List of rivers by length

Published on Friday, May 25th 2007

View of the Nile River, from a cruiseboat, between Luxor and Aswan in Egypt.

This is a list of the longest rivers on Earth. It includes river systems over 1,000 kilometers.

Definition of length

The length of a river is actually very hard to calculate. It depends on the identification of the source, the identification of the mouth, and the precise measurement of the river length between source and mouth. As a result, the length measurements of many rivers are only approximations. In particular, there has for long been disagreement as to whether the Amazon or the Nile is the world’s longest river.

The source of a river may be hard to determine because a river typically has many tributaries. Among the many sources, the one that is farthest away from the mouth is considered as the source of the river, thus giving a maximal river length. In practice, the tributary with the farthest source is not always the one given the name of the river. For example, the farthest source of the Mississippi River system is the source of the Jefferson River, a tributary of the Missouri River which in turn is a tributary of the Mississippi. However, a different (and shorter) tributary is identified as the Mississippi. When the river is measured from mouth to farthest source, it is called the Mississippi-Missouri-Jefferson. Also, it is hard to state exactly where a river begins as very often rivers are formed by seasonal streams, swamps, or changing lakes. In this article, length means the length of the river system, including all tributaries.

The mouth of a river is hard to determine in cases where the river has a large estuary that gradually widens and opens into the ocean; examples are the River Plate and the Saint Lawrence River. Some rivers do not have a mouth; instead they dwindle to very low water volume and eventually evaporate, or sink into an aquifer, or get diverted for agriculture. The exact point where these rivers end will vary seasonally.

The length of a river between source and mouth may be hard to determine because of a lack of precise maps. In these cases, the measured length of a river will depend on the scale of the map on which the measurement is based; in general, due to the fractal quality of a river, the larger the scale, the longer the resulting length measurement. This issue was discovered by Lewis Fry Richardson and also applies when measuring borders between countries and coastlines. Ideally, length measurements should be based on maps that are of a large enough scale to show the width of the river, and the path measured is the path a small boat would take down the middle of the river.

Even when precise maps are available, the length measurement is not always clear. A river may have multiple arms. It may depend on whether the centre or the edge of the river is taken as reference point. It may not be clear how to measure the length through a lake: this may also vary by season. These points make it difficult, if not impossible, to get a precise (or comparable ) measurement of the length of a river or stream.

List of rivers longer than 1000 km

One should take the aforementioned discussion into account when using the data in the following table. For most rivers, different sources provide conflicting information on the length of a river system. The information in different sources is between parentheses.

Continent colour key

Africa Asia Australia Europe North America South America

River Length (km) Length (miles) Drainage area (km²) Average discharge (m³/s) Outflow Countries in the drainage basin

1.** Nile 6,650 4,135 3,349,000 5,100 Mediterranean Sea Ethiopia, Eritrea, Sudan, Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, Egypt, Democratic Republic of the Congo

2.** Amazon 6,400

3,980

6,915,000 219,000 Atlantic Ocean Brazil, Peru, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela, Guyana

1. Yangtze
   (Chang Jiang) 6,300
   

3,917

1,800,000 31,900 East China Sea P.R. China

1. Mississippi – Missouri 6,275
   

3,902

2,980,000 16,200 Gulf of Mexico United States (98.5%), Canada (1.5%)

1. Yenisei – Angara – Selenga 5,539
   

3,445

2,580,000 19,600 Kara Sea Russia, Mongolia

1. Yellow
   (Huang He) 5,464
   

3,398

745,000 2,110 Bohai Sea
(Balhae) P.R. China

1. Ob – Irtysh 5,410 3,364 2,990,000 12,800 Gulf of Ob Russia, Kazakhstan, P.R. China, Mongolia

2. Congo – Chambeshi
   (Zaire) 4,700
   

2,922

3,680,000 41,800 Atlantic Ocean Democratic Republic of the Congo, Central African Republic, Angola, Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Cameroon, Zambia, Burundi, Rwanda

1. Amur – Argun
   (Heilong Jiang) 4,444 2,763 1,855,000 11,400 Sea of Okhotsk Russia, P.R. China, Mongolia

2. Lena 4,400
   

2,736

2,490,000 17,100 Laptev Sea Russia

1. Mekong
   (Lancang Jiang) 4,350 2,705 810,000 16,000 South China Sea Laos, Thailand, P.R. China, Cambodia, Vietnam, Myanmar

2. Mackenzie – Peace – Finlay 4,241
   

2,637

1,790,000 10,300 Beaufort Sea Canada

1. Niger 4,200
   

2,611

2,090,000 9,570 Gulf of Guinea Nigeria (26.6%), Mali (25.6%), Niger (23.6%), Algeria (7.6%), Guinea (4.5%), Cameroon (4.2%), Burkina Faso (3.9%), Cote d'Ivoire, Benin, Chad

1. Parana
   (Rio de la Plata) 3,998
   

2,486

3,100,000 25,700 Atlantic Ocean Brazil (46.7%), Argentina (27.7%), Paraguay (13.5%), Bolivia (8.3%), Uruguay (3.8%)

1. Volga 3,645 2,266 1,380,000 8,080 Caspian Sea Russia (99.8%), Kazakhstan (minor)

2. Shatt al-Arab – Euphrates 3,596
   

2,236

884,000 856 Persian Gulf Iraq (40.5%), Turkey (24.8%), Iran (19.7%), Syria (14.7%)

1. Purus 3,379 2,101 63,166 8,400 Amazon Brazil, Peru

2. Murray – Darling 3,370
   

2,094

1,061,000 767 Indian Ocean Australia

1. Madeira – Mamore 3,239 2,014 850,000 17,000 Amazon Brazil, Bolivia, Peru

2. Yukon 3,184 1,980 850,000 6,210 Bering Sea United States (59.8%), Canada (40.2%)

3. Indus
   (Sindhu) 3,180 1,976 960,000 7,160 Arabian Sea Pakistan (93%), India, P. R. China, disputed territory (Kashmir), Afghanistan

4. Sao Francisco 3,180
   (2,900) 1,976
   (1,802) 610,000 3,300 Atlantic Ocean Brazil

5. Syr Darya – Naryn 3,078 1,913 219,000 703 Aral Sea Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan

6. Salween
   (Nu Jiang) 3,060 1,901 324,000 3,153 Andaman Sea P.R. China (52.4%), Myanmar (43.9%), Thailand (3.7%)

7. Saint Lawrence – Niagara-Detroit-Saint Clair-Saint Marys-Saint Louis 3,058 1,900 1,030,000 10,100 Gulf of Saint Lawrence Canada (52.1%), United States (47.9%)

8. Rio Grande 3,057
   (2,896) 1,900
   (1,799) 570,000 82 Gulf of Mexico United States (52.1%), Mexico (47.9%)

9. Lower Tunguska 2,989 1,857 473,000 3,600 Yenisei Russia

10. Brahmaputra 2,948 1,832 1,730,000 19,200 Bay of Bengal India (58.0%), P.R. China (19.7%), Nepal (9.0%), Bangladesh (6.6%), Disputed India/P.R. China (4.2%), Bhutan (2.4%)

11. Danube 2,850 1,771 817,000 7,130 Black Sea Romania (28.9%), Hungary (11.7%), Austria (10.3%), Serbia (10.3%), Germany (7.5%), Slovakia (5.8%), Bulgaria (5.2%), Bosnia and Herzegovina (4.8%), Croatia (4.5%), Ukraine (3.8%), Moldova (1.7%).

12. Tocantins 2,699 1,677 1,400,000 13,598 Atlantic Ocean, Amazon Brazil

13. Zambezi
    (Zambesi) 2,693 1,673 1,330,000 4,880 Mozambique Channel Zambia (41.6%), Angola (18.4%), Zimbabwe (15.6%), Mozambique (11.8%), Malawi (8.0%), Tanzania (2.0%), Namibia, Botswana

14. Vilyuy 2,650 1,647 454,000 1,480 Lena Russia

15. Araguaia 2,627 1,632 358,125 6,172 Tocantins Brazil

16. Amu Darya 2,620 1,628 534,739 1,400 Aral Sea Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan

17. Japura
    (Rio Yapura) 2,615 1,625 242,259 6,000 Amazon Brazil, Colombia

18. Nelson – Saskatchewan 2,570 1,597 1,093,000 2,575 Hudson Bay Canada, United States

19. Paraguay
    (Rio Paraguay) 2,549 1,584 900,000 4,300 Parana Brazil, Paraguay, Bolivia, Argentina

20. Kolyma 2,513 1,562 644,000 3,800 East Siberian Sea Russia

21. Ganges 2,510 1,560 907,000 12,037 Brahmaputra, Bay of Bengal India, Bangladesh

22. Pilcomayo 2,500 1,553 270,000 Paraguay Paraguay, Argentina, Bolivia

23. Upper Ob 2,490 1,547 Ob Russia

24. Ishim 2,450 1,522 177,000 56 Irtysh Kazakhstan, Russia

25. Jurua 2,410 1,498 200,000 6,000 Amazon Peru, Brazil

26. Ural 2,428 1,509 237,000 475 Caspian Sea Russia, Kazakhstan

27. Arkansas 2,348 1,459 505,000
    (435,122) 1,066 Mississippi United States

28. Ubangi – Uele 2,300 1,429 4,003 Congo Democratic Republic of the Congo, Central African Republic

29. Olenyok 2,292 1,424 219,000 1,210 Laptev Sea Russia

30. Dnieper 2,287 1,421 516,300 1,670 Black Sea Russia, Belarus, Ukraine

31. Aldan 2,273 1,412 729,000 5,060 Lena Russia

32. Negro 2,250 1,450 720,114 26,700 Amazon Brazil, Venezuela, Colombia

33. Columbia 2,250 (1,953) 1,450 (1,214) 415,211 7400 Pacific Ocean United States, Canada

34. Colorado (western U.S.) 2,333 1,450 390,000 1,200 Gulf of California United States, Mexico

35. Pearl – Xi Jiang 2,200 1,376 437,000 13,600 South China Sea P.R. China (98.5%), Vietnam (1.5%)

36. Red 2,188 1,360 78,592 875 Mississippi United States

37. Ayeyarwady
    (Irrawaddy) 2,170 1,348 411,000 13,000 Andaman Sea Myanmar

38. Kasai 2,153 1,338 880,200 10,000 Congo Angola, Democratic Republic of the Congo

39. Ohio – Allegheny 2,102 1,306 490,603 7,957 Mississippi United States

40. Orinoco 2,101 1,306 880,000 30,000 Atlantic Ocean Venezuela, Colombia

41. Tarim 2,100 1,305 557,000 Lop Nur P. R. China

42. Xingu 2,100 1,305 Amazon Brazil

43. Orange 2,092 1,300

Atlantic Ocean South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Lesotho

1. Northern Salado 2,010 1,249 Parana Argentina

2. Vitim 1,978 1,229 Lena Russia

3. Tigris 1,950 1,212 Shatt al-Arab Turkey, Iraq, Syria, Iran

4. Songhua 1,927 1,197 Amur P. R. China

5. Tapajos 1,900 1,181 Amazon Brazil

6. Don 1,870 1,162 425,600 935 Sea of Azov Russia

7. Stony Tunguska 1,865 1,159 240,000 Yenisei Russia

8. Pechora 1,809 1,124 322,000 Barents Sea Russia

9. Kama 1,805 1,122 507,000 Volga Russia

10. Limpopo 1,800 1,118 413,000 Indian Ocean Mozambique, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Botswana

11. Guapore (Itenez) 1,749 1,087 Mamore Brazil, Bolivia

12. Indigirka 1,726 1,072 360,400 1,810 East Siberian Sea Russia

13. Snake 1,670 1,038 279,719 1,611 Columbia United States

14. Senegal 1,641 1,020 419,659 Atlantic Ocean Senegal, Mali, Mauritania

15. Uruguay 1,610 1,000 370,000 Atlantic Ocean Uruguay, Argentina, Brazil

16. Blue Nile 1,600 994 Nile Ethiopia, Sudan

17. Churchill 1,600 994 Hudson Bay Canada

18. Khatanga 1,600 994 Laptev Sea Russia

19. Okavango 1,600 994 Okavango Delta Namibia, Angola, Botswana

20. Volta 1,600 994 Gulf of Guinea Ghana, Burkina Faso, Togo, Cote d'Ivoire, Benin

21. Beni 1,599 994 Madeira Bolivia

22. Platte 1,594 990 Missouri United States

23. Tobol 1,591 989 Irtysh Kazakhstan, Russia

24. Jubba – Shebelle 1,580 982 Indian Ocean Ethiopia, Somalia

25. Iça (Putumayo) 1,575 979 Amazon Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Ecuador

26. Magdalena 1,550 963 Caribbean Sea Colombia

27. Han 1,532 952 Yangtze P. R. China

28. Lomami 1,500 932 Congo Democratic Republic of the Congo

29. Oka 1,500 932 Volga Russia

30. Pecos 1,490 926 Rio Grande United States

31. Upper Yenisei 1,480 920 Yenisei Russia, Mongolia

32. Godavari 1,465 910 Bay of Bengal India

33. Colorado (Texas) 1,438 894 Gulf of Mexico United States

34. Rio Grande (Guapay) 1,438 894 Ichilo Bolivia

35. Belaya 1,420 882 Kama Russia

36. Cooper – Barcoo 1,420 880 Lake Eyre Australia

37. Marañon 1,415 879 Amazon Peru

38. Dniester 1,411 (1,352) 877 (840) Black Sea Ukraine, Moldova

39. Benue 1,400 870 Niger Cameroon, Nigeria

40. Ili
    (Yili) 1,400 870 Lake Balkhash P. R. China, Kazakhstan

41. Warburton – Georgina 1,400 870 Lake Eyre Australia

42. Yamuna 1,376 855 Ganges India

43. Sutlej 1,370 851 Chenab China, India, Pakistan

44. Vyatka 1,370 851 Kama Russia

45. Fraser 1,368 850 7,900 Pacific Ocean Canada

46. Kura 1,364 848 Caspian Sea Azerbaijan, Georgia, Armenia, Turkey, Iran

47. Grande 1,360 845 Parana Brazil

48. Brazos 1,352 840 Gulf of Mexico United States

49. Liao 1,345 836 Bo Hai P. R. China

50. Yalong 1,323 822 Yangtze P. R. China

51. Iguaçu 1,320 820 Parana Brazil, Argentina

52. Olyokma 1,320 820 Lena Russia

53. Rhine 1,320 820 198,735 2330 North Sea Germany, France, Switzerland, Netherlands, Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, Liechtenstein, Italy

54. Northern Dvina – Sukhona 1,302 809 357,052 3332 White Sea Russia

55. Krishna 1,300 808 Bay of Bengal India

56. Iriri 1,300 808 Xingu Brazil

57. Narmada 1,289 801 Arabian Sea India

58. Ottawa 1,271 790 Saint Lawrence Canada

59. Zeya 1,242 772 Amur Russia

60. Juruena 1,240 771 Tapajos Brazil

61. Upper Mississippi 1,236 768 Mississippi United States

62. Athabasca 1,231 765 Mackenzie Canada

63. Elbe – Vltava 1,231 765 148,268 711 North Sea Germany, Czech Republic

64. Canadian 1,223 760 Arkansas United States

65. North Saskatchewan 1,220 758 Saskatchewan Canada

66. Vaal 1,210 752 Orange South Africa

67. Shire 1,200 746 Zambezi Mozambique, Malawi

68. Nen
    (Nonni) 1,190 739 Songhua P. R. China

69. Green 1,175 730 Colorado (western U.S.) United States

70. Milk 1,173 729 Missouri United States, Canada

71. Chindwin 1,158 720 Ayeyarwady Myanmar

72. Sankuru 1,150 715 Kasai Democratic Republic of the Congo

73. James (Dakotas) 1,143 710 Missouri United States

74. Kapuas 1,143 710 South China Sea Indonesia

75. Helmand 1,130 702 Hamun-i-Helmand Afghanistan, Iran

76. Madre de Dios 1,130 702 Madeira Peru, Bolivia

77. Tiete 1,130 702 Parana Brazil

78. Vychegda 1,130 702 Northern Dvina Russia

79. Sepik 1,126 700 77,700 Pacific Ocean Papua New Guinea, Indonesia

80. Cimarron 1,123 698 Arkansas United States

81. Anadyr 1,120 696 Gulf of Anadyr Russia

82. Jialing River 1,119 695 Yangtze P. R. China

83. Liard 1,115 693 Mackenzie Canada

84. White 1,102 685 Mississippi United States

85. Huallaga 1,100 684 Marañon Peru

86. Kwango 1,100 684 263,500 2,700 Kasai Angola, Democratic Republic of the Congo

87. Gambia 1,094 680 Atlantic Ocean The Gambia, Senegal, Guinea

88. Chenab 1,086 675 Indus India, Pakistan

89. Yellowstone 1,080 671 Missouri United States

90. Donets 1,078 (1,053) 670 (654) Don Ukraine, Russia

91. Bermejo 1,050 652 Paraguay Argentina, Bolivia

92. Fly 1,050 652 Gulf of Papua Papua New Guinea, Indonesia

93. Guaviare 1,050 652 Orinoco Colombia

94. Kuskokwim 1,050 652 Bering Sea United States

95. Tennessee 1,049 652 Ohio United States

96. Daugava 1,020 634 Gulf of Riga Latvia, Belarus, Russia

97. Gila 1,015 631 Colorado (western U.S.) United States

98. Vistula 1,014 630 Baltic Sea Poland

99. Loire 1,012 629 Atlantic Ocean France

100. Essequibo 1,010 628 Atlantic Ocean Guyana

101. Khoper 1,010 628 Don Russia

102. Tagus
     (Tajo/Tejo) 1,006 625 Atlantic Ocean Spain, Portugal

103. Colorado (Argentina) 1,000 620 Atlantic Ocean Argentina

River systems that may have existed in the past

Amazon-Congo

The Amazon basin formerly drained westwards into the Pacific Ocean, until the Andes rose and reversed the drainage.

The Congo basin is completely surrounded by high land, except for its long narrow exit valley past Kinshasa, including waterfalls around Manyanga. That gives the impression that most of the Congo basin was formerly on a much higher land level and that it was rejuvenated by much of its lower course being removed.

In Permian and early Triassic times Africa and South America were close against each other with no sea between (see continental drift and plate tectonics), and the Congo probably drained into the Amazon basin and eventually into the Pacific. Including part of its course that was completely lost when the South Atlantic opened, its total course may have been anything up to approximately 12,000 km (7,500 miles) long.

West Siberian Glacial Lake drainage

This river would have been about 6000 miles = 10000 km long, in the last Ice Age. See West Siberian Glacial Lake. Its longest headwater was the Selenga river of Mongolia: it drained through ice-dammed lakes and the Aral Sea and the Caspian Sea to the Black Sea.

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