Principal Rivers of the World The following table lists the principal rivers of the world including the name, source location, outflow, and approximate length. The Nile is the world's longest river stretching 6,690 kilometers. (See Rivers of the United Statesfor other U.S. rivers.) Approx. length RiverSourceOutflowmi.km NileTributaries of Lake Victoria, AfricaMediterranean Sea4,1806,690 AmazonGlacier-fed lakes, PeruAtlantic Ocean3,9126,296 Mississippi-Missouri- Red Rock Source of Red Rock, MontanaGulf of Mexico3,7105,970 Chang Jiang (Yangtze)Tibetan plateau, ChinaChina Sea3,6025,797 ObAltai Mts., RussiaGulf of Ob3,4595,567 Huang He(Yellow)Eastern part of Kunlan Mts., West ChinaGulf of Chihli2,9004,667 YeniseiTannu-Ola Mts., western Tuva, RussiaArctic Ocean2,8004,506 ParanáConfluence of Paranaiba and Grande riversRío de la Plata2,7954,498 IrtishAltai Mts., RussiaOb River2,7584,438 Zaire (Congo)Confluence of Lualab and Luapula rivers, CongoAtlantic Ocean2,7164,371 Heilong (Amur)Confluence of Shilka (Russia) and Argun (Manchuria) riversTatar Strait2,7044,352 LenaBaikal Mts., RussiaArctic Ocean2,6524,268 MackenzieHead of Finlay River, British Columbia, CanadaBeaufort Sea (Arctic Ocean)2,6354,241 NigerGuineaGulf of Guinea2,6004,184 MekongTibetan highlandsSouth China Sea2,5004,023 MississippiLake Itasca, MinnesotaGulf of Mexico2,3483,779 MissouriConfluence of Jefferson, Gallatin, and Madison rivers, MontanaMississippi River2,3153,726 VolgaValdai plateau, RussiaCaspian Sea2,2913,687 MadeiraConfluence of Beni and Maumoré rivers, Bolivia–Brazil boundaryAmazon River2,0123,238 PurusPeruvian AndesAmazon River1,9933,207 São FranciscoSouthwest Minas Gerais, BrazilAtlantic Ocean1,9873,198 YukonJunction of Lewes and Pelly rivers, Yukon Territory, CanadaBering Sea1,9793,185 St. LawrenceLake OntarioGulf of St. Lawrence1,9003,058 Rio GrandeSan Juan Mts., ColoradoGulf of Mexico1,8853,034 BrahmaputraHimalayasGanges River1,8002,897 IndusHimalayasArabian Sea1,8002,897 DanubeBlack Forest, GermanyBlack Sea1,7662,842 EuphratesConfluence of Murat Nehri and Kara Su rivers, TurkeyShatt-al-Arab1,7392,799 DarlingCentral part of Eastern Highlands, AustraliaMurray River1,7022,739 Zambezi11°21'S, 24°22'E, ZambiaMozambique Channel1,7002,736 TocantinsGoiás, BrazilPará River1,6772,699 MurrayAustralian Alps, New South WalesIndian Ocean1,6092,589 NelsonHead of Bow River, western Alberta, CanadaHudson Bay1,6002,575 ParaguayMato Grosso, BrazilParaná River1,5842,549 UralSouthern Ural Mts., RussiaCaspian Sea1,5742,533 GangesHimalayasBay of Bengal1,5572,506 Amu Darya (Oxus)Nicholas Range, Pamir Mts., TurkmenistanAral Sea1,5002,414 JapuráAndes, ColombiaAmazon River1,5002,414 SalweenTibet, south of Kunlun Mts.Gulf of Martaban1,5002,414 ArkansasCentral ColoradoMississippi River1,4592,348 ColoradoGrand County, ColoradoGulf of California1,4502,333 DnieperValdai Hills, RussiaBlack Sea1,4192,284 Ohio- AlleghenyPotter County, PennsylvaniaMississippi River1,3062,102 IrrawaddyConfluence of Nmai and Mali rivers, northeast BurmaBay of Bengal1,3002,092 OrangeLesothoAtlantic Ocean1,3002,092 OrinocoSerra Parima Mts., VenezuelaAtlantic Ocean1,2812,062 PilcomayoAndes Mts., BoliviaParaguay River1,2421,999 Xi Jiang (Si Kiang)Eastern Yunnan Province, ChinaChina Sea1,2361,989 ColumbiaColumbia Lake, British Columbia, CanadaPacific Ocean1,2321,983 DonTula, RussiaSea of Azov1,2231,968 SungariChina–North Korea boundaryAmur River1,2151,955 SaskatchewanCanadian Rocky Mts.Lake Winnipeg1,2051,939 PeaceStikine Mts., British Columbia, CanadaGreat Slave River1,1951,923 TigrisTaurus Mts., TurkeyShatt-al-Arab1,1801,899
