Where does the Ob River originate and where does it flow?

The Ob River originates in Altai and is formed by the confluence of the Biya and Katun rivers.

The Ob River flows into the Kara Sea in the north, forming a bay (about 800 km long), which is called the Ob Bay.

By the nature of the river network, feeding conditions and formation water regime The Ob is divided into 3 sections: upper (up to the mouth of the Tom), middle (up to the mouth of the Irtysh) and lower (up to the Gulf of Ob).
The Ob is a river in Western Siberia, the longest river in Russia and the second longest in Asia. The length of the Ob from the confluence is 3650 km (from the source of the Irtysh 5410 km).

The upper section of the basin is located in the mountains, where the sources of the Biya and Katun rivers originate, and many tributaries: Peschanaya, Anui, Charysh, Aley (left), Chumysh, Inya (right). AT upstream The Ob has a well developed valley with developed floodplain terraces.

To the mouth of the Charysh, it flows in low banks, the channel is replete with channels, islands, and rifts. Further, towards Barnaul, the valley and the floodplain widen. From Barnaul to the town of Kamen-on-Ob the valley is wide (5 - 10 km) and asymmetrical with a steep left slope; the wide floodplain is indented by oxbow lakes, channels and lakes. At the town of Kamen-na-Obi, the valley and the floodplain narrow (to 3–5 km and 1.5–2 km, respectively), in the channel there are sections with rocky ledges.

In the southern part of Novosibirsk, the river is blocked by a dam, which formed the Novosibirsk Reservoir ("Ob Sea").

Below Novosibirsk, the valley expands significantly and reaches 20 km to the mouth of the Tom. The depths of the Ob (during low water) in the upper reaches vary from 2 to 6 m, in places on the rifts they drop to 0.6 m.

Below the mouth of the Tom (the beginning of the middle Ob), and especially the Chulym, the Ob River becomes a large full-flowing river and flows within the taiga zone until its confluence with the Irtysh. The Ob valley has a width of up to 30 - 50 km or more; an extensive floodplain (20 - 30 km) is covered with a dense network of channels.

Depths (during low water) range from 4 to 8 m. Large tributaries: Tom, Chulym, Ket, Tym, Vakh, Tromyegan, Lyamin, Nazim (right), Shegarka, Chaya, Parabel, Vasyugan, B. Yugan, B. Salym, Irtysh (left).

After the confluence of the Irtysh, the Ob turns to the North. The valley is wide (more than 50 km in some places), asymmetrical, with a gentle, mostly low, left bank and a steep, steep right bank; narrows to 4 - 8 km in the region of Peregrebnoye and Salekhard.

The vast, mostly left-bank floodplain is indented with branches, channels, lakes, and is flooded during the flood to a width of up to 40-50 km. From the mouth of the Irtysh to Peregrebnoe, the Ob flows in one deep (at least 4 - 4.5 m) channel, below it it divides into the Bolshaya and Malaya Ob with depths (in low water) up to 2.5 - 3 m. After their confluence, the Ob channel has depths more than 10 m. The main tributaries of the lower reaches: Kazym, Poluy (right), Northern Sosva, Shchuchya (left).

Before flowing into the Gulf of Ob, the river forms a delta with an area of ​​more than 4 thousand km2. The main branches are the Khamanelskaya (left) and the more powerful Nadymskaya (right), immediately behind the mouths of their shallow bars are the Yamsalsky and Nadymsky. The average slope of the Ob from Biysk to Yamsalsky bar is 0.054 m/km.

Food is mostly snowy. During the period of spring-summer floods, the river carries the main part of the annual flow. In the upper reaches, the flood is from the beginning of April, on average - from the 2nd half of April, and in the lower reaches - from the end of April - the beginning of May. The rise in levels begins even during freeze-up; when the river breaks up as a result of congestion, there are intense short-term rises in levels.

In the middle and lower reaches, the recession of floods with cumulative rain floods continues until freezing. The range of level fluctuations in the upper reaches is on average 5 m, downstream it grows to Aleksandrovsky - 9 m, before confluence with the Irtysh it drops to 7 m, below the confluence of the Irtysh it reaches 10 m, and decreases to 5 m towards the mouth.

The average flow rates increase from 1470 m3/sec near Barnaul to 12300 m3/sec near Salekhard, the maximum flow rates respectively from 9690 m3/sec to 42800 m3/sec. Freeze-up on the Ob lasts 150 days in the upper reaches and 220 days in the lower reaches of the river.

The water temperature in July is up to 28 °С in the section Barnaul - Belogorye and up to 23 °С in the lower reaches.

The mineralization of water is less than 200 mg/l, and only in the area between Novosibirsk and the mouth of the Tom is more than 200 mg/l. The waters of the Ob are characterized by a high content organic matter and low - oxygen, which leads to death in winter.

Average turbidity decreases downstream from 160 to 40 g/m. The annual runoff of suspended sediments is 16 million tons, and the entire solid runoff is about 50 million tons.

The Ob basin contains a variety of Natural resources. In terms of predicted reserves of oil, gas and coal, Western Siberia occupies the most prominent place in the CIS; 1/2 of the all-Union peat reserves are concentrated here. The basin is also rich in water, forest and other types of resources. About 50 species and subspecies of fish live in the waters of the Ob and the Gulf of Ob, 1/2 of them are commercial.

Most valuable species: sturgeon, sterlet, nelma, muksun, whitefish, whitefish, peled. The objects of fishing are mainly partial - pike, ide, burbot, dace, roach, crucian carp, perch.

The total potential hydropower resources of the Ob basin are estimated at up to 250 billion kWh. There are 3 HPPs in operation - Novosibirskskaya on the Ob, Bukhtarminskaya and Ust-Kamenogorskaya on the Irtysh. The Ob River is the main transport artery in Western Siberia. It is navigable throughout from source to mouth.

The navigation period is from 190 days in the upper reaches to 150 days in the lower reaches. transport role The Ob and tributaries have grown since the early 60s. in connection with the development of oil and gas fields. The main ports and piers of the basin: Novosibirsk, Tomsk, Surgut, Labytnangi, Pavlodar, Omsk, Tobolsk, Tyumen

Flow

In fact, the Ob is a continuation of the Katun River, but it is called the Ob only after the confluence of the Katun with the Biya, that is, after the city of Biysk.

At the beginning, the Ob noticeably winds, and its course periodically changes in different directions - either to the north or to the west.

It flows in the Altai Territory through Barnaul, then for some time separates Altai region and Novosibirsk region.

It flows through the Novosibirsk region, in particular through Novosibirsk. To the north, in the Tomsk region, it merges with Tom, and then with Chulym, after which it turns a little to the west and near the city of Kolpashevo merges with the Ket River.

In the Khanty-Mansiysk autonomous region The Ob flows through Nizhnevartovsk, Surgut, Nefteyugansk, and some other cities.

After Khanty-Mansiysk, the Ob turns to the north, while a delta begins from this section, then, in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug, the Ob flows through Salekhard and Labytnangi. After this point, it noticeably expands and flows into the Ob Bay of the Kara Sea.

Swimming pool

The area of ​​the Ob basin is 2990 thousand km². According to this indicator, the river ranks first in Russia. The Ob is also the third largest river in Russia (after the Yenisei and Lena).

In the southern part of the Ob is the Novosibirsk reservoir, formed by the dam of the Novosibirsk hydroelectric power station. The dam was built from 1950 to 1961; during the creation of the reservoir, many villages and the main part of the city of Berdsk were flooded. The Ob Sea (as it is called locals) serves as a resting place for many Novosibirsk residents; numerous recreation centers and sanatoriums are located on its banks. Tourists come here from neighboring regions.

AT late XIX century, the Ob-Yenisei Canal was built, connecting the Ob with the Yenisei. It is currently unused and abandoned.

tributaries

The main tributaries of the Ob: Charysh, Agan, Vakh, Aley, Chumysh, Tom, Chulym, Ket, Berd, Inya, Irtysh, Northern Sosva, Tromyogan. The Ob also flows into: Bolshoi Yugan (flows into the Yugan channel), Shchuchya, Konda.

Water regime

The river is fed mainly by snow. During the period of spring-summer floods, the river carries the main part of the annual flow.

In the upper reaches, the flood is from the beginning of April, on average - from the second half of April, and in the lower reaches - from the end of April - the beginning of May.

The rise in levels begins even during freeze-up; when the river breaks up as a result of congestion, there are intense short-term rises in levels. Because of this, some tributaries may reverse the direction of the flow.

In the upper reaches, the high water ends in July, the summer low water is unstable, in September - October there is a rain flood.

In the middle and lower reaches, the recession of floods with cumulative rain floods continues until freezing.

Animal world

About 50 species and subspecies of fish live in the waters of the Ob and the Gulf of Ob, half of them are of commercial value. The most valuable species: sturgeon, sterlet, nelma, muksun, broad whitefish, tugun, whitefish, peled. The objects of fishing are mainly partial - pike perch, pike, ide, burbot, bream, dace, roach, crucian carp, perch.

The origin of the word "Ob"

The Nenets living in the lower reaches of the river called it "Salya-yam", which means "cape river". The Khanty and Mansi gave it the name "As" - "big river", the Selkups called the river "Kvay", "Eme", "Kuai". These names meant - "large river".

The Russians first saw the river in its lower reaches, when hunters and merchants, together with Zyryan guides, went beyond the Ural Mountains. And before the conquest of Siberia by Yermak, the region around the Ob was called Obdorsky.

There is a version that the name of the river comes from the Komi language, which means “snow”, “snowdrift”, “place near the snow”.

There is also an assumption that the name is associated with the Iranian word "ob" - "water". And such a name for a full-flowing river could well have been given by the peoples of the Iranian-speaking group, who lived in the south of Western Siberia in the period from the early Bronze Age to the Middle Ages.

There is also a version that the word "Ob" comes from the Russian "both", that is, "both rivers" - "ob", meaning two rivers - the Katun and the Biya, which merged into the Ob. See also the legend about the rivers Katun and Biya.

Cities on the Ob:

  • Barnaul
  • Novoaltaysk
  • Stone-on-Obi
  • Novosibirsk
  • Kolpashevo
  • Nizhnevartovsk
  • Surgut
  • Nefteyugansk
  • Megion
  • Salekhard
  • Labytnangi
  • Langepas (on the Kayukovskaya channel)

The main ports and marinas of the Ob basin: Barnaul river port, Novosibirsk, Tomsk, Nizhnevartovsk, Surgut, Labytnangi, Pavlodar, Omsk, Tobolsk, Tyumen, Khanty-Mansiysk.

Bridges in the direction from the mouth to the source:

  • Surgut Bridge (Surgut, KhMAO);
  • railway bridge Surgut;
  • Shegarsky bridge (near the village of Melnikovo, Tomsk region);
  • bridge "Northern bypass" of Novosibirsk (2014);
  • Dimitrovsky bridge in Novosibirsk;
  • railway bridge Transsib (Novosibirsk);
  • Communal bridge (Novosibirsk) (Oktyabrsky);
  • Metro bridge in Novosibirsk;
  • Komsomolsky bridge (railway) in Novosibirsk;
  • Bridge over the gateway of the Novosibirsk hydroelectric power station;
  • railway bridge in Kamen-on-Obi, Altai Territory;
  • communal bridge (road, railway) in Barnaul;
  • new bridge in Barnaul.

Additional material:

Chekhov's classic phrase "Volga flows into the Caspian Sea" has become an example of a banal statement. In fact, the answer to the question of where the Volga flows into is far from being as obvious as it seems. It lies in such areas of science as hydrography, toponymy, geography, etc.

great river

The ancient Volga arose on Earth about 23 million years ago. Most likely date of birth great river even more ancient - studies show that the Volga had smaller predecessors, not of such significant size.

Volga is the most major river European part of the Eurasian continent. Its length is about 3,530 km. Unlike many other rivers that have a connection with the World Ocean, the Volga flows into a large inland body of water that does not have direct access to the open ocean. it unique education is called the Caspian Sea.

Ancient Volga

During the birth of the Volga, a movement began tectonic plates, which led to the emergence of the Central Russian Upland and the Valdai Mountains. The tectonic process was accompanied by cutting into the base rocks of the plate of numerous channels of ancient rivers. At that time, the beginning of the Volga River appears.

And where does the Volga flow in those distant times? Geological data state that the Ancient Caspian Sea was much wider in those days, moreover, it had an open outlet to the oceans. Then, as now, the Caspian received the waves of the ancient Volga and all its tributaries.

At that time, the course of the river was a little more different than it is now. It arose in the deepest part of a large trench that stretched from modern Kazan to Volgograd. It was he who became the first channel of the paleo-Volga.

Later, the processes that arose as a result of the onset of the Ice Age smoothed out the features of the relief. The area was gradually filled with sedimentary rocks. The Volga continued its development, flowing through an already flat plain. In the geography of the Volga channel of that time, familiar coastal reliefs already appeared. And the area where the Volga flows into has acquired modern outlines.

The mouth and tributaries of the Volga

Quite a lot has been written about where the Volga begins and where it flows. scientific works. In the process of its development, the Volga grew with numerous tributaries and repeatedly changed the location of its delta, but this great river left its source unchanged.

The Valdai Upland is a cradle for many big rivers. Here originate such rivers as the Dnieper, Lovat, Western Dvina, Msta and many smaller water arteries. Was no exception and the largest water artery Europe. The first part of the answer to the question - where does the Volga originate and where does it flow - lies here, in these Russian mountains. The Volga carries its waters from the Valdai Upland. The place where the river originates is located in the Tver region and is called Volgino Verkhovye.

But there are minor problems with the place where the Volga flows into the Caspian Sea. The fact is that many researchers do not agree with the standard answer to the school problem about where the Volga originates and where it flows. The well-known source in Valdai is far from the only beginning of the great Volga, it is quite possible that it has many more sources, and some of them are underground.

Tributaries of the Volga

As for the tributaries, the Volga has a lot of them. The largest of them are Mologa, Samara, Ob, Kama, Eruslan and many others. Of all these, the widest and deepest tributary is the Kama River. It merges with the Volga not far from the shores of the Caspian Sea. So, maybe the Volga flows into the Kama, and not into the sea?

Signs of the confluence of rivers

Several indicators are used by hydrobiologists to determine which river is the main one and which is its tributary. At the confluence of the waters of both rivers, scientists determine their water content, catchment, structural features of the river system, the length of both rivers from the source to the confluence, river flow indicators, and several others.

In terms of water content, these two rivers are almost equal to each other. The average annual discharge of the Volga is 3750 m 3 / s, and the Kama - 3800 m 3 / s. In terms of catchment area, the Volga is ahead of its rival - 260.9 thousand km 2 against 251.7 thousand km 2. The height of the Volga basin is lower than that of the Kama, since the tributaries of the Kama originate in Ural mountains. The Kama valley is older than the Volga - it was formed in the first half of the Quaternary period, even before the Great icing. Kama in those days dumped its waters into Vychegda. After graduation ice age The Upper Volga, which used to flow into the Don, began to flow into the Kama. Lower Volga and today it is a natural continuation not of the Volga, but of the Kama valley.

Hydrography of the Middle Ages

Arab medieval geographers called the Volga own name- Itil. They connected the ancient origins of Itil with Kama. And they paid no less attention to Kama than to her blue rival.

So where is the beginning of the Volga River and where does this waterway flow? Ceteris paribus, along with hydrographic, are taken into account and historical traditions. The prevailing ideas and studies of toponymy allow us to assert that the Kama is a tributary of the Volga River. Rather, it flows into the Kuibyshev reservoir, located at the confluence of two rival rivers. And the question of where the Volga flows can be answered: into the waters of the Caspian Sea, but it should be remembered that this answer is dictated more by historical tradition than by real hydrographic indicators.

One of the greatest rivers in the world is undoubtedly the Nile River. On its shores, thousands of years ago, the oldest human civilization arose. This is evidenced unique monuments architecture located on the left bank mighty river. Since ancient times, the Nile has been revered by people as a source of life and general prosperity. He was worshiped like a deity, and they always wondered: where do the great waters originate, from where does the majestic full-flowing stream begin to flow, ending its journey in the waters mediterranean sea.

Source of the Nile

Where does the greatest of the planet's rivers originate? The question is not as simple as it might seem at first glance. In its course along the African continent, the river crosses lakes, has many tributaries, and it is quite difficult to immediately determine where the beginning is. People began to deal with this issue two and a half thousand years ago.

The original inhabitants of the Nile Valley, the Egyptians, could not give any intelligible information. They had the skill to build great pyramids, but for some reason they could not determine the source of a wide river. So the ancient Greeks took over. Herodotus (484-425 BC) was the first to say his weighty word. The greatest thinker of antiquity claimed that somewhere far to the south a mighty river emerges from the bowels of the earth. Part of the water rushes to the north, and part of the water to the south.

Where such conclusions came from is unknown. But today we know that Herodotus was wrong. The Greek historian Agatarchides of Knit was also mistaken. This venerable man, who lived 2200 years ago, sincerely believed that the great river originated in the Ethiopian highlands. The historian was misled by the sailors sent by the king of Egypt Ptolemy II to examine East Coast Africa. They came to the Ethiopian highlands during the rainy season and saw how the rivers overflowed on it. They immediately associated with this and the flood of the Nile. It is difficult for these people to refuse logic, but their conclusions were fundamentally wrong.

Closer to the truth was Ptolemy Claudius (87-165). This Greek astronomer and mathematician stated that the Nile River originates in the Lunar Mountains. So in ancient times the well-known Rwenzori mountain range was called. It is located much to the south of the Ethiopian highlands, and from it it is already very close to Lake Victoria.

Hundreds of years have passed. People naively believed that it was from the mountain peaks of Rwenzori that the great waters began their journey. But in 1768, the foot of the Scottish traveler James Bruce (1730-1794) set foot on African soil. He was deeply convinced that the Nile originated in Ethiopia, and not in the southern wilds of Africa. He found the source of the mighty river in 1770 on the Abyssinian Highlands. The river flowed from Lake Tana. The Greek Strates, who was born in Ethiopia, pointed to the source. But this was not the beginning of the White Nile, but the Blue. The Blue Nile, which is 1600 km long, is considered only a tributary. Having merged with the White, it forms the purebred Nile, which ends its journey in the waters of the Mediterranean Sea.

This is where the White Nile originates.

Lake Victoria was discovered in 1858. Mankind owes this to British Army officer John Hennig Speke (1827-1864). It was then that a firm belief appeared that the great river originates precisely from this lake. It is the largest in Africa in terms of area, and in the world, according to this indicator, it ranks second after Lake Superior in North America.

This hypothesis was indirectly confirmed by the English journalist Henry Morton Stanley (1841-1904). In 1871 he went to Central Africa to look for the missing Livingston and at the same time explored this little-studied region. He established that Lake Tanganyika had nothing to do with the Nile. From here, the final decision was made that the great river originates in Lake Victoria.

Nile from space

Nile length

Speaking of Lake Victoria, many researchers have stated that the source of the Nile should be sought east of the vast lake waters. In the east, the Kagera River flows into the lake, and it, in turn, has a tributary, the Rukarara. It is precisely the source of the last river that must be considered the source of the White Nile, located at an altitude of 2000 meters above sea level.

From Lake Victoria to the Mediterranean Sea, the length of the river is 5600 km. To the source of Rukarara, the length corresponds to 6758 km. The difference is very noticeable. To date, it is officially considered that the Nile River has a length of 5600 km and originates in Lake Victoria. But the river system of the great river begins from the source of Rukarara and has a length of 6758 km. Thus, all points are put over the "and" in this rather sensitive issue.

From source to delta

It is located on the East African plateau at an altitude of 1134 meters above sea level. The waters of the great river flow from it and rush to the north. The mighty current is always going down. Accordingly, the river is replete with waterfalls, whirlpools and rapids. The largest waterfall is called Murchison. Its height reaches almost 40 meters. The total fall of water over 500 km is at least 700 meters. The turbulent stream ends its journey in Lake Albert. This section of the river is called the Victoria Nile.

One of the falls on the Victoria Nile

From Lake Albert, as you might guess, the Albert Nile flows out. This section of the river has a relatively calm flow due to the more or less flat terrain. It belongs to the country of Uganda. Its inhabitants cross the great river on ferries. There is even one bridge connecting the east and west banks.

AT South Sudan the river changes its name to Bahr el Jabel. It is considered as such for 716 km. The area around is flat and swampy. This contributes to the fact that the river breaks up into many narrow branches. Between them are islands with vegetation. Gradually, the area of ​​marshland decreases, and the river flows into Lake Net. The Bahr el-Ghazal River, which flows from the west, also flows into it. Having merged together, the rivers form a single stream, called Bahr el-Abyad or the White Nile, since there are many suspensions of white clay in the water, and it has a pale yellow color.

Further, the river flows through the valley to the capital of Sudan, the city of Khartoum. At this point, the White Nile merges with the Blue Nile and a single full-flowing stream is formed, which is called the Nile River. North of Khartoum, 300 km, the last tributary flows into the full-flowing stream. This is the Atbara River. It starts its journey from the Abyssinian Highlands, like the Blue Nile, but flows further north. Its length is 800 km, and during the dry period from January to June, the river usually dries up.

On the banks of the Nile

Having absorbed this river, the waters of the Nile flow into the Sahara desert. Her East End is called the Nubian Desert. From the great river it spreads to the east and passes into the Arabian desert. In the Nubian desert, the Nile makes sharp turn southwest, and then again turns north. The river leaves the territory of the state of Sudan and begins its movement through Egypt.

In northern Sudan, the Nile River is called Lake Nasser. Most of the reservoir is in Egypt. This is a handmade creation. It is one of the largest artificial lakes in the world. Its width reaches 35 km, the greatest depth is 180 meters, the maximum length is 550 km, and the area is 5250 sq. km.

A reservoir was created thanks to the Aswan Dam. It is 270 km north of the Sudanese border. Built between 1960 and 1970. Thanks to the dam, the rapids of the Nile disappeared under water. There were six in total. Floods have also stopped during the rainy season. The river flooded, flooding large areas, and this was a real disaster for the local population. The dam is 111 meters high, 3830 meters long and 980 meters wide.

Further, the Nile River flows north through a wide fertile valley. Numerous cities stretch along the coast, in which the vast majority of the population of Egypt lives. Finally, Cairo appears on the path of the great river. This is the capital of Egypt ancient city. It was founded in 969. Its population is 6 million 800 thousand people. The Nile cuts the city in two. It forms islands on which city blocks also rise.

Nile in Cairo

Nile River Delta

Leaving Cairo, the river begins to break up into branches. They multiply and form a huge delta. Its length from north to south is 160 km. Along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea from west to east, the length reaches 240 km. At the western end of the delta is the city of Alexandria, on the eastern side of Port Said. The area of ​​this giant natural formation reaches 24 thousand square meters. km. There are 10 cities in the river delta. That is, it is a large residential area of ​​the country. It is home to about 38 million people. The total population of Egypt is 81 million people.

The largest city in the west of the delta is Alexandria. 3.9 million people live in it. Less in other cities. Outside the cities, the population density is 1000 people / 1 sq. km. km. The climate in the delta is Mediterranean and is characterized by low rainfall. In connection with global warming, there is a forecast that by 2025 there will be a rise in sea level by 30 cm. This will entail the disappearance of the entire northern part of the delta under water and a massive shortage of food for people. As a result of this cataclysm, at least 10 million refugees are expected.

View of the Nile Delta from space

In the delta, during the winter period, several hundred thousand waterfowl live. It has the highest concentration of gulls and terns in the world. White and gray herons, cormorants, ibises also live. In the waters live in a huge number of frogs and turtles. Lots of different fish. Crocodiles and hippos have long disappeared from the delta. Once they were the indigenous inhabitants of these places, but people gradually drove the animals out of the delta, leaving them no hope of returning.

The Nile River is the second longest river in the world, second only to the river queen, the Amazon. It was on the banks of the Nile that the oldest human civilization arose. It still amazes people with the Great Pyramids and other fundamental architectural masterpieces. Alexander the Great was not yet in the project, and the lining on the pyramid of Cheops had already peeled off.

All this once again emphasizes the greatness of the mighty waters that begin their thorny path in Lake Victoria. That is, the river originates almost at the equator, passes through the territory of 10 countries and flows into the Mediterranean Sea near the Suez Canal, touching it with the eastern edge of the delta. Thus, the river has a connection with the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, connecting the central part of Africa with the boundless waters of the World Ocean.

Yuri Syromyatnikov

In the section on the question Where does the Nile River originate and where does it flow? given by the author Vika Leid the best answer is The geographical location of the source of the Nile was unknown from ancient times until the 19th century, when it was finally determined that it was Lake Victoria. The length of the Nile is sometimes determined from this lake, although quite large rivers flow into it. The most remote point can be considered the source of the Rukarara River - one of the components of the Kagera River, which originates from a height of more than 2000 m on one of the mountain ranges East Africa south of the equator and flows into Lake Victoria. The length of the Nile (with Kagera) is about 6,700 km (the most commonly used figure is 6,671 km), from Lake Victoria to the Mediterranean Sea - about 5,600 km.
The basin area, according to various sources, is 2.8-3.4 million km² (completely or partially covers the territories of Rwanda, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Sudan and Egypt).
The average flow at Aswan is 2,600 m³/s, but in different years fluctuations from 500 m³/sec to 15,000 m³/sec are possible.
By features natural conditions basin, by the nature of the hydrographic regime and by the significance that the Nile has in the life of the peoples inhabiting its valley, it is one of the most peculiar and remarkable rivers in the world.
The river originates in the East African Plateau and flows into the Mediterranean Sea, forming a delta. In the upper reaches major tributaries- Bahr el Ghazal (left) and Aswa, Sobat, Blue Nile and Atbara (right). Below the mouth of the right tributary of the Atbara, the Nile flows through the semi-desert, having no tributaries for the last 3000 km.
Source: 5 in geography))

Answer from Isolate[guru]
The Nile originates at the confluence of the White and Blue Nile and flows into the Mediterranean Sea.


Answer from Neurosis[guru]
Where it originates, I don’t know .... And it flows, of course, into the Black Sea. Somewhere in the Astrakhan region.


Answer from Lyonne[guru]


Answer from reroll[expert]
The river originates in the East African Plateau and flows into the Mediterranean Sea, forming a delta. In the upper reaches, it receives large tributaries - Bahr el-Ghazal (left) and Achva, Sobat, Blue Nile and Atbara (right). Below the mouth of the right tributary of the Atbara, the Nile flows through the semi-desert, having no tributaries for the last 3000 km.


Answer from Valentin Sergienko[newbie]
AT active search girl 12 years old. But not the origins of the Nile, but the guy. And about the Nile, good uncles and aunts should tell. And the rest knows everything. I wonder if the parents know about the search for a boyfriend and the origins of the Nile?


What are the river and the sea, what are their similarities and differences, how do rivers appear - let's try to answer these questions together with the children.

How is a river different from a sea?

A sea is a separate section of the World Ocean, which is surrounded on all sides either by land or by elevated areas of underwater relief. Its waters are usually unchanged in relation to the shores. The sea is salty. A river is a stream of water that continuously flows downhill.

Many rivers end up in the sea at the end of their journey. The river is fresh water. Below we use geographical map let's analyze the topic for the lesson of the world around us in grade 1 - where the rivers flow.

Sources of rivers

Usually a river starts its life from a renewable source of water. It can be a lake, swamp or other body of water located on a hill. It is constantly replenished with water due to precipitation, ice melting or from underground springs. Usually a river is formed from several sources at once. It depends on the season, for example, in spring - from snow melting, in summer and autumn - from rains. The point where the river begins is called the source.

Let's figure out where the rivers flow and why. We have already said that for this, first of all, a sloped area and a source of water on top of it are needed. In addition, flowing water will only make a hole in loose, pliable soil or rock which she can dissolve. That is why mountain rivers have rapids - stone ledges that even a strong pressure of water cannot destroy. If we look at the map, we will see that the pattern of the riverbed depends on the topography of the area where it flows.

What determines the nature of the river

The nature of our planet is diverse. There are mountains, valleys and hills. The strength of their flow and speed depend on the geological nature of the area where and where the rivers flow. For example, mountain streams flow very quickly and noisily. Because they can be very dangerous. On them you can often observe such a bewitching sight as waterfalls, when streams of water fall from a mountain ledge into an abyss.

Unlike them, lowland rivers carry their waters slowly, calmly and majestically. There the water gurgles softly. In the lowlands, rivers are usually more full-flowing, as they are filled with water from many streams flowing from above. They have a clearly defined bed and smooth banks. It is not difficult to explain why this happens. The less inclined the surface, the slower water flows over it, and vice versa.

Variety of rivers in our country

Rivers at the beginning of their journey look different. Let's find on the map some of the most significant Russian rivers. So, for example, r. Lena emerges from the waters of the sacred lake. Baikal, and The Ob is formed by the confluence of two others - Biya and Katun. The great rivers of Central Russia are the Don-Batyushka and the Volga-Matushka. That is what our ancestors called them. The first one originates on the Central Russian Upland, at an altitude of about 200 m above sea level. Let's find on the map where the Volga River flows from and where?

The largest river in Europe originates in a small swamp in the Tver region, which is located at an altitude of more than 200 m above sea level, and ends its journey, dissolving in the Caspian Sea. It flows through the whole territory central Russia and is a very important transport artery. In addition, a powerful power plant has been built on it, which provides us with electricity. The Northern Pechora River begins in the mountains of the Northern Urals, at an altitude of more than 600 m above sea level. Our main Caucasian rivers - Terek and Kuban - are formed from the melting of high-mountain glaciers at an altitude of more than 1000 m above sea level. The upper reaches of the river The Urals are located on the Ural mountain range.

Current direction

So, we learned about the origins of the rivers. Next, we will figure out how to understand where the river flows. current downhill earth's surface the water itself gradually forms the direction of the channel, along the way, taking with it particles of destroyed soil. She chooses the path, filling the natural hollows and depressions of the relief. We see the same thing every spring, when the snow melts and cheerful streams run through all the streets. They all start on hills and end, connecting and flowing into rivers. Then we observe the spring flood or the flood of the river. Rivers end the same way. Usually they flow into another, larger reservoir, which is even lower than the level on the earth's surface. The place of confluence is called the mouth of the river. It can be another river, lake, sea or ocean.

All large reservoirs replenish their water reserves from many such small rivers.

Some rivers do not exist permanently. Them life cycle depends on the change of seasons. They can appear in the spring, during active snowmelt in the mountains. Later, in summer heat, they simply dry up or become so shallow that they turn into a thin stream, which is destined to become a full-fledged river again only next spring.

Where do the major rivers of Russia flow?

On the example of the territory of our Motherland, we will see where the rivers flow. On the map we will find the largest reservoirs. Here in the north-east of the country we see the Sea of ​​Okhotsk. Here the river ends and feeds it with its waters. Amur. And here, to the west - the cold Kara Sea. Rivers flow into it. Yenisei and the river Ob, which forms a huge bay on its shore, called the Gulf of Ob. Another flows into the Laptev Sea deep river- Lena. The Caspian Sea is located in the European part of the country. Its water reserves are replenished mainly by the river. Volga, as well as the river. Ural. The Dnieper and Don rivers end at Chernoy and Seas of Azov. Looking at the map, it is easy to notice the direction in which the rivers of the surrounding world flow. Basically, their flow is directed from south to north.

Neva basin

Let's look at the map of Russia again. We will find out where and where the Neva River flows, and how important its importance for the country is. In the northwest we see the Baltic Sea, along which the border of our country with some European states passes. AT Gulf of Finland river flows into it. Neva. On the banks of this river, Tsar Peter the Great erected beautiful city St. Petersburg. This place was not chosen by chance. Since ancient times, all major cities have grown up at the confluence of a large river and the sea. Merchant and military ships move the fastest on water. The source of the river Neva takes in Lake Ladoga. In its basin there are many small lakes and rivers. They constantly feed it with their waters, so the river is very deep. During the construction of the Northern capital, all the banks of the Neva were reinforced with stone walls to avoid their erosion. An extensive network of canals with drawbridges was also built to divert water.

Subsequently, these engineering solutions became calling card and the main attraction of the city.

The most famous rivers in the world

At all times, rivers have been a source of life for people. Large settlements arose and developed only near water. All human civilization has developed in those places on Earth where and where rivers flow. Perhaps every country has main river. In England it is the Thames, in France it is the Seine and Loire, in China it is the Yellow River, in America it is the Amazon, the Missouri and the Mississippi. Rivers are especially important in hot countries where there is no snow and ice, and seasonal rains - the only way replenishment of fresh water. For example, in Egypt - r. Neil, the life of the whole people completely depended on it before. Its delta is the only green oasis in the desert. Therefore, earlier people worshiped the river as a deity. We add that the Nile is the only source fresh water for several North African countries.

Now a dam has been built in the upper reaches of the river, with the help of which people control the mighty waters. It has a hydroelectric power plant. Another major river on the African continent is the Limpopo River. India is located in the same latitudes. The main sacred river of this country is the Ganges.