1) The Nile River is widely accepted as the world’s longest river. Found in north Africa, it flows through 11 different countries and stretches a whopping 6,695km – that’s as long as 65,000 football pitches!

2) Most scientists agree that the Amazon River comes in a close second, winding a huge 6,840km through the mountains and rainforests of South America!

3) That’s a very long distance, wouldn’t you agree? Well, believe it or not, in 2007 a man named Martin Strel swam the entire length of the Amazon river! To complete his amazing jungle journey, Martin swam ten hours a day for 66 days!

4) But what about the world’s deepest river? That’s the Congo River in Central Africa. Whilst its true depth remains a mystery, scientists believe the waters run at least 230m deep in parts – deep enough to submerge London’s famous clocktower, known as Big Ben, 2.5 times on top of each other!

5) As rivers flow their course across the land, they form lots of fascinating geographic features, such as amazing mountain valleys, canyons, lakes and, of course, wonderful waterfalls!

6) Some record-breaking waterfalls formed by our planet’s rivers include…

Angel Falls, Venezuela – the world’s highest waterfall at a staggering 979m tall!

Khone Falls, Laos – the widest waterfall, measuring an incredible 10,783m!

Inga Falls, Democratic Republic of the Congo – the world’s largest waterfall, if we’re talking about the amount of water. Every second, 25,768 cubic metres plunges down the fall – that’s more than ten Olympic swimming pools!

7) Rivers can be all kinds of colours – not just blue, clear or muddy brown as you might expect! In ‘blackwater rivers’, found in swamps and wetlands, the waters look like strong black tea. And in Colombia, the aquatic plants of Caño Cristales – known as the ‘River of Five Colours‘ – make the waters flow with bright blue, red, black, yellow and green!

Not all rivers flow overland – ‘subterranean rivers‘ run secretly beneath the surface! This is sometimes because of human engineering. Ever heard of London’s ‘lost rivers‘? These are streams of the River Thames and River Lea that were built over as the city grew.

9) Subterranean rivers can also exist naturally. In the Philippines for example, the Puerto Princesa Underground River flows beneath a mountain for five miles, before finally emptying into the South China Sea. Cool, eh?

10) It’s not just rivers themselves which are fascinating – it’s the wonderful wildlife that lives in them, too! Rivers provide a home for all kinds of creatures, including insects, amphibians, birds, reptiles, mammals and over 10,000 species of fish!

11) Some of the most fascinating river creatures include Amazon river dolphins (which have pink skin!), electric eels (which stun prey and predators with powerful electric shocks!), freshwater stingrays (which can grow to an enormous 5 metres!) and freshwater turtles, which have been around for 200 million years!

12) Rivers and lakes are a vital source of freshwater for life on Earth. But did you know they hold less than 1% of the world’s water? Most (over 99%, in fact) is in the salty ocean or frozen in our polar ice caps. That’s why it’s super important that we protect our rivers and look after the freshwater our planet provides.

13) Sadly, our rivers and waterways are being polluted by chemicals, sewage and household waste, which can cause serious harm to animals – and humans, too. In fact, an estimated 300-400 million tonnes of waste is thought to pollute our rivers and seas every year!

14) The good news is that people around the world are working hard to keep our rivers and fresh water supplies clean and safe. And you can help, too! Be sure to reuse and recycle whenever you can, and bin rubbish responsibly! And you can help save water, too – be sure to turn off the tap when brushing your teeth, and why not opt for a short shower over a long bath?

15) Did you know there’s a day dedicated to our planet’s wonderful waterways? Every September, millions of people from more than 70 countries celebrate World Rivers Day. This global event raises awareness of the importance of rivers and how we can best protect them for years to come!

https://www.natgeokids.com/uk/home-is-good/fascinating-facts-about-rivers/

16) Bangladesh has the highest number of rivers (about 700) and is known as the 'land of rivers'. Some major Rivers of Bangladesh are: Brahmaputra, Ganges, Suma, Atrai, Raidak, Mahananda, Teesta, Karnaphuli, Meghna and Bangshi among others.

17) The Congo River -- formerly called the Zaire River -- is Africa's most powerful river and the second most voluminous river in the world with a discharge of 1,500,000 cubic feet of water per second.

18) Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia is the largest country in the world with no rivers at 830,000 square miles.

19). A lot of people think that rivers always flow south, but 4 of the 10 longest rivers in the world flow north.

20). World Rivers have been a great source of trade and transport throughout human history.

21. The holy river.
Originating in the Himalayas and ending in West Bengal, the Ganges River supplies freshwater to over 500 million people.

The river is also one of the holiest sites in Hinduism with religious bathing rituals and funerals taking place on its banks every day. To Hindus, the river is known as “Mother Ganges”.

22) The notorious killer rapids
The Inga rapids of the Congo River are the most dangerous and deadliest rapids in the world. In 2011, kayaker Steve Fisher and a crew of world-class kayakers were the first to successfully traverse the Class VII rapids.

23) Liquid rainbow
The Colombian river, Cano Cristales, might be the most eye-catching river in the world. Known as the “River of Five Colors” during different times of the year the river can be yellow, green, blue, black and red.

What causes these striking hues? Different varieties of algae and sea plants.

24) The world’s tallest waterfall
Waterfalls are formed when the soft rock of a riverbed erodes, leaving the hard rock to form a cliff or edge.

Some of the most amazing waterfalls include Venezuela’s Angel Falls which are the world’s tallest at 979 meters (3,200 ft) and Laos’ Khone Falls which are the world’s widest at 10,783 meters (35,376 feet).

25) Sing me a song
Rivers have been a great inspiration for many musicians. Hits about rivers include Moon River by Andy Williams (and Audrey Hepburn), River by Joni Mitchel, Proud Mary by CCR, Take Me To the River by Al Green and Cry Me A River by Justin Timberlake.