Page 11 - GK Class 08

7 Famous Rivers in the World

Rivers have been very useful to men in all parts of the world since prehistoric times.
They provide a source of drinking water, for obtaining food, to fertilise lands and way
to transport goods from place to place. Rivers also provide an important habitat for

wildlife. They play an essential role in the ecology of rainforest and wetlands.
Let us read about some famous rivers.

The Nile is the longest river in the world. It flows
northward for 6650 km (4,132 miles) from East Africa
to the Mediterranean. The Nile has two major
tributaries, the white Nile and Blue Nile. The White
Nile rises in the Great Lakes region of Central Africa
while the Blue Nile starts at Lake Tona in Ethiopia.

At approximately 6400 km (4000 miles) the Amazon
River is the second longest river in the world, just
slightly shorter than the Nile although reputable
sources disagree as to exact length of the two rivers.

One of the most important rivers in the world, the
Yangtze River is the longest river in China and the
third longest river in the world. The river is about 6300
km long (3915 miles) and originates from a glacier
lying on the eastern part of the Tibetan Plateau.

The 2,510 km (1,560 miles) Ganges originates in the
western Himalayas in India and drains into the
Sunderbans Delta in the Bay of Bengal. It has long
been considered a holy river by Hindus and
worshiped as the Goddess Ganga in Hinduism. It has
also been important historically. Many former
provincial or imperial capitals have been located on
its banks.

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