What if a river of immense power could start with tiny springs bubbling water into the Earth? This is exactly the case with the Danube River, which begins with a spring located within Germany’s the Black Forest. Have a look at these fun Facts About Rivers!
How do rivers begin? Usually, they start from a glacier or snow melting up within the mountain. The water needs to be transported somewhere, and gravity is the one that carries it downhill. For millions of years, the water has created the river’s path. Sometimes, rivers originate out of lakes.
The massive Mississippi River originates from Lake Itasca in Minnesota. Whatever way rivers develop, they are strong. They supply fresh water to the people and can help prevent the risk of flooding. All rivers eventually flow through a larger water body, either a lake or ocean.
Facts About Rivers For Kids
- Rivers are huge flows of water that is fresh. The point at which a river begins is known as the head. The point at which the river’s flow ends is the mouth.
- The flow indicates how fast and powerful the water can be. Rivers with large water and steep drops are often very swift.
- Rivers change over time. Floods can make them bigger, while droughts can cause them to shrink or become dry. Animals and humans alter their shape of them as well. People build dams, as do beavers.
- The rivers can create canyons within the terrain. For example, the Grand Canyon in Arizona was formed by a torrent of water.
- The longest river in the world is the Nile, located in Africa. The Amazon River in South America has the highest volume of water.
Also, read 82 Interesting Facts About Honduras
Rivers Vocabulary
- Spring is a location where water naturally emerges from the Earth.
- Carve: cut out
- Flood When excess water spills from rivers into the land around it
- Drought absence of rain and water
15 Things you need to know about the Rivers
1.) The Nile River is widely recognized as the longest river globally. The river is located in northern Africa. It runs through eleven different countries and spans a staggering 6,695km – which is about more than 65,000 football fields!
2.) Most scientists agree that the Amazon River comes close to second place with its massive 6840 km through the rainforests and mountains of South America!
3.) That’s an extremely long length, don’t you say? Believe it or not, in 2007, an individual known as Martin Strel swam across the entire length of the Amazon river! To complete his incredible trek through the jungle, Martin swam ten hours every day for 66 consecutive days!
4.) But what about the deepest river in the world? It’s the Congo River in Central Africa. Although its actual depth remains unknown, researchers believe that the waters are 300m deep in parts. That’s deep enough to completely submerge London’s famous clocktower, dubbed Big Ben, 2.5 times above each other!
5) When rivers run through the Earth, they create a myriad of amazing geographic features, like incredible mountains, canyons, lakes, and stunning waterfalls!
Also, read 25 Incredible Facts About Water Cycle
6.) Some record-breaking waterfalls created by our planet’s rivers comprise.
Angel Falls, Venezuela, is the world’s tallest waterfall, standing 979m high! Khone Falls, Laos, is the largest of waterfalls with a staggering 10783m!
The Inga Falls Democratic Republic of the Congo is the world’s biggest waterfall in terms of the volume of water. Each second, 25768 cubic meters fall down the waterfall, which is more than 10 Olympic pool pools!
7.) Rivers can be diverse in color. They are not only clear, blue, or brown, as you would think! In ” the blackwater river’ which is located in wetland and swamps, the waterways appear to be as if they are brewed with strong black tea. In Colombia, those aquatic species in Cano Cristales, which is often referred to as the ” of Five Colours’ of Five Colours‘ make the water run vivid red, blue as well as black, yellow, and green!
8.) Not all rivers can flow across the land – underground rivers can be found hidden below the surface! This can be due to human-made engineering. Have you heard about London’s ” forgotten rivers“? These are the streams of the River Thames and River Lea that were constructed as the city expanded.
9) Subterranean rivers can be found naturally. For instance, in the Philippines, the Puerto Princesa Underground River runs under the mountain for five miles before draining into the South China Sea. Cool, eh?
10.) It’s not just the fascinating river itself but the incredible creatures that live within them too! The rivers are home to many animals, including amphibians, insects, reptiles, birds, mammals, and more than 10,000 fish species!
11.) Some of the most fascinating river animals include Amazon dolphins (which are pink in their skin! ), electric eels (which shock predators and prey with powerful electric shocks! ), freshwater stingrays (which can reach 5 meters!) along with freshwater turtles who have been present for 200 million years!!
12)Rivers and lakes are an essential source of water for the life of Earth. Did you know that they contain only 1percent of the total amount of water? The majority (over 90% of it, actually) is found in the salty ocean or frozen within our Polar ice caps. This is why it’s so important to protect our rivers and care for the freshwater that our planet gives us.
13.) Sadly, our waterways and rivers are affected by toxins, sewage, and household waste, which can cause grave harm to animals and even humans. In reality, around 300-400 million tons of waste are believed to be a source of pollution to our oceans and rivers each year!
Also, read Facts About Lake Michigan
14) The good news is that people all over the globe are working hard to ensure that our waterways and freshwater sources are safe and clean. You can contribute as well! Make sure you make use of and reuse whenever you can, and bin trash responsibly! It is also a good idea to save water by switching off the water when you’re brushing your teeth. Why not take a shorter shower instead of a long bath?
15) Did you know there’s a day dedicated to our beautiful waterways? Every year in September, millions of people across more than 70 nations celebrate World Rivers Day. The global celebration raises consciousness about the significance of waterways and how we can help safeguard them for generations in the future!
