For fans of rampant water element – here’s a list of 10 of the most powerful rivers in the world.
Mekong
The Mekong river is in China. The waters of the river are crossing the territory of Myanmar, Thailand, Yunnan, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia. This is the 11th longest river in the world and 7th in Asia – its length is 4350 km. Due to the seasonal changes that cause variations in river flow as well as the formation of the rapids, the Mekong is extremely hard to navigate. The river is so powerful, that the highest level of fullness, which reaches in Cambodia, is slightly lower than the high tidal waves in the sea.
Lena
Springing from Eastern Siberia, Lena is the 10th longest river in the world. The waters of the river travel 4400 miles to be factored, along with two other rivers, into the Laptev sea. In the spring, when the ice melts, the river becomes extremely deep. In 2007, more than 1000 houses and 12 cities were overwhelmed by its waters.
Parana
Parana is the 14th longest river in the world. Although the greater part of the river is located in Brazil, its water passes through the other areas of South America, such as Argentina and Paraguay. The river is 3999 km long and flows into three other rivers. The strong currents that the river has is believed that ruin the river banks, destroying buildings and forcing many people to leave their homes. High air jets and the effect El Nino have a strong influence on the power of the river.
Yenisei
Yenisei is the largest river flowing into the Arctic Ocean. It is the fifth most immense river in the world – long 5544 km. Springs from Mongolia-Yenisei Bay-and runs down in central Siberia. The upper stretch of the river has a tidal rapids. As part of the river flows through the Darkhad Valley, studies have suggested that its waters often are blocked by ice. Once the glaciers are retreating, it is considered that more than 500 cc. miles of water will be released from the river and cause serious damage.
Mississippi
The Mississippi River is the only American River that participates in this selection. It is the second largest in the United States. Its water is spread on area of 3765 km. The river rises from Lake Itasca in Minnesota and its waters reach the Gulf of Mexico. Residents living along the river are in constant fear since the river is extremely powerful. Much of the levees that were built to strengthen the water, have proven being useless.
Brahmaputra
Brahmaputra river is located in Bahadir Adbad, Bangladesh. It starts from Southwestern Tibet, travels through the Himalayas, Assam Valley and then through Bangladesh. The river is long 2896 km and is used mainly for transport and irrigation. Although most of these rivers are navigable, some areas are prone to form catastrophic tides in spring when the snows melt in the Himalayas. Brahmaputra is one of the few rivers that has typical high tidal waves, i.e. the incoming tides form waves whose motion is over the river, against the tide.
Yangtze River
The Yangtze is the longest river in Asia, but also in China and is the third largest river in the world. It stretches over 6300 km and flows into the East China Sea. This River is famous for its tides, as well as dams, which were built to protect transfusion of water out of the river banks. Scientists have determined that the river has three different types of overgrowth and its low tides are too powerful in some seasons, in order to prevent spillage. Mass waters of the Yangtze River are used for production of electricity and water transport, but people live in fear, because cities are at the risk of being flooded.
Orinoco
Orinoco is the third longest river in South America. It is 2.140 km long and passes through the territories of Colombia and Venezuela. Orinoco flow from Guyana mountain land and after it passes the wooded terrain and waterfalls, its speed slows down. The falls form a rapids that are considered to be difficult to sail.
Congo
The river Congo, also known as the Zaire River is the largest river in Western Central Africa. With length of 4, 700 km, it is the second longest river in Africa. This is the most powerful river in Africa, although in the beginning the waters are calm, especially near Lake Tanganyika then “gaining” momentum and became more violent. The river passes through the “gates of hell” – 120-mile Canyon, where the rapids are formed that cannot be crossed. In the upper stretch of the river there is a 96-km of rapids that make the waters of the river dangerous and powerful.
Amazon
Amazon is the largest river in the world, located in South America and because of its size, can be considered to represent the 1/5 of the world’s water catchment area. This river is so powerful and overwhelming that there is no place in all its length which can be crossed through bridge. It is so deep that it can get more than 8 trillion gallons of water per day. It is considered that the Amazon is 45 meters deep, so if you decide to swim in its water – think again.
