40+ Interesting Facts About Rivers

1. A river is a natural stream of water flowing on the earth's surface. Main sources of rivers are precipitation, seepages from groundwater, or meltwater from glaciers.  Rivers flow into other bodies of water, particularly seas and oceans. The place where rivers and seas meet is called a delta. 
2. There are several long rivers in all the continents except Antarctica. The longest rivers in all the inhabited continents are the Nile (Africa), Amazon (South America), Yangtze (Asia), Mississippi (North America), Murray (Australia), and Volga (Europe).
3. There are numerous large and small rivers. However, it is difficult to find their exact count due to minor differences between rivers and streams. According to estimates, around 180 rivers have a length of 1,000 km or more.
4. Finke River in Australia is the world’s oldest river, with an age of nearly 400 million years. New River in North America and the Meuse in Europe are also among the oldest rivers. Both have an estimated age of over 300 million years. (Source)
5. The place where the Catatumbo River in Venezuela meets Lake Maracaibo is the most lightning-struck area on earth. The river receives 250 lightning strikes per square km every year. It results in the deaths of many people annually. (Source)
6. The Ganges River in India is one of the most polluted rivers in the world due to industrial waste and sewage. However, millions of people clean themselves every year with the water of the Ganges River according to their (Hindu) religious beliefs.
7. Some freshwater fish, such as tomcod and killifish, have managed to live in toxic places like the Hudson River and the Elizabeth River. These fish species have developed resistance to pollution with time. (Source)
8. The Cuyahoga River in Ohio has caught fire more than 12 times. The reason behind these fires is pollution from nearby factories. (Source)
9. River Thames in the UK was declared biologically dead in 1957 due to a large amount of pollution. However, now it has now recovered with the resurgence of several wildlife species. The river achieved this feat through improved sewerage treatment plants and reduction in industrial waste dumping. (Source)

   

   River Thames became "biologically dead" in 1957
   
   

10. Rivers and lakes contain far more fish species than seas and oceans. Around 80% of fish species are in freshwaters (rivers and lakes) that cover only 2% of the earth’s surface. Moreover, most modern marine fish are descendants of freshwater fish. (Source)
    
11. The Amazon basin has the highest freshwater biodiversity on earth. It contains nearly 15% of fish species in the world. There are at least 2,406 native freshwater fish species in this riverine ecosystem. (Source)
12. Several freshwater animals and plants live in rivers. Some animals, such as beavers and otters, are keystone species that assist in developing other animals, plants, and the river ecosystem. Freshwater plants either grow along the surface of the water or on water edges. (Source)
13. A blackwater river has a high amount of sandy soil in its basins. These highly acidic (3.8 to 5.4 pH) rivers are present in various parts of the world, with the highest proportion in the Amazon basin. The largest blackwater river is the Negro River, a tributary of the Amazon River, in Brazil.
14. Several rivers in different parts of the world have been shifted underground due to human activities. These include Sawmill River (USA), Park River (USA), Wein River (Austria), Bradford Beck River (UK), Neglinnaya River (Russia), and others. (Source)
15. During the 1980s, the sonar mapping of the seafloor discovered undersea rivers. These rivers are composed of a semi-liquid mixture of silt and sand instead of fresh or salty water. So far, researchers have found these undersea rivers beneath the Pacific Ocean and the Black Sea. These rivers are thousands of miles long and contain several organisms including crustaceans, worms, urchins, sea cucumbers, snails, and clams. (Source)
16. On 15^th January 2009, a US Airways plane landed safely on the Hudson River in the USA after being struck by several large birds. It suffered no fatalities among 155 passengers and crew members on the plane. The incident is known as the Miracle on the Hudson.
17. For thousands of years, humans have built dams on rivers to take advantage of their flow. They are a vital source of power generation, flood prevention, and irrigation. The Jawa Dam in Jordan, built in 3000 BC, was the world's oldest dam. However, the oldest dam still in use is the Lake Homs Dam in Syria. It was constructed in 1304 BC. 
18. The Yellow River is called so because of its yellow color. This unusual color is due to the contamination of a large amount of loess (windblown silt) sediment in the river.
19. Yellow River and Yangtze River, both in China, are responsible for the world’s deadliest floods. The deadliest flood in the world was the 1931 Central China Floods, resulting in nearly two million deaths. In 1938, the Chinese Nationalist Army caused a deliberate flood in the Yellow River to stop the invading Japanese Army. This incident resulted in the deaths of around 900,000 people. (Source)
    
20. A Slovenian swimmer has made four world records by swimming in the Amazon, Danube, Yangtze, and Mississippi rivers. Due to his extraordinary swimming performance, he is known as the "fish man." (Source)
21. The Tamborasi River in Indonesia, the Kovasselva River in Norway, and the Reprua River in Georgia are the world’s shortest rivers. The length of all these rivers is less than 30 meters. There are at least seven rivers with fewer than 100 meters in length. (Source)
22. There are several countries without rivers. These include countries in the Arabian Peninsula, several island countries, and city-states. The largest of these riverless countries are Saudi Arabia and Libya. (Source)
23. Rivers have assisted major human settlements since antiquity, giving rise to famous ancient civilizations. Some major civilizations situated beside large rivers include Mesopotamia, Ancient Egypt, Indus Valley civilization, and Yellow River civilization.
24. Rivers can resolve territorial disputes by forming borders between two or more countries. These border rivers are on all the inhabited continents except Australia. Some famous international border rivers are the Congo River (DR Congo and the Congo Republic), Orange River (South Africa and Namibia), Yobe River (Niger and Nigeria), Senegal River (Senegal and Mauritania), Colorado River (the USA and Mexico), Detroit River (the USA and Canada), Danube (Romania and Bulgaria), Rhine (Germany, France, Switzerland, and the Netherlands), Ganges River (Bangladesh and India), Jordan River (Jordan and Israel), and Shatt al-Arab (Iraq and Iran). 
25. The deepest river in the world is the Congo River. It has a maximum depth of nearly 220 meters. Moreover, it is also a long river that spans ten countries in Africa. (Source)

    

    Congo River is the world's deepest river
    
    

26. Amazon basin is the world’s largest drainage basin, with an area of more than 6 million sq. km. It is followed by the drainage basins of the Congo River and the Nile.
27. Amazon River is also the world’s widest river. Its width is 6.8 miles (11 km) during the dry season, while its peak width during the rainy season is 24.8 miles (40 km). (Source)
28. The Yangtze is the world’s third-largest river and the largest in Asia. It is the world’s largest river that flows entirely in a single country (China).
29. Different rivers have importance in several religions. Rivers that have a sacred place in religions include the Ganges (Hinduism), Jordan River (Judaism and Christianity), and several other rivers in the indigenous religions of South America and other areas. (Source)
30. Kimberlite pipes (carrot-shaped volcanic pipes) usually contain diamonds. Sometimes, rivers erode these pipes, thus bringing diamonds in rivers and streams.
31. A river in Colombia is known as the “River of Five Colors” or “Liquid Rainbow” due to its multiple colors. These colors (red, green, yellow, black, and blue) belong to aquatic plants and are visible between May and December. (Source)
32. Rivers form several types of landforms due to erosion and deposition. These river-derived landforms include valleys, waterfalls, canyons, gorges, floodplains, lakes, etc.
33. The chocolate river in the movie “Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” was made from real chocolate and cream. By the end of filming, its smell became unpleasant.
34. Water bridges are navigable bridge-like structures constructed above rivers. The world’s longest is the Magdeburg Water Bridge in Germany, with a length of 918 meters. Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and Barton Swing Aqueduct, both in the UK, are other famous water bridges.
35. A series of earthquakes near Missouri in February 1812 caused the Mississippi River to flow backward for several hours. These earthquakes of 1811-12 were the most powerful (up to 8.8-magnitude) in American history. (Source)
36. Rhine II (1999) is the world’s most expensive photograph. This photo of the Lower Rhine was sold for $4.3 million in 2011. (Source)
37. In January 1900, engineers managed to reverse the course of the Chicago River. The purpose of this feat was to protect the river from pollution. It changed the eastern half of the USA into an island. (Source)
38. An Australian surfer achieved the longest surfing ride on a river in 2016. It happened on a 17.2 km long river wave in the Kampar River, Indonesia. The maximum height of this wave was eight feet. (Source)
39. The area where rivers meet the ocean has brackish water. This water is saltier than the river but less salty than the ocean due to the mixture of fresh and salt water. Three groups of animals and plants are present in this water. These include marine, freshwater, and brackish organisms. The initial two groups live in marine and freshwater environments but can tolerate slight disturbances of salt. It is the ideal environment for the brackish group of plants and animals. (Source)
40. Rivers only provide 20% of the water that flows into the Atlantic and Indo-Pacific oceans. The remaining water arrives through subterranean estuaries. (Source)
41. Intermittent rivers flow periodically according to the dry and wet conditions of an area. They constitute more than half of the length of the global river system, and their percentage is increasing due to climate change. (Source)