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What is the longest river in the world? |
While it's hard to determine exact measurements, the longest river in the world is thought to be the Nile River in north Africa — it is approximately 4,135 miles (6,650 km) long, and runs through eleven countries! The next longest is the Amazon River in South America, which is approximately 3,980 miles (6,400 km) long.
To compare, the United States is only approximately 3,000 miles (4,827 km) wide from coast to coast, which means both of these rivers are longer than the U.S. is wide!
There are a variety of reasons as to why it's so hard to find out the exact lengths for these rivers. Finding the origin point, also called a "tributary," can be difficult since weather or natural disasters can change them at a moment's notice. And, since it is impossible to find a ruler long enough to perfectly measure these rivers, approximations are done instead using math and very detailed maps.
Besides the Amazon and the Nile, can you think of some other famous rivers in the world? How about the Yangtze River in Asia, the Niger River in west Africa, the Danube River in Europe, and the Mississippi, Yukon and Rio Grande Rivers in North America?
See if you can find these rivers using a map or globe! Which countries does each one run through?