The Top Ten Longest Rivers in the World

It is not an easy task to give an exact and clear estimate of river lengths and this issue has always caused controversy in terms of length measurement. Often the measurements start at the source of the river, but determining where that is is not always possible. So in conclusion, river lengths are often approximate guesses but that doesn’t stop me from making this estimated guide to ten of the world’s longest rivers…

The Argun River – 4,444 km (2,763 Miles)

WIKI: The Argun or Ergune is a 1,620-kilometre long river that forms part of the eastern China–Russia border, together with the Amur. Its upper reaches are known as Hailar River in China. The Argun marks the border between Russia and China for about 944 kilometres until it meets the Amur.

Congo–Chambeshi – 4,700 km (2,922 Miles)

WIKI: The Chambeshi River of northeastern Zambia is the most remote headstream of the Congo River and therefore it is considered the source of the Congo River. The Chambeshi rises as a stream in the mountains of northeast Zambia near Lake Tanganyika at an elevation of 1,760 metres above sea level.

The Rio Grande – 4,880 km (3,030 Miles)

WIKI: The Rio Grande, known in Mexico as the Río Bravo del Norte or simply the Río Bravo, is one of the principal rivers in the southwestern United States and in northern Mexico. The length of the Rio Grande is 1,896 miles. It originates in south-central Colorado, in the United States, and flows to the Gulf of Mexico.

Ob–Irtysh River – 5,410 km (3,364 Miles)

WIKI: The Ob is a major river in Russia. It is in western Siberia; and together with Irtysh forms the world’s seventh-longest river system, at 5,410 kilometres. It forms at the confluence of the Biya and Katun which have their origins in the Altai Mountains.

Yellow River – 5,464 km (3,395 Miles)

WIKI: The Yellow River or Huang He is the second-longest river in China, after the Yangtze River, and the sixth-longest river system in the world at an estimated length of 5,464 km.

Yenisey River – 5,539 km (3,445 Miles)

WIKI: The Yenisey, also romanised as Yenisei, Enisei, or Jenisej, is the fifth-longest river system in the world, and the largest to drain into the Arctic Ocean. Rising in Mungaragiyn-gol in Mongolia, it follows a northerly course before draining into the Yenisey Gulf in the Kara Sea.

Mississippi River – 6,275 km (3,902 Miles)

WIKI: The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system.

River Yangtze – 6,300 km (3,917 Miles)

WIKI: The Yangtze or Yangzi, is the longest river in Asia, the third-longest in the world and the longest in the world to flow entirely within one country. It rises at Jari Hill in the Tanggula Mountains and flows 6,300 km in a generally easterly direction to the East China Sea.

Amazon River – 6,400 km (3,976 Miles)

WIKI: The Amazon River in South America is the largest river by discharge volume of water in the world, and the disputed longest river system in the world in comparison to the Nile.

River Nile – 6,650 km (4,130 Miles)

WIKI: 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.

Have you ever seen any of these rivers in real life? Do you know any facts about these rivers? Do let us know in the comments below.