Rivers can boast not only of their length and fullness, but also the tributaries that make up its basin. It is noteworthy that every river on earth has both a surface catchment and an underground one. These watersheds are different in size and volume, but we will try to consider the largest of them and find out which is the largest river basin.
Rivers with the largest river basin:
13
Ganges
The starting point of our trip will be the Ganges full-flowing pool, with a total area of 1,060,000 km².
Ganges tributaries are different in nature. In the upper reaches, these are small streams and streams. Further downstream, larger and more full-flowing tributaries flow into the Indian waterway, originating in the Himalayas and the expanses of the Deccan Plateau.
Thousands of believers, as well as ordinary tourists, make pilgrimages to the sacred rivers of Buddhism every year.
12
Mackenzie
From the south we will go north, to the North American Mackenzie basin, with a total area of 1,805 thousand km². The Canadian river basin includes the largest lakes of the North American continent.
The food of the river, as well as its tributaries, is rainfall, and for most of the year water bodies are covered with ice, and the area covered with spruce forests is very boggy.
11
Yangtze
The most watery river in Eurasia has a basin with an area of 1,808,000 km², one Delta of the Long River occupies 80 thousand square kilometers.
Flowing through the territory of China, the water artery has become a major factor in human activity.
In ancient times, the first agricultural civilizations were born here, and today large industrial cities have been built along the banks of the rivers, playing an important role in the Chinese economy.
10
Amur
We will begin our acquaintance with the Russian river drains from the Far East Amur, whose basin covers an area of 1,885,000 km². The largest tributaries of the Amur are quite full-flowing, and have unusual and beautiful names: Zeya, Bureya, Ussuri, Sungari, Argun.
Amur, like its basin, is an amazing natural object that acts as the border between the two largest states of Eurasia - Russia and China, and the tributaries occupy the territory of Mongolia.
9
Niger
Of all the rivers, the African river has the most unusual channel form. But its pool, with an area of 2,120,000 km², is the third largest in Africa.
The largest tributary of the Benue River stretches for 1,400 km. The Niger Basin is of crucial importance in the economic life of the countries along which the river and its tributaries flow.
8
Lena
The most amazing river in Russia originates only 12 km from Lake Baikal, and flows into the Arctic Ocean thousands of kilometers from the source.
The Lena basin, the area of which is 2 420 000 km², consists of numerous large and small tributaries, as well as the waters of the foothills of Eastern Siberia. The banks of the river, as well as its tributaries, are poorly populated, but the picturesque nature attracts thousands of tourists here.
7
Yenisei
Another Siberian river with a large pool covering an area of 2,700,000 km². And if the Russians call the Volga “mother”, then the Siberians often call the Yenisei “father”.
The Yenisei belongs to the rivers of mixed nutrition, due to the fact that in addition to the tributaries, its waters are replenished by the melting of glaciers. By the number of tributaries, and there are more than 500, the waterway of Siberia can rightfully be considered a champion. According to thebiggest, this is one of the most beautiful rivers in the world.
6
Parana
Flowing through three states, Parana has acquired multiple tributaries, and feeds its waters through tropical showers. The basin area of the second largest river in South America is 2,583,000 km².
The river basin is of great importance in the economic life of the region, and also provides shipping. Rare species of animals and plants have chosen the shores, and the abundance of various species of fish in the waters.
5
Nile
A river with a glorious history, in the basin of which the oldest civilization on Earth arose. In addition, it is the greatest waterway in both length and basin size of 3,400,000 km².
The Nile Delta is amazing in form and consists of multiple arms, lakes and channels.
The Nile, flowing through the Sahara, is the only source of life among the waterless expanses. The main problem of the artery of Africa is its contamination, due to human activity.
By the way, at thebiggest.ru you can find out about the deepest lakes in the world.
4
Ob
The basin of the West Siberian river, born of the confluence of Biya and Katun, is almost 3 million square kilometers. According to this indicator, it is the largest river basin in Russia.
It is interesting that the length of its main tributary, the Irtysh River, exceeds the length of the Ob itself. The full-flowing river of Siberia is navigable all the way from its source to its confluence with the Kara Sea.
3
Mississippi
The North American river, with the largest pool on the continent, originates from Lake Itasca. Flowing across the USA, the river basin also captures neighboring Canada.
A basin area of 3.27 million km² occupies 40% of the United States. Mississippi is one of the most volatile rivers in the world, often changing its course, which is why Mark Twain called it a "liar."
2
Congo
A water artery flows through Central Africa, and a basin of 4,014,500 km² covers 8 states. The Congo system, in addition to its tributaries, also includes several amazing lakes.
The African river fills its waters mainly due to rains, but the tributaries flood abundantly in the autumn months. About 1,000 species of fish are found in tributaries and lakes; therefore, fishing is an important role in the economy of the region.
1
Amazon
The longest river in the world also has the largest basin, the area of which, according to geographers, is 7,180 thousand km².
Amazonia surprises the inhabitants of the planet not only with physical indicators, but also with a diverse, amazing animal and plant world. The largest underwater river in the world flows here.
The unique ecosystem of the Amazon River is rightfully listed as a natural wonder. Many experts agree that tropical forests in the river basin are the lungs of our planet.
The largest river basin in ancient times was inhabited by Native American tribes, as well as warlike Amazons.
Conclusion
As you can see the nature of the drain is greatly influenced by the geographical position, topography, and also the geological structure of the area.
River basins are peculiar and dissimilar, each has its own economic orientation and ecosystem, including tributaries, streams and lakes, but they all play a crucial role in human economic life. TheBiggest editors hope you enjoy our article. We are waiting for your comments. Perhaps you know some other large river basin, which we did not mention?
Article author: Valery Skiba