past a little. In the territory Russian Federation there are a lot amazing rivers and lakes.

Some general information

Approximately 70% of the rivers that are located in Russia belong to the Arctic Ocean. The longest and deepest rivers, such as the Yenisei, Oba, Lena, etc., flow into the basin. The Amur and Anadyr belong to the Pacific Ocean basin. The features of the last two are their relatively short length and rapid flow. The Don belongs to the Atlantic Ocean basin. Don't miss one important point, which lies in the fact that many rivers are located in several border states at once, for example, in Mongolia, Ukraine or Belarus.

As already noted a little above, there are more than 2.5 million rivers on the territory of Russia. This fact speaks of a huge supply of fresh water. This is also very important for agriculture and industry. For example, there is no such problem as drought in farmland, which is due to sufficient water resources. It should also be said that the total length of all rivers in Russia is approximately 10 million km. You might think that our country ranks first in the world in terms of water resources? No, unfortunately, it’s the second one. The first is Brazil, where the volume of fresh water river water somewhat more.

The average long-term flow is 4290 cubic meters per year. This is quite a lot, but given the uneven distribution of rivers in the country and various kinds of difficulties in organizing rational use water resource, the stable annual flow is only 1400 cubic meters. As for the amount of water per person, in the Russian Federation it is approximately 18 thousand m 3 per year, while in the USA - 8 thousand m 3, in Finland - 23.9 thousand m 3 for the same period.

Let's take a closer look at the main rivers of Russia. There are a variety of names - invented both by other peoples and by indigenous residents. Let's start with the most interesting.

The main river of Russia is the Volga

Surface waters occupy 12.4% of common territory countries. Moreover, 84% is concentrated in the east of the Urals. On the territory of Russia there is one of the largest rivers in the whole world, and this is the Volga. Its basin occupies more than 30% of the European part of the Russian Federation. It flows through four regions and eleven republics.

If we list the rivers of Russia whose names are most often mentioned in history, the Volga will be in first place. Its length is more than 3,500 kilometers. This is the distance between Berlin and Moscow multiplied by two.

Of course, the Volga is simply of enormous economic importance, and has been used for hundreds of years as a transport route, as well as one of the main sources of hydropower.

If we talk about industrial production in Russia as a whole, then approximately 45% of enterprises use the resource of the river in question. All this suggests that the Volga has great importance. If it weren’t for this body of water, life would be much more difficult for you and me.

The names of large rivers in Russia, such as the Volga and others, must be remembered, if only because we get more than 80% of all fish from them.

The Volga begins on the Valdai Hills. Every year people come there to take a sip of Volga water. In the indicated place, this river is a small spring, which becomes wider and deeper with every meter. Lotuses grow here - beautiful flowers that we all associate with the East. Many songs and plays are dedicated to this great and ancient river. You can talk endlessly about the beauty and grandeur of this river, but all this is little impressive if you don’t see the reservoir with your own eyes. You already know how many rivers there are in Russia, so let's talk about those that are of great importance for the development of the country.

Cupid, or "Black Dragon"

This giant is located in Transbaikalia. Crossing mountain ranges and plains, the Amur flows into the river spreads across three states: Russia, Mongolia and China. Approximately three thousand kilometers of the border between Russia and China runs along the Amur. In China it is a dragon. According to legend, a very, very long time ago, two dragons lived here: white - evil, and black - good. When the black dragon defeated evil, he remained to live at the bottom. This name stuck with the Chinese.

It is noteworthy that on the border of the Amur Basin one can observe an amazing sight - the change of four physical-geographical zones. There are steppe and semi-desert zones, as well as forest and forest-steppe zones. During the entire existence of the Amur, more than thirty peoples of the world and different ethnic groups settled in these places. If you remember the names of large rivers in Russia, the Amur immediately comes to mind.

It is safe to say that the wetlands of the Far Eastern giant are considered very valuable natural complex. The fact is that fish resources are reproduced here, and the river is of great importance for the migration of hundreds of thousands of birds. It is on the Amur that almost 95% of Far Eastern and 50% of white-naped and red-crowned cranes nest. There are more than 5,000 species of various plants and approximately 400 species of birds, as well as 70 species of mammals. One of the rarest is the Amur tiger.

IN last years The situation on the Amur has worsened significantly. This is due to active human intervention in the river ecosystem. The fact is that more than one hundred million people live in the Amur basin, and this is only about China. If we still know exactly how many rivers there are in Russia, then in a few years the Amur may not exist, and man will be to blame for everything.

Don - witness of Russian history

According to the research, scientists were able to name the approximate time of the origin of this river. According to most scientists, the Don appeared approximately 23 million years ago. This largest river in the south In Greek literature there is a name such as Tanais. A long time ago, the legendary Amazons lived here - warriors who had practically no equal. There are also mentions of these female warriors in Russian stories, according to which they often fought with the heroes of Rus'.

If we list the rivers of Russia, the names of which were given by other peoples, then the Don is one of them. Iranian peoples lived for some time in the Northern Black Sea region, and then these tribes gave the name to the river, which is still used today. Don in Russian means “river”.

The southern economy largely depends on river transport. Most of them are carried out along the Don. It is safe to say that approximately 85% of the main industry is located on the banks of the river. There are engineering factories, food and chemical, and tobacco industries. There was also energy. The Rostov Nuclear Power Plant is located on the Don, as well as the Novovoronezh Nuclear Power Plant.

It is worth drawing your attention to the fact that there are three Dons all over the world. The most important one is located on the territory of Russia, it is also the largest. The younger namesake flows in the Scottish county of Aberdeen. Another Don is located in York County, England.

As you can see, the rivers located in Russia are very popular, and some are known even in foreign countries. We continue our story further, because there is still a lot of interesting things.

What is the longest river in Russia?

The answer to this question is probably of interest to many people. The Lena River is the longest in the Russian Federation. In the world, it ranks tenth in length and eighth in depth. It originates in the mountains in southern Siberia and flows into the Laptev Sea. The length of the river is 4,400 kilometers.

The Lena River originates on the slopes of the Baikal ridge. In those places it is a very small lake, which does not even have its own name. It is located at an altitude of approximately 930 meters above sea level, ten kilometers from Lake Baikal. Among the mountains, the Lena has no tributaries and flows along the bottom of a small valley. IN winter time It freezes almost completely, and in summer it dries out almost completely.

Having received the first tributaries, the river becomes deeper and wider. Mountain currents are very fast and tortuous. If you ask which long river in Russia is of great importance for the country, then it is, without a doubt, the Lena. The fact is that this reservoir is the main transport route of Yakutia. Almost everything that is brought here from the north comes by river. This is due to the poor condition of the roads.

It is impossible not to consider the issue of occupancy. Studies have shown that few people live on the banks of the Lena. The main part of the settlements is located in Yakutsk, but otherwise we are talking only about

Today it is almost impossible to establish where the name came from. Scientists make assumptions that the origin of the name refers to the Tungus-Manchu “Yelyu-Ene”, which means “Big River”.

The Russians discovered the reservoir in 1621. First, the explorer Pyanda did this, and then the centurion Pyotr Beketov.

"Borisfen", or Dnieper

This river flows through the territory of three countries: Russia, Belarus and Ukraine. Despite the fact that most of it is located in the Russian Federation, the Dnieper is of great importance for all of the listed states. It is difficult to say exactly when this source of food and water appeared for ancient peoples. However, even Herodotus in his treatises mentioned a river called “Borysthenes” and its great importance for the population. Then he said that this is one of the most profitable rivers in the whole world. Much has been said about high quality water. It was transparent and pleasant to the taste. A large number of fish living in the Dnieper contributed to the development of fishing villages.

Today the river is approximately 2,201 kilometers long, making it the third longest in Europe. The Dnieper is characterized by a slow and calm current. In fact, this is a typical lowland river.

The Dnieper originates on the Valdai Hills, which is Smolensk region. It flows into the Black Sea, or more precisely, into the Dnieper-Bug estuary.

If we list all the rivers flowing through Russia, then the Dnieper is one of the most fertile, as it has more than 400 tributaries and a lot of fish. Catfish, pike perch, carp, perch, as well as about a hundred species of different birds live here, including plovers, grasshoppers, swan, ducks and many others.

We can talk endlessly about how beautiful the Dnieper is during sunset or dawn, but it’s better to see it all once, and it doesn’t matter where you are - in Russia, Ukraine or Belarus.

Yenisei is the real pride of the country

There are whole legends about the origin of this river. But all stories are not confirmed by facts. It is unknown where the name came from. Some say that it comes from the Tungus peoples, from the word “Enesi”, which means “big water”. Another part of researchers and scientists is inclined to the Kyrgyz origin of the word “enee-sai” - “mother river”. But one thing is for sure: this unique river. The fact is that in the upper reaches of the Yenisei there are camels, and if you go downstream, you are likely to meet entire families of polar bears hunting on the banks. It is noteworthy that on the left bank of the river there are the Siberian plains, and on the right the taiga begins. The Yenisei also has a certain influence on Arctic Ocean. The fact is that Siberian rivers carry out a huge amount of heat, making the climate of the North less harsh.

If we describe the large rivers of Russia, which carry significant volumes of water from their beds, then the Yenisei is in first place. Approximately 600 km 3 of water per year flows into this river, several times more than the flow of the Volga. The length of the reservoir is 3,487 km, so it rightfully ranks fifth in length in the Russian Federation. The Yenisei is very beautiful, especially in summer and winter, when it is covered with greenery or snow. Of course, there are other long rivers in Russia, which we will talk about now.

Oka and Ural

As you have probably already noticed, the names of the largest rivers in Russia are sometimes not at all connected with the activities of Russian people in their native territory. Oka, for example, originates from the Finno-Ugric word “ioku”, which means “river”. Since ancient times, the Oka has been an important trade artery. Afterwards it became a defensive line in the south of Russia. For our country, the river is of very great importance, since the whole central Russia lies on the banks of the Oka. The area of ​​its basin is slightly more than 240,000 km 2. In fact, this is the same amount as the whole of Great Britain. The length of the river is 1,500 kilometers.

Despite the fact that it is not the largest in Russia, it is more important than the Nile for the Egyptians. There are several important nature reserves on the Oka River. One of them is located in the central current - Prioksko-terrasny, the second - Oka State biosphere reserve- located in the Ryazan region.

The Volga and Danube are the longest rivers in Europe. In third place is the Urals, which stretches for 2,428 kilometers. In ancient times, the river was called “Yaik”, which translated from Turkic means “flooding, spilling”. During the reign of Catherine II in 1775, the river was renamed the Ural, however, despite this, most people in Kazakhstan use the former name.

As you can see, the names of large rivers in Russia quite often have foreign origins. The peoples living on the territory of the country gave the reservoirs their names.

The most surprising thing is that one bank of the Urals is in Europe, and the other in Asia. Today, along the river you can see many tourists and fishermen, but shipping interest has practically disappeared, so it is difficult to call the Urals an important trade and transport artery of Russia.

Everyone should know

It is safe to say that it is necessary to remember the great rivers of Russia, because this is our history. For example, the Volga - one of the largest rivers in the world - enchants with its grandeur. Here you can meet amazing representatives of flora and fauna. If you love nature, then be sure to visit the Urals. To be more precise, visit its part located slightly below Orsk.

The gorge of the Guberlinsky Mountains, as well as the Orsky Gate, have beautiful views. There are many geological and landscape monuments here, which, although they do not have important for the infrastructure of Russia, but are of interest to travelers. It is in the Urals that many active fishing enthusiasts gather. You can also see many tourists traveling along the current.

The largest river in all respects is in Siberia, and this is the Ob. It is formed by the merger of two currents, such as the Katun and Biya. The length is often calculated from the very source of the Irtysh, in this case the river stretches 5,410 kilometers. There are a large number of industrial bases on the Ob. This is due to the fact that this reservoir is home to more than fifty species of different aquatic life. Approximately 25 species of fish are of industrial importance, so shipping is very well developed here.

However, not everything is as rosy as it seems at first glance. Ecology is a significant problem. The names of Russian rivers (we reviewed the list above) have long become something familiar to us, so it is important to consider that some reservoirs are in danger of extinction.

Conclusion

So we looked at the names of the rivers of Russia. The list turned out to be impressive, but, in fact, it is only a few percent of the state’s total water resource.

Very important issue, which rises more and more every year, is ecological situation. A large number of dams and chemical plants on the banks of large rivers significantly worsen the living conditions of their inhabitants. As a result, fish production decreases and water quality suffers.

I would like to note that for Russia small rivers are no less important than such giants as the Lena, Volga, etc. The fact is that tributaries of many large rivers are formed from them. But, as practice shows, uncontrolled withdrawal of water from small sources leads to their narrowing, shallowness and even drying out. Today, irreversible consumption is approximately 4% per year, and this is quite a lot. At this rate, in 12 years approximately 50% of small rivers will be lost.

The situation can only be slightly improved in the following way: by reducing the amount Wastewater. But hardly anyone is going to solve this issue. All that ordinary residents can do is not engage in illegal fishing and not pollute the water.

Small businesses also cause great damage to the rivers of the Russian Federation, but this is incomparable to the harm caused by the activities of hydroelectric and nuclear power plants. We must not forget that many rivers are located on the territory of several states. But if the population of, for example, Belarus is not so numerous, especially on the banks of rivers, then in China hundreds of millions of people live in the coastal zone, depleting natural resources.

In any case, take care of nature, do not throw garbage into rivers, as this negatively affects the quality of the water we drink. In the end, all this affects our health.