Longest Rivers in the World

Measuring a river’s exact length can be a tricky business and as a result the length measurements of many rivers are only approximations. In fact, there has even been some disagreement over the years as to whether the Amazon or the Nile is the world’s longest river. These disparities are usually due to differences of opinion on where the mouth and source of the river are actually located, but the list I have read on Insidermonkey tried to go with the scientific facts and researches instead of rumors. Anyway, if you would like to know about them, here is the list of the longest rivers in the world.

There are many factors, such as the source, the identification or the definition of the mouth, and the scale of measurement of the river length between source and mouth, that determine the precise meaning of "river length". As a result, the length measurements of many rivers are only approximations. Even when detailed maps are available, the length measurement is not always clear. A river may have multiple channels, or branches. The length may depend on whether the center or the edge of the river is measured. It may not be clear how to measure the length through a lake. Seasonal and annual changes may alter both rivers and lakes. Other factors that can change the length of a river are flooding, dams, levees, and channelization.

These points make it difficult, if not impossible, to get an accurate measurement of the length of a river. The varying accuracy and precision also makes it difficult to make length comparisons between different rivers. Despites these uncertainties, people still like to measure and rank rivers. And to know more about the ranking click on the given link and read the detailed article on Insidermonkey. Moreover, for further information on other large water-masses, check out our list of The 15 Largest Bodies of Water in the World as well.