Dimensions Guide

Known as a body of water that flows toward a lake, an ocean or a sea, a river is classified into four types, namely the youthful river, the mature river, the old river and the rejuvenated river. The first type has limited tributaries and the channels of this body of water flow are deeper. The second type flows slowly as compared to the first type. Old rivers are those that have low erosive energy. The last type has a gradient that was developed by tectonic movements. Rivers are essential to the existence of societies. In this regard, it is necessary to have general knowledge about this body of water. Below is a comparison between two of the longest rivers in the world, the Amazon and the Nile.

The Amazon River Versus the Nile River

Which one is longer? Amazon or Nile? The Amazon River is situated in South America. In terms of the volume of water, this watercourse is considered as the largest river. With a length of 6,400 kilometers, it is known as the world’s second longest river. The basin discharge is 7,050,000 square kilometer. The river passes through several countries in the continent including Brazil, Colombia and Peru.

The source of the river is the Apacheta cliff in Nevada Mismi, Arequipa, Peru. On the other hand, the mouth of the watercourse is located in the Atlantic Ocean, Brazil. This river has 1,100 tributaries. These include the Branco, the Caqueta River, the Casiquiare canal, Javary, Nanay and the Napo rivers. The other famous tributaries are the Toncantins, Yapura, Purus and Tambo rivers.

With a length of 6,650 kilometers, the Nile River is the longest river in the world. The primary source of the watercourse is the White Nile while the secondary source is the Blue Nile. The mouth of the river is the Mediterranean Sea. This watercourse passes through different countries in Africa including the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan, Ethiopia, Uganda and Kenya. The mean basin discharge of the river is 2,830 cubic meter per second and the total basin discharge is 3,400,000 square kilometer.

It took four months and two weeks for an expedition team led by South African navigator Hendri Coetzee to navigate the entire Nile River. The expedition began on the 17th day of January 2004. The expedition is historical. To increase the understanding of people about this river, the National Geographic featured the expedition entitled “The Longest River,” in 2005.