Five Amazing Rivers of the World
Great rivers have witnessed the growth of cities, rise and fall of empires and political and cultural movements on their banks. Rivers are the bedrock on which our civilizations are built.
1. Nile River :
When you think of the River Nile, the first place that comes to your mind Egypt. Though only about one fourth of the Nile runs through Egypt, the two are concerned in a special way.
The River Nile is 6650 km long, and is the longest river in the world. It is formed from the White Nile, which originates at Lake Victoria and the Blue Nile, which originates at Lake Tana in Ethiopia, and Atbara river which originates also in Ethiopia. These rivers meets in Sudan and then go on their long journey northwards towards the sea.
Though the Nile is considered to be the longest river in the world, some people believe that the Amazon is longer. They base this claim on evidence obtained from a high altitude scientific venture in the Andes, which estimates the Amazon to be 100 kilometres longer than the Nile. However, it is generally accepted that the Nile is 6650 km long, while the Amazon is 6400 km long.
2. Ganga River :
The Ganga is the holy river of the Hindus. For the most part, it is a wide and sluggish river, flowing through one of the most fertile and densely populated regions in the world.
The Ganga rises in the Himalayas from the Gangotri Glacier and drains one fourth of India's territory. Its basin supports hundreds of millions of people, and the Gangetic plain, through which it flows, has been the cradle of successive civilizations and empires since ancient times. After travelling 2510 km, the Ganga empties itself into the Bay of Bengal. Besides being a holy river, Ganga is also worshiped as a deity in Hinduism.
3. Tarim River :
The Tarim River flows in the Northwestern part of China, north of the Plateau of Tibet. It is the longest inland river in China, and the second largest inland river in the world. The great basin between the Tien Shan and the kunlun mountain systems of central Asia is named after this river. It zigzags in north Tarim Basin from west to east, with most of its upper reaches being rugged deserts. The river is different from others in that it flows mostly through a desert and the word 'tarim' is used for the bank of a river that flows into a lake or that cannot be easily distinguished from the sands of a desert. Another unusual feature of this river is that like the other rivers in the basin, it bed and banks keep changing as the river keep changing its course. The tarim river is a lifeline safeguarding the economy, nature, and the life of all ethnic groups in Tarim Basin.
4. Darling River :
The Darling river is the third longest river in Australia. It is 1472 km long. The river's source is in the northern New South Wales, and it flows south-west though outback New South Wales. It then passed through the Menindee Lakes as it flows towards its confluence with the Murray River. From there, the Murray continues to flow through South Australia and into the Southern Ocean.
The Darling River is the lifeblood of outback New South Wales, and is a key part of the Murray-Darling Basin, Australia's food bowl. Much of what Australians eat, drink and wear each day comes from this highly productive basin. Together with the Murray, the Darling provides 40 percent of the country's agricultural wealth. Unlike many other rivers in the Basin and across Australia, the Darling River flows through an arid region. The Darling is prone to floods and droughts. It gets its name from Sir Ralph Darling who was Governor of New South Wales from 1825 to 1831.
5. Don River :
In ancient times, the Don River was considered to be the border between Europe and Asia. It has also been a major trading route and has played a key role in Russian history since the days peter the Great. It rises in the town of Novomoskovsk, , south east of Moscow, and flows for 1870 km, before entering the sea of Azov. The chief tributary of Don is the Donet.
The Don is linked with the Volga River by a canal, which is an important waterway. It is an important artery for grain, coal and lumber shipments and is navigable for 1370 km. The river has given its name the Don Cossacks who were settlers in the fertile valley of the river in 16th and 17th centuries. The Don Cossacks and the Don River itself figure prominently in the works of Russian authors in modern literature. Mikhail Sholokhov won the Nobel Prize for literature in 1965. His famous work was 'And Quiet Flows the Don'.
Nice
ReplyDelete