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10 Extraordinary Rivers Around the World
Mohammed Abu Faysal:
Mississippi, North America
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America—so large, in fact, that it runs through 10 U.S. states and is divided into two main parts: the Upper Mississippi (from its source in Northern Minnesota to where it meets the Ohio River at the southern tip of Illinois) and the Lower Mississippi (from the Ohio River to the Gulf of Mexico). A major navigational route and settlement hub since the Native Americans settled there, the Mississippi River has been immortalized in American culture in everything from books like Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn to the rhythm and blues music of the Mississippi Delta.
Mohammed Abu Faysal:
Nile, Africa
At 4,132 miles long, the Nile is the longest river in the world. It also happens to be one of the most iconic. Flowing north through the deserts of Uganda and Egypt, it has been the lifeline of Egypt since the Stone Age, and, to this day, the vast majority of the Egyptian population is settled along its path. It is also one of the main routes of shipping traffic. In fact, the winter winds are so strong that ships can travel against the current using just a sail.
Mohammed Abu Faysal:
Neretva, Southeastern Europe
Neretva is the world's largest "karst river" or river surrounded by karst topography, which is the phenomena of rock dissolution that creates caves, sinkholes, sinking streams and large springs. Running mostly through Bosnia and Herzegovina as well as Croatia, the river is considered among the 10 most endangered karst ecosystems—its cold, fresh water is maintained by dams and hydroelectric plants—but is still hailed as one of the most beautiful rivers in the world.
Mohammed Abu Faysal:
Rio Negro, South America
At just over 430 navigable miles, the Rio Negro is the world's largest blackwater river, and forms the border between Colombia and Venezuela. Its color, which looks like darkly brewed tea, is caused by the release of tannins from decaying vegetation. The Rio Negro feeds into the Amazon just below Manaus, Brazil, and is its largest tributary, creating a beautiful contrast of color where the white waters of the Amazon and the black waters of the Rio Negro meet.
Mohammed Abu Faysal:
Zambezi, Africa
The Zambezi is the fourth longest river in Africa, running 2,200 miles from northwestern Zambia through Angola, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Mozambique before emptying into the Indian Ocean. It also happens to be home to some of the largest—and most beautiful—waterfalls in the world, Victoria Falls, located between Zambia and Zimbabwe. The waterfalls' height (350 ft) and collective width (5,700 ft) create such a powerful crash at the base that it is called "the smoke that thunders.
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