Amazing Facts About Rivers

The following article tells you some of the amazing facts about some of the great rivers of the world.

The world’s longest and most famous river:

The Nile River in Africa starts in the tributaries of Lake Victoria, travels north for 4,145 miles, and then empties into the Mediterranean Sea. It flows through the ‘cradle of civilization’, past the world famous pyramids of Egypt. For centuries the Nile has given life to a rainless land. Although it passes through desert lands, its river valley is one of the most fertile farming areas in the world.

River of Diamonds:

The Orange River in South Africa might be considered the richest river in the world. It carries diamonds as it flows. The diamonds are deposited along the riverbanks where they can be picked by hand. Today, a mining company owns the valuable rights to these diamonds in the river.

The River of Faith:

Millions of Hindus consider the Ganges River in India to be the holy water. They bathe in it to wash away their sins. They have built temples near its headwaters, high in the Himalayan Mountains. They sprinkle the ashes of their dead into it to ensure the salvation process.

The River That Flows Two Ways:

The American Indians called the Hudson River of New York’shatumec,’ which means the river that flows two ways’. The name was later changed to the Hudson in honor of the European explorer, Henry Hudson. The Hudson River is known for the strong incoming ocean tides which push salt water 150 miles upstream. When the tides recede, the water flows back into the ocean. This gives the appearance of a river which flows both north and south.