The longest river in the world, measured from its mouth to its most distant, year-round source, is likely the Amazon, which flows 4,345 miles from the Peruvian Andes through Brazil to the Atlantic Ocean.
However, much depends on how you measure it.
Until 2007, the title belonged to the Nile, which runs 4,258 miles from the mountains of Burundi to its famed and fertile delta fan, where Egypt meets the Mediterranean Sea. The two lengths are close enough that measuring techniques and philosophies can be quite controversial. In fact, the geographers who crowned the Amazon champion were funded in part by the Brazilian government.
The Ancient Egyptians were familiar with the Nile as far upstream as today’s Khartoum, Sudan, some 1,700 miles from the river’s mouth. In A.D. 150 Ptolemy, the famed Greek geographer living in Roman Egypt, wrote that the river originated in the “Mountains of the Moon” deep in the African interior. In 1862 English explorer John Hanning Speke journeyed from Africa’s east coast to find what he considered to be the source, where the river exits Lake Victoria in present-day Uganda.
Geographers did not explore the Amazon’s most distant sources until the mid-20th century, and it was only with the advent of GPS technologies that ever-more accurate estimates, like the 2007 survey, were made possible. Great rivers change course over the seasons and the years, making it difficult to determine which measurement comprises its accurate length. As the crow flies, it is about 2,400 miles from the Nile’s source to its outlet (the meandering Amazon covers a mere 1,100 miles of straight-line distance).
FAQs
Conclusion. The Amazon River is the longest river in the world, and it is a vital resource for the people and ecosystems of South America. Its unique ecosystem, cultural significance, and economic importance make it a critical resource for the region.
What is the longest river in the world ever? ›
The Nile River is the longest river in the world at 4,132 miles (6,650 km). It Flows from central Africa northward through northeastern Africa to the Mediterranean Sea and has three principal streams: the Blue Nile, the Atbara, and the White Nile.
What is the longest river on the earth answer? ›
River Nile in Africa is the longest river in the world. Its main source is Lake Victoria in east-central Africa.
What is longer, the Nile or Amazon? ›
According to the U.S. Geological Survey and Britannica, the difference between their lengths is just 132 miles — less than the drive from Washington to Philadelphia. They have the Nile's 4,132 miles barely edging out the Amazon's 4,000.
Was the Nile river the longest river? ›
The Nile is a major north-flowing river in northeastern Africa. It flows into the Mediterranean Sea. The Nile is the longest river in Africa and has historically been considered the longest river in the world, though this has been contested by research suggesting that the Amazon River is slightly longer.
Which river is longer Nile or Mississippi? ›
A Nile River is considered to be the world's longest river with a total of 6650 km, followed by Amazon (6575 km), Yangtze (6300 km) and Mississippi (6275km).
What is the longest river in the US answer? ›
Table
| # | Name | Length |
|---|
| 1 | Missouri River | 2,341 mi 3,768 km |
| 2 | Mississippi River | 2,340mi 3,766 km |
| 3 | Yukon River | 1,979 mi 3,190 km † |
| 4 | Rio Grande | 1,759 mi 2,830 km † |
32 more rowsDepending on the geographer, the Río de la Plata may be considered a river, an estuary, a gulf, or a marginal sea. If considered a river, it is the widest in the world, with a maximum width of 220 kilometres (140 mi). NASA photo of the Río de la Plata looking from northwest to southeast.
Which country has the longest river? ›
The Nile. The enchanting River Nile in Africa is the longest river in the world. With the pyramids sitting at the backdrop in Egypt, it takes a beautiful form here. It is 6,853 km long, and apart from Egypt, runs through Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, Sudan, Burundi, and Congo-Kinshasa.
What is the smallest river in the world? ›
As per reports, the deftness of the Roe River is just 6–8 feet. So with this length and deftness, the river earned a place in the Guinness Book of World Records as the shortest river in the world. However, both domestic and foreign visitors visit the river every year to enjoy its scenic beauty.
The Encyclopedia Britannica gives the length of the Nile as 6,650 kilometers (4,132 miles), to 6,400 kilometers (3,977 miles) for the Amazon, measuring the latter from the headwaters of the Apurimac river in southern Peru.
What is the deepest river? ›
In addition, the Congo River is the world's deepest recorded river at 720 feet (220 meters) deep in parts — too deep for light to penetrate, The New York Times reported. It's also the second-longest river in Africa, spanning a length of approximately 2,920 miles (4,700 kilometers), according to Phys.org.
Is the Amazon bigger than Mexico? ›
He compared them to the Amazons of Greek mythology. 2. If the Amazon rainforest was a country, it would be the 14th largest in the world, measuring in at a whopping 5.5 million km² (2.1 million square miles), larger than Mexico and only a little smaller than Saudi Arabia.
Does the Nile still flood? ›
Instead of growing in size through the soil deposits, the delta is now shrinking due to erosion along the Mediterranean Sea. In addition, routine annual flooding no longer occurs along parts of the Nile.
Is the Nile river longer than America? ›
America and the world's fourth longest at 3, 903 miles in length. FYII The longest River in the world is the Nile which flows from the mountains on Central Africa to the Mediterranean Sea 4,130 miles northward.
What two rivers are longer than the Nile river? ›
List of river systems longer than 1,000 km
| Rank | River | Length (km) |
|---|
| 1. | Nile–White Nile–Kagera–Nyabarongo–Mwogo–Rukarara | 6,650 (7,088) |
| 2. | Amazon–Ucayali–Tambo–Ene–Mantaro | 6,400 (6,992) |
| 3. | Yangtze–Jinsha–Tongtian–Dangqu (Chang Jiang) | 6,300 (6,418) |
| 4. | Mississippi–Missouri–Jefferson–Beaverhead–Red Rock–Hell Roaring | 6,275 |
50 more rowsWhen compared to other world rivers, the Mississippi-Missouri River combination ranks fourth in length (3,710 miles/5,970km) following the Nile (4,160 miles/6,693km), the Amazon (4,000 miles/6,436km), and the Yangtze Rivers (3,964 miles/6,378km).
Is the Mississippi the longest river in the world isn t it? ›
The Mississippi ranks as the fourth-longest and ninth-largest river in the world by discharge. The Upper Mississippi River is not the main stem of the Mississippi River.
Is the Missouri River longer than Mississippi? ›
USGS lists the Missouri as the longest American river (2,540 miles) and the Mississippi River as the 2nd (at 2,340 miles). Both fall far behind the Nile (4,132 miles), Amazon (4,000 miles), and Yangtze (3,915 miles) as the world's top three longest rivers.
Is the Nile the longest river in Africa? ›
The Nile is the longest river in Africa. Its length is around 6,650 kilometers, and its drainage basin covers 11 African countries. The Congo is the second-longest river on the African continent, having an approximate length of 4,700 kilometers.
