Each of us, studying geography, learned a lot about the most famous rivers of the world. Looking at the photos of some of them, I really want to go on a trip to enjoy the sound of fast waters. We offer you a list of the most beautiful rivers in the world, which you need to see at least once in your life.
Amazon
This river was discovered by the Spanish conquistadors in 1542. They called her that because of a meeting with a tribe of Amazon women and in honor of their courage. For centuries, scientists have sought the mouth of this beautiful river. The number of times the expeditions found new sources, subsequently recognized as erroneous. Only in 1996, thanks to space technology, the true mouth of the Amazon was found - the small creek Apacheta, located in the Andes at an altitude of 5, 170 meters above sea level. In addition to the status of the most beautiful river, the Amazon is also famous for its length - 7, 100 kilometers. At the mouth, the depth of the river is about 100 meters.
The greatest Amazon river flows through countries such as Bolivia, Peru, Colombia, Ecuador and Brazil. A large number of trees grow in the forests of the river - more than 4, 000 species, flowers and shrubs. There are very interesting plants like chocolate, quinine, redwood, hevea and papaya. The river itself was chosen by more than 2, 500 thousand species of fish. Such a quantity is explained by the fact that the tributaries of the river begin in different places and bring their inhabitants with them.
Canyo Crystals
This beautiful river, the photo of which can be seen below, flows in the Serrania de la Macarena National Park of Colombia. Its name translates as "crystal stream." And this is true: Kanyo Kristales waters are clean, you can easily see mosses and colorful algae growing at the bottom. In water, there are practically no impurities, no minerals, no salts, so there are no fish here either. But different types of algae grow, for example Macarenia clavígera colors the river in a bright red color.
The Caño Cristales bed resembles a rainbow and has a large number of round natural wells where tourists can swim. The riot of colors here can be seen only in the dry season - from June to November - this is the best time to visit the river. Visitors are advised to choose light, light clothing and comfortable, closed shoes for a comfortable climb on rocky ledges. Be sure to bring a swimsuit, a hat, sunglasses and a flashlight.
Futaleufu
This beautiful river, like the previous one, is located in a national park, but already in Chile - Los Allers. Many rafting enthusiasts come here from all over the world. The river flow is very fast, which is why the Chilean government wanted to build a hydroelectric power station. But environmental organizations worry that the dam might interfere with the free flow of the river. On the territory of Argentina, one hydroelectric power station was already built in 1976 to provide energy for the aluminum plant in Putro Madryn.
Due to the large number of minerals in the waters, Futaleufu has a magnificent green color, and some areas acquire a bright turquoise hue. Many extreme lovers come to beautiful places on the Futaleufu River. It offers several levels of difficulty for the descent. It is amazing that all this was created by nature. You can stay in a small town of the same name above the river.
Lena
The next river on our list is the largest in Central Siberia. It is interesting that Vladimir Ilyich Lenin came up with his pseudonym precisely because of this beautiful river. Lena is the largest river in the world in the permafrost zone, which is quite fragile and is subject to violations. The waters of the river are very clean and untouched by man. There is not a single dam, power station or any other structures. The river itself is quite calm. Research by scientists from Alaska has determined that global warming has a very bad effect on the river. Over the past 40 years, the temperature has increased by 4 degrees. Strong floods destroy the coast, and the islands move with the current at a speed of 27 meters per year.
Zambezi
This beautiful river flows in Africa, flowing into the Indian Ocean. The main attraction of the Zambezi is a large number of cascades and waterfalls, one of them is the famous Victoria Falls. Many rafters come here for extreme descent.
David Livingston first discovered the river in 1851. He was heading to Victoria in the company of 300 local warriors. Only two were able to approach the waterfall itself, calling the researcher "crazy Englishman." In 1959, they created a large artificial lake Kariba.
Yangtze
The Chinese believe that the most beautiful river in the world is located on the territory of their state. The waters of this river are home to many endangered species of animals. For example, Korean sturgeons and Chinese alligators. Once there also lived river dolphins, which now, unfortunately, are completely extinct. In the 19th century, the Yangtze River was called the "Blue River" by European sources, which does not fit its murky waters at all. Many Chinese call it Chiang Jiang - “Long River”, Da Jiang - “Great River” or simply “Jiang”. A walk along the river will help you to feel the whole atmosphere of the past country. The Yangtze is considered the birthplace of South China civilization, which is confirmed by many archaeological finds about 27 thousand years old.
A large number of bridges were built across the river by the Chinese. One of them - Sutunsky - the world's longest cable-stayed bridge. Its length is about 8 kilometers.
