Rampaging rivers

FACT FILEElla Membury, Class 9

Name: Yangtze River

Country of source: China

Countries that the River runs through: China

Continent: Asia

Length: 6300km

Interesting facts:• Aka Chang Jiang• Longest river in Asia and 3rd longest in the world• More than 50 bridges• Home to Chinese Alligator, Finless Porpoise, and Chinese Paddle Fish

which are endangered due to river pollution

Name: The Volga

Country of source: Russia

Countries that the River runs through: Russia

Continent: Europe

Length: 3692km

Interesting facts:• In places the Volga is so wide you can’t see the other side• The Volga delta is the only place in Russia where flamingos and

pelicans can be found• One of the deadliest battles in World War II was fought on the bank

of the Volga • The river is frozen for several months

Name: The River Thames

Country of source: England

Countries that the River runs through : England

Continent: Europe

Length: 346km

Interesting facts• In Oxford the Thames is called the Isis • The Thames drains the whole of greater London • The river contains over 80 islands • It rises in Gloucestershire and flows into the north sea

Name: The Mackenzie River

Country of source: Canada

Countries that the River runs through: Canada

Continent: North America

Length: 1738km

Interesting facts:• Longest river system in Canada • The Mackenzie valley is said to date back to prehistoric times. • Metallic minerals have been found along the Eastern and Southern

side of the basin these include uranium, gold, lead and zinc

Name: The River Nile

Country of source: Egypt

Countries that the River runs through: Egypt, Sudan, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Uganda, Congo, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi

Continent: Africa

Length: 6650km

Interesting facts:• It is the longest river in Africa• The Northern section of the river flows north almost entirely through

the Sudanese desert to Egypt • The Nile was also used to help build pyramids

This Photo CC BY-NC-ND

Name: The Murray River

Country of source: Australia

Countries that the River runs through: Australia

Continent: Australasia

Length: 2508km

Interesting facts:• It is also called river Murray• The Murray river is the third longest river in the world after the

amazon and Nile • The river has four major dams

Name: The Missisippi

Country of source: United States of America

Countries that the River runs through: USA

Continent: North America

Length: 3730km

Interesting facts:• The second longest river of North America • It is about one eighth of a continent• It passes through 10 states

Name: The Ganges

Country of source: India

Countries that the River runs through: Bangladesh

Continent: Asia

Length: 2601km

Interesting facts:• Critical endangered animals live in the river such as gharial and south

Asian dolphin • The river is endanger of sever river polotion• It is a sacred river and worshipped as the goddess Ganga

Name: The Amazon

Country of source: Peru

Countries that the River runs through: Columbia, Brazil

Continent: South America

Length: 6436km

Interesting facts:• The Amazon is the second longest river in the world• There are no bridges across the entire width of the river. Most of the

time crossing can be done by ferry• The Amazon is one of the main habitats of the Boto (the Amazon river

dolphin) and the Amazonian manatee

Name: The Congo

Country of source: Democratic Republic of Congo

Countries that the River runs through: Africa, Congo and Tanzania

Continent: Africa

Length: 4700km

Interesting facts:• Formally known as zaire river • It is the second largest river in Africa • As well as being the second largest in the world