Largest Rivers in the World

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Nile, Africa

Length - 6,695km/4,160 mi

• The Nile River flows northward through Egypt, dividing the country into two arid regions. The Nile provides a vital source of transportation, and its fertile valley and delta contain most of the country’s agriculture and population.

Amazon, South America

Length - 6,400 km/4,000 mi

• The Amazon River is a meandering system of channels for much of its course through the South American rain forest. The river drains a vast region that nearly spans the continent, from its source in the Andes Mountains to its mouth on the Atlantic Ocean. The river and its tributaries help support a rain forest ecology that contains more species of flora and fauna than any other ecosystem.

Yangtze, Asia

Length - 6,300 km/3,900 mi 

• The Yangtze River in central China flows swiftly through China’s Sichuan Province on its descent from the Kunlun Mountains. Tourists are attracted to the beauty of the Yangtze Gorges, which extend about 320 km (about 200 mi) near the border of Sichuan and Hubei provinces. 

Mississippi-Missouri-Red Rock, North America

Length - 5,970 km/3,710 mi

• All of the rivers and streams in Missouri eventually flow into the Mississippi River, either independently or through the Missouri River. The Missouri crosses the state from west to east, where it flows into the Mississippi. The huge Mississippi River defines most of the state’s eastern border.

Yenisey-Angara, Asia

Length - 5,550 km/3,450 mi 

• The Yenisey River near the Russian town of Vorogovo on the central Siberian Plateau. The taiga lies south of the tundra (treeless Arctic plain) in northern lands  

Huang He (Yellow River), Asia

Length - 5,464 km/3,395 mi

• The Huang He, or Yellow River, passes through Gansu, China, near the city of Lanzhou. It is the second largest river in China

Ob'-Irtysh, Asia

Length - 5,410 km/3,362 mi

• Navigation of the Ob’ River, which flows through western Siberia in Russia, is impeded by ice in winter. The north-flowing Ob’ and its main tributary, the Irtysh, form the country’s largest river system. 

Río Paraná-Rio Grande, South America

Length - 4,500 km/2,800 mi 

• The place where the darkly colored Paraná River flows into the lighter Paraguay River is shown in this satellite image. Large quantities of silt and other suspended matter give the Paraguay its milky color. After flowing through the country of Paraguay, the Paraguay River meets the Paraná at the border of Argentina. 

Amur-Shilka, Asia

Length - 4,416 km/2,744 mi

• The Amur River serves as an important transportation route in east central Asia. Small craft can navigate the river’s entire length, 2,874 km (1,786 mi), for six months of the year. The Amur forms part of the border between Russia and China before emptying into the Tatar Strait.

Lena River, Asia

Length - 4,400 km/2,700 mi

• Lena, river, Siberia Russia, rising west of Lake Baikal. The river flows first northeast and then gradually north for 4,400 km (2,700 mi) before emptying into Laptev Sea, an arm of the Arctic Ocean. The Lena drains a region of about 2.6 million sq km (about 1 million sq mi) and is navigable for some 3380 km (some 2100 mi). Yakutsk is the principal city on the river. 

Congo, Africa

Length - 4,374 km/2,718 mi

• Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, is located on the southern shore of the Congo River, a main artery of transportation and the second longest river in Africa. Lying directly across the river is Brazzaville, the capital city of the Republic of Congo.

Mackenzie-Peace-Finlay, North America

Length - 4,241 km/2,635 mi

• The Mackenzie River, in the Northwest Territories, is Canada’s largest river system. This photo shows the delta region, where oil and natural gas deposits are located.

Mekong, Asia

Length - 4,200 km/2,610 mi

• The Mekong River forms much of the border between Thailand and Laos. For years, commercial activity on the river was overshadowed by war, but since the 1991 peace accord in Cambodia, trade has resumed between capitalist Thailand and Communist Laos. A bridge built in 1994 spanning the Mekong is the first such structure between the two countries. 

Niger, Africa

Length - 4,180 km/2,600 mi

Africa’s Niger River begins in Guinea and flows about 4180 km (about 2600 mi) through the nations of Mali, Niger, and Nigeria, emptying into the Gulf of Guinea. The Benue River is the Niger’s chief tributary. Much of the Niger is navigable, making it useful for transportation of freight and passengers, as well as for fishing.