The largest rivers in Russia - I want to know. The longest rivers in Russia Mouths of large rivers

Sailing regatta from "Russian Seven". Rafting on the main rivers of Russia!

Volga. River flows

The main water brand of Russia is the Volga. Insanely popular river, though not the longest, not the most abundant. Why? The answer is simple: the Volga basin occupies about 1/3 European territory Russia. By the way, the length of the river is 3530 km. It's like from Moscow to Berlin and back.

The Volga is dedicated not only to a song known without exaggeration to all Russians and a film with the title title. The action of A. Ostrovsky's plays takes place, as a rule, in cities on the Volga. Especially strong image rivers created in the film "Cruel Romance"!

Detail: Lotuses - flowers that are associated with the exotic and the East, have long lived in our Volga.

Oka. Not only a small car

The Oka River is the Great Russian River, and we in vain write this word with capital letter! Almost all of Central Russia lies on the banks, the area of ​​​​the river basin (245,000 sq. Km) is equal to the territory of the whole of Great Britain, and the length is 1,500 km.

In many respects (navigation, basin area, etc.) for Russia, the Oka exceeded the value of the Nile for Egypt. It is no coincidence that in the 9th-10th centuries, foreigners called the Oka River "Russian River", "River Rus".

By the way, the name of the river "Oka" supposedly comes from the Proto-European "aqva" - "water", it is so ancient! There is a hypothesis that even the word "ocean" (understood as "a great river bordering the world") in Russian comes from the word "Oka".

Don. Millennium Witness of Russian History

Don is a thousand-year-old witness of Russian history. This river appeared on Earth - scary to say! - about 23 million years ago. And according to scientists, the Paleo-Don collected the waters of the entire Russian Plain.

Among the ancient Greeks and Romans, the lower reaches of the Tanais (Don) were reputed to be the habitat of the legendary Amazons. These women-warriors also got into our epics, which often tell about the fights of Russian heroes with daring riders - "glade".

Detail: Our "father-Don" has two younger namesakes in England: the river Don in the Scottish county of Aberdeen and the river of the same name in the English county of York.

Dnieper. A rare bird will fly to its middle

The Dnieper has been known since ancient times! Even Herodotus called him in his historical treatises Borisfen (which means "river flowing from the north").

Here is what the ancient Greek historian wrote: “Borisfen is the most profitable river: beautiful fat pastures for cattle stretch along its banks; large quantities the best fish; the water tastes good to drink and is clear (compared to the water of other muddy rivers Scythia)".

During the period of Kievan Rus, the river was called Slavutich ("river of the Slavs"), at that time a waterway "from the Varangians to the Greeks" passed along it, connecting the Baltic (Varangian) Sea with the Black (Russian) Sea.

Detail: "A rare bird will fly to the middle of the Dnieper," wrote N. Gogol. The birds have enough strength to fly to the middle and fly over the river. And a rare bird meant a parrot, which is really difficult to meet in these parts.

Yenisei. natural border between Eastern and Western Siberia

On the left bank of the Yenisei, they end west Siberian plains, and on the right begins mountain taiga. Therefore, in its upper reaches you can meet camels, and going downstream to the Ocean - polar bears.

Until now, there are legends about the origin of the word Yenisei: is it a Tungus word "Yenesi" converted into a Russian way (" big water"), or the Kyrgyz "enee-Sai" (mother river).

Detail: The Yenisei and other Iberian rivers bring as much heat to the Arctic Ocean as burning 3 billion tons of fuel would give. If not for the rivers, the climate of the North would be more severe.

Russia is located in the east of Europe and in the north of Asia, occupying about 1/3 of the territory of Eurasia and 1/9 of the earth's land. European part country (about 23% of the area) includes territories to the west of Ural mountains(the border is conditionally drawn along the Urals and the Kumo-Manych depression); The Asian part of Russia, which occupies about 76% of the territory, lies to the east of the Urals and is also called Siberia (however precise definition borders of Siberia is a moot point) and the Far East. The total length of Russia's borders is 60,933 km (of which 38,808 km are maritime boundaries); Russia's borders in the north and east are maritime, in the south and west they are mostly land. Despite the fact that Russia is the largest country in the world in terms of area, the climatic and soil conditions in most of its territory do not favor agriculture.

Russia is one of the most water-provided countries in the world. The country has one of the world's largest reserves of fresh water. Surface waters occupy 12.4% of the territory of Russia, while 84% of surface waters are concentrated to the east of the Urals; many densely populated areas of the European part of Russia experience a shortage of water resources. Production needs prevail in the structure of water use.

Russia has the most deep lake world (Baikal), the longest river in Europe (Volga) and the largest lake in Europe (Ladoga), the cold pole of the Northern Hemisphere (Verkhoyansk), as well as the highest peak in Europe (Elbrus) (when drawing the border between Europe and Asia along the Greater Caucasus Range, and not along the rivers Kuma and Manych to the mouth of the Don).

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Lakes of Russia

There are over 2.5 million lakes in Russia. The largest lakes are the Caspian, Ladoga, Onega, Baikal. The Caspian is the largest lake in the world in terms of area, and the deepest is Baikal. The lakes are very unevenly distributed. There are especially many of them in the Vilyui basin, on the West Siberian Plain and in the north-west of the European Plain - in Karelia. All these areas are in conditions of excessive moisture. To the south, in the zone of steppes and semi-deserts with their arid climate, the number of lakes decreases sharply, and many lakes have saline or brackish water. Salty are such drainless large lakes as the Caspian Sea, as well as lakes Elton and Baskunchak, where table salt.
There are countless smaller lakes, located mainly in the poorly drained lowlands of the Russian and West Siberian Plains, especially in the more northern regions. Some of them reach significant sizes, in particular, Lake Beloe (1.29 thousand sq. km.), Topozero (0.98 thousand sq. km.), Vygozero (0.56 thousand sq. km.) and Lake Ilmen (0.98 thousand sq. km.) in the territory of the European north-west of the country, and Lake Chany (1.4-2 thousand sq. km.) in the south-west of Siberia.
Lakes also differ in the origin of the basins. Lakes of tectonic origin are located in troughs and dips earth's crust. The largest tectonic lake Baikal is located in a graben and therefore reaches a depth of 1637 m.
Glacial-tectonic lake basins arose as a result of glacier processing of tectonic depressions in the earth's crust: Imandra, Ladoga, Onega. In Kamchatka and the Kuriles, lakes are mainly volcanic origin. In the northwest of the European Plain, the origin of lake basins is associated with continental glaciations. Many basins are located between moraine hills: Seliger, Valdai.
As a result of landslides, dammed lakes arose in mountain valleys: Sarez in the Pamirs, Ritsa in the Caucasus. Small lakes appear above karst sinkholes. On South Western Siberia many saucer-shaped lakes resulting from subsidence of loose rocks. When ice melts in permafrost areas, saucer-shaped shallow lakes also form. The oxbow lakes are located on floodplains lowland rivers. On the shores of the Black and Azov Seas there are lakes-estuaries.
All large and largest lakes Russia are widely used in the national economy. They catch and breed fish. Especially a lot of fish, including the most valuable sturgeon, are caught in the Caspian. There is omul fishing in Baikal. The lakes are also used for navigation. A variety of minerals are mined in the basins of the lakes: oil and mirabilite in the Caspian Sea, table salt in Elton and Baskunchak.

The largest lakes in Russia

Caspian Sea, area - 376,000 sq. km., greatest depth- 1025 meters.
Lake Baikal, area - 31,500 square kilometers, maximum depth - 1,620 meters.
Lake Ladoga, area - 17,700 square kilometers, maximum depth - 230 meters.
Lake Onega, area - 9,690 sq. km., maximum depth - 127 meters.
Taimyr lakes, area - 4,560 sq. km., maximum depth - 26 meters.
Lake Khanka, area - 4,190 sq. km., maximum depth - 11 meters.
Lake Peipus-Pskovskoye, area - 3,550 sq. km., maximum depth - 15 meters.
Lake Chany, area - 1 708-2 269 sq. km., the greatest depth - up to 10 meters.
White Lake, area - 1,290 sq. km., maximum depth - 6 meters.
Topozero, area - 986 sq. km., the greatest depth - 56 meters.
Lake Ilmen, area - 982 sq. km., the greatest depth - up to 10 meters.
Lake Imandra, area - 876 sq. km., maximum depth - 67 meters.
Khantai lake, area - 822 sq. km., maximum depth - 420 meters.
Segozero, area - 815 sq. km., maximum depth - 97 meters.
Kulunda Lake, area - 728 sq. km., the greatest depth - 4 meters.
Teletskoye lake, area - 223 sq. km., maximum depth - 325 meters.

Rivers of Russia

Russia occupies a vast geographical area, and it is not surprising that numerous rivers spread over its expanses, which played an important historical role in the settlement and development of new lands. Almost all are located on the rivers Largest cities countries. Within Russia there are about 3 million rivers with a total length of almost 10 million km. Most of rivers of Russia belongs to the basin of the Arctic Ocean. It makes up over 66% of the country's area, within it falls up to 80% precipitation. Rivers flowing into northern seas, the longest and most full-flowing in Russia. The longest river Lena is 4400 km. The most full-flowing river is the Yenisei (623 km3 per year). In terms of catchment area, the first place in the country is occupied by the Ob (2975 sq. km.). The rivers of the Arctic Ocean are freezing. In winter, a winter road is installed along them for about four months - roads for the movement of cars and sledges.
The largest rivers of Siberia originate in the south of the country in the Altai, Sayan and Baikal mountains. The rivers of the Arctic Ocean basin are fed by snow and rain. In the spring, due to the melting of snow on the rivers, the water rises. The flood begins in the south, and in the north the ice for a long time prevents the flow of melt water to the ocean. Therefore, on all rivers of the Arctic Ocean basin in the middle and lower reaches, high water rises occur in spring. AT southern parts the rivers of Siberia are swift and rapids. On these segments of the valleys, large hydroelectric power plants have been built and are being built: Krasnoyarsk and Sayano-Shushenskaya on the Yenisei, Novosibirsk on the Ob, Bukhtarma and Ust-Kamenogorsk on the Irtysh, Irkutsk, Bratsk and Ust-Ilimskaya on the Angara, on the tributaries of the Lena - Vilyui and Vitim - built Vilyui and Mamakanskaya HPP. In the northern plains, the course of these rivers is calm and smooth. In summer they are used for timber rafting and navigation, connecting the southern and inland regions of the country with the Northern Sea Route and the Trans-Siberian Railway.
The rivers of the European part of the Arctic Ocean basin - Pechora, Mezen, Northern Dvina and Onega are much shorter than the Siberian rivers. They flow completely over the plains and therefore have a calm current.
To the pool Pacific Ocean covers approximately 19% of the country's area. The main river of this basin is the Amur and its tributaries Zeya, Bureya and Ussuri. Rivers are predominantly rain fed. In the conditions of the monsoon climate in the Pacific basin, little snow falls in winter, so there are no spring floods, but floods are very significant due to summer monsoon rains. The water in the Amur and its tributaries rises to 10-15 m and floods vast areas. Catastrophic spills usually occur in early autumn. At this time, sudden and stormy downpours of cyclones - typhoons often fall on the Far Eastern regions of the country. River floods reach several tens of kilometers and cause great damage to agriculture, cities and towns.
The Amur and its tributaries have a large fall and are rich in hydropower. The Zeya hydroelectric power station was built on the Zeya River. Amur - the main river highway Far East, through which the inland remote areas are connected with the seas. The state border of Russia with the People's Republic of China runs along the rivers Argun, Amur and Ussuri.
Near the rivers of Chukotka and the basin of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk, snow is predominantly fed. Therefore, they are full of water in late spring and early summer, which favors the movement salmon fish rising to spawn up the rivers and rivers.
The Caspian basin is called drainless, since the rivers carry their waters not to the World Ocean, but to an internal drainless reservoir - to the Caspian Sea. The basin covers the interior of the East European Plain, Southern Urals, the eastern part of the Caucasus.
The Volga, Ural, Araks, Terek, Emba and other rivers flow into the Caspian. The largest river is the Volga. Its basin occupies 34% of the East European Plain. Most of the tributaries of the Volga are located in a temperate continental climate with sufficient moisture. Food is mostly snowy. In the spring, when the snow melts, there is a significant rise in water in the river. In summer, the main source of food is The groundwater and rain. Some rise of water in the channel also occurs in autumn, when evaporation is significantly reduced. Below the mouth of the large left tributary of the Kama, the Volga flows through the steppe and semi-desert zones, where there is very little precipitation and therefore there are no significant tributaries. Below Volgograd, the Volga has no tributaries and is of a transit nature. It only carries water and partially evaporates it. From here, the Volga splits into branches, the largest of which is Akhtuba. Below Astrakhan, the channel is divided into 80 branches, forming a vast delta. Now almost the entire Volga has turned into a cascade of dams and reservoirs. On the Upper Volga, not far from Tver, there is the Ivankovskoye Reservoir. From him begins the channel to them. Moscow, through which the Volga water is pumped for the water supply of Moscow. Below, the entire Volga to Volgograd turned into a chain of interconnected reservoirs (Uglich, Rybinsk, Gorky, Cheboksary, Kuibyshev, Saratov and Volgograd). They retain a significant part of the spring flood water, which is used to generate electricity, water supply to cities, and irrigate drylands. Thanks to reservoirs, the movement of large river vessels is possible. Now the river is connected by the Volga-Don navigable canal with the Black and Azov seas, the Volga-Baltic - with the Baltic and White seas. Half of all river cargo and passengers of the country are transported along the Volga. But the reservoirs flooded large areas of fertile floodplain lands. The dams slowed down the flow of the Volga. As a result, a large amount of pollutants began to accumulate in the reservoirs, which come here from the fields, as well as with industrial and domestic effluents. Therefore, the river is currently heavily polluted.
Swimming pool Atlantic Ocean takes smallest area- about 5% of the entire territory of Russia. The rivers flow west into the Baltic Sea and south into the Black and Azov Seas. To the west flow the Western Dvina, Neman, Neva, etc. To the south - the Dnieper, Don and Kuban. All the rivers of the Atlantic Ocean basin are full-flowing all year round, since most of their watersheds are located on the territory of sufficient moisture. They mainly feed on snow, and in summer - underground and rain. The rivers flowing into the Baltic Sea have very little fluctuations in runoff, since precipitation falls evenly throughout the year. There are only small spring floods and autumn floods. The Neva River occupies a special place. This short river (74 km long) carries a huge amount of water - 79.7 km3 per year, four times more than the Dnieper, which has a length of over 2 thousand km. The Neva originates in Lake Ladoga and therefore its flow is constant throughout the year.
But almost every year it floods part of St. Petersburg with its waters. Floods are caused by surges of water from Baltic Sea that spring up the Neva. As a result, the water in the river rises by 2 - 3.5 m and splashes out of the granite embankments onto the streets and squares of the city.
The rivers of the southern part of the Atlantic Ocean basin receive water in their branched upper reaches. In the lower sections, they are of a transit nature, since here the rivers cross the steppe zone with an arid climate. The food of the Dnieper and Don is mainly snow, so they have high spring floods. On the southern rivers a cascade of hydroelectric facilities and reservoirs was built. Reservoirs are used both to generate electricity and to irrigate arid lands in the south of the East European Plain. Rice and other agricultural crops are grown in the Sea of ​​Azov and the North Caucasus thanks to the waters of the Don and Kuban.

The largest rivers of Russia

Lena, length - 4320 km., Basin area - 2418 thousand sq. km.
Yenisei (with Biy-Khem), length - 4012 km., Basin area - 2707 thousand sq. km.
Ob (with Katun), length - 4070 km., Basin area - 2425 thousand sq. km.
Volga, length - 3690 km., Basin area - 1380 thousand sq. km.
Amur, length - 2824 km., Basin area - 1855 thousand sq. km.
Ural, length - 2530 km., Basin area - 220 thousand sq. km.
Kolyma, length - 2150 km., Basin area - 644 thousand sq. km.
Don, length - 1950 km., Basin area - 422 thousand sq. km.
Indigirka, length - 1790 km., Basin area - 360 thousand sq. km.
Pechora, length - 1790 km., Basin area - 327 thousand sq. km.
Northern Dvina (with Sukhona), length - 1300 km., Basin area - 411 thousand sq. km.
Yana (with Dulgalakh), length - 1070 km., Basin area - 318 thousand sq. km.
Selenga (with Ider), length - 1020 km., Basin area - 445 thousand sq. km.
Mezen, length - 966 km., Basin area - 76 thousand sq. km.
Kuban, length - 906 km., Basin area - 51 thousand sq. km.
Terek, length - 626 km., Basin area - 44 thousand sq. km.
Onega, length - 416 km., Basin area - 58 thousand sq. km.
Neva, length - 74 km., Basin area - 282 thousand sq. km.

There is a lot of water in Russia - over its vast territory, which occupies one seventh of the land, flow more than two and a half million rivers. Most of them are known and loved only by those who live (or rest) on their shores. However, rivers of a completely different order are more interesting and important - giant waterways that can be seen from space. For centuries, these giants served our ancestors as sources of water, food, as transport routes and continue to serve people to this day.

Determining which is the longest river in Russia is not so easy. Historically, the lands east of the Urals were inhabited unevenly in different periods of time. And therefore, throughout its course, the river could repeatedly change its name. Sometimes it happened that supposedly the tributary of the "main" river turned out to be longer and more full-flowing than the river itself. Therefore, in order to avoid confusion, for the rating of the longest rivers in Russia, we have chosen only those that flow under the same name from source to mouth.

10. Ural - length 2428 km

The majestic Siberian Ural opens the rating of the longest rivers in Russia without tributaries. Although it occupies a modest tenth place, if you look only at Europe, it is second only to the Volga and Danube in length. Once the Cossacks, who began to explore the vastness of the Trans-Urals, called it Yaik. And until now, under the old name, it appears in numerous Cossack songs.

Ural is a capricious river; over the centuries, it has repeatedly changed its course, leaving scattered oxbow lakes, lakes and a dense network of channels in its basin in abundance. The Ural, like the Volga, flows into the Caspian Sea.

9. Ishim - 2450 km

For neighbors Ishim has greater value. In Russia, on the banks of this river is the only city of Ishim. While there are several of them in neighboring Kazakhstan, including even the capital of this country. True, you have to pay for popularity - according to the latest data from environmentalists, it is better not to swim in Ishim. The waters of the river carry, in addition to the usual household waste, also industrial waste– petroleum products, compounds of iron, oil and manganese. And all this wealth is also seasoned with pesticides washed into the river during the spill every year. Ishim flows into the Irtysh.

8. Vilyuy - 2650 km

The Vilyuy is the longest tributary of the Lena, which is by no means a small river. It flows through the territory of Yakutia and the Krasnoyarsk Territory. There are two hydroelectric power plants on the river, launched back in Soviet time. They provide light, heat and energy to nearby mining sites.

One of the tributaries of the Vilyui is a place of pilgrimage for ufologists, affectionately nicknamed by the old-timers "Valley of Death". According to rumors, there are huge mysterious objects that look like cauldrons, ranging in size from six to nine meters in diameter, and made of an incomprehensible metal.

7. Amur - 2824 km

“Clouds are gloomy over the Amur” - is sung in an old Soviet song. It is on this river, which separates the lands of the then USSR, and present-day Russia, from China, that three tankmen, the heroes of the song, serve.

The very name of the river speaks of its size - "Amur" comes from the word "damur", which means in the language local residents, Manchu, literally "big river". It begins in the steppes of Mongolia and flows into the Sea of ​​Okhotsk. Amur is exceptionally rich in fish - up to 139 various kinds fish. But only one quarter of this abundance is of commercial importance.

6. Lower Tunguska - 2989 km

Lower Tunguska almost as long as the river into which it flows - the Yenisei. Although in summer months the river is full-flowing (water flow reaches 31 thousand m3 / s), but in winter it barely gains a quarter of this amount. The reason is permafrost; frost-bound underground springs barely support the life of the river. But during the melting snow, Tunguska crushes rocks and uproots trees.

5. Yenisei - 3487 km

From the tributary of the Yenisei we pass to the Yenisei itself. The river separates Eastern Siberia from Western Siberia. The beginning of the Yenisei, the confluence of two tributaries, is located near the city of Kyzyl, the capital of Tuva. And it flows several thousand kilometers to the north, into the Kara Sea, forming a whole bay of its own name.

Throughout the Yenisei there are many cities, several hydroelectric power stations and a number of reservoirs. Also on the banks of the Yenisei are several the most beautiful reserves Russia - such as the Krasnoyarsk "Pillars" and the Sayano-Shushensky nature reserve.

4. Volga - 3531 km

The longest river in Europe, without a doubt, deserves the title of "mother". Since ancient times, Slavs and peoples settled on its banks, which later became part of Russia. For the first time, the Volga was mentioned in his Notes by the ancient geographer Herodotus. In the Middle Ages and Modern times, it served as a trade route connecting the north of the country with the south, and during the years of industrialization, after the establishment of Soviet power, hydroelectric power plants on the Volga provided industrial enterprises young state electricity.

The Volga begins with a modest, unremarkable spring flowing on the Valdai Upland, and ends with a delta more than 170 km wide.

3. Ob - 3650 km

The third longest river in Russia is the Ob. It would be the first if we count it together with the longest tributary, the Irtysh. Then its length would be an impressive 5410 km. The Ob basin is the largest in Russia - its total area is 2990 thousand km2.

Despite its size and high water (during the flood period, the Ob can overflow up to 30 km wide), the Ob spends most of the year under ice. Throughout the river there are many cities, including such large ones as Novosibirsk. The Ob flows into the bay named after itself in the Kara Sea.

2. Irtysh - 4248 km

If the development of Siberia had gone in a different way, the Irtysh would have been in the first place in the rating. But it happened as it happened, and the much longer Irtysh is considered only a tributary of the Ob, and together they take 6th place in the list of the longest rivers in the world.

The Irtysh originates in China, where the Chinese take almost a third of the flow for their needs, then it flows through the territory of Kazakhstan, where the river is already so large that ships can navigate it.

The Irtysh feeds both the industrial and agricultural enterprises of Kazakhstan, and provides water to the capital of the country, Astana. On the territory of Russia, the river also does not have to rest - there are many cities and several power plants on it.

1. The longest river in Russia - Lena (4400 km)

In the Yakut language, Lena's name sounds like " big river". The longest river in Russia stretches for 4400 km from the Baikal ranges to the Arctic Ocean and flows into the Laptev Sea. It flows in harsh conditions - the surrounding lands are bound by permafrost. Therefore, there are few cities on the Lena, and the largest of them is Yakutsk.

For many hundreds of kilometers, the river flows through an almost deserted area. Like other rivers in permafrost conditions, the Lena “feeds” almost completely on melted snow and rain, so in winter the water level in it is low. Lena spends most of the year under a thick layer of ice, freeing herself from it only for brief 4-5 warm months. Although the navigation period is short, cargo is rafted along the Lena, cruises take place, people go boating, go on river trips and visit sights. One of the most famous is the Shishkinsky rocks, where the creativity of ancient people has survived to this day.

List of largest rivers in Russia

The table shows 75 rivers with a length of at least 1000 km.

It can be said with great confidence that Russia is the country most provided with fresh water. On the territory of the Russian Federation there are more than 2.5 million rivers (both small and large). All of them belong to the three oceans. Let's talk with you about what are the most important rivers in Russia. The names of most of them have developed historically, so we will touch on the past a bit. On the territory of the Russian Federation there are a lot of amazing rivers and lakes.

Some general information

Approximately 70% of the rivers that are in Russia belong to the Arctic Ocean. The longest and deepest rivers, such as the Yenisei, the Oba, the Lena, etc., flow into the basin. The Pacific Ocean includes the Amur and Anadyr. The features of the last two are relatively small length and rapid flow. The Don belongs to the Atlantic Ocean basin. Don't miss one important point, which lies in the fact that many rivers are located in several border states at once, for example, in Mongolia, Ukraine or Belarus.

As noted above, there are more than 2.5 million rivers in Russia. This fact speaks of a huge stock fresh water. It is also very important for agriculture and industry. For example, there is no such problem as the drought of farmlands, which is due to sufficient water resources. It is impossible not to say that the total length of all the rivers of Russia is approximately 10 million km. You probably think that our country ranks first in the world in terms of water resources? No, unfortunately the latter. The first is Brazil, where the volume of fresh river water is somewhat larger.

The average long-term flow is 4290 cubic meters per year. This is quite a lot, but, given the uneven location of rivers in the country and various kinds of difficulties in organizing rational use water resource, stable annual flow is only 1400 cubic meters. As for the amount of water per person, in the Russian Federation it is about 18 thousand m 3 per year, while in the USA - 8 thousand m 3, in Finland - 23.9 thousand m 3 for the same period.

Let's take a closer look at the main rivers of Russia. The names are very different - invented by both other peoples and indigenous people. Let's start with the most interesting.

The main river of Russia is the Volga

Surface waters occupy 12.4% of the total territory of the country. Moreover, 84% is concentrated in the east of the Urals. On the territory of Russia there is one of the largest rivers in the whole world, and this is the Volga. Its basin occupies more than 30% of the European part of the Russian Federation. It flows through four regions and eleven republics.

If we list the rivers of Russia, the names of which are most often mentioned in history, then the Volga will be in the first place. Its length is more than 3,500 kilometers. This is the distance between Berlin and Moscow multiplied by two.

Of course, the Volga has just a huge economic importance, and has been used for hundreds of years as a transport highway, as well as one of the main sources of hydropower.

If speak about industrial production Russia as a whole, then approximately 45% of enterprises use the resource of the river in question. All this suggests that the Volga has great importance. If not for this reservoir, then life would be much more difficult for us.

The name of the major rivers of Russia, such as the Volga and others, must be remembered, if only because we get more than 80% of all fish from them.

The Volga originates on the Valdai Upland. Every year people come there to take a sip of the Volga water. In the indicated place, this river is a small spring, which becomes wider and deeper with every meter. Lotuses grow here - beautiful flowers that we all associate with the East. this great and ancient river dedicated to many songs as well as plays. You can talk endlessly about the beauty and grandeur of this river, but all this is not very impressive if you do not see the reservoir with your own eyes. You already know how many rivers there are in Russia, so let's talk about those that are of great importance for the development of the country.

Cupid, or "Black Dragon"

This giant is located in Transbaikalia. Crossing mountain ranges and plains, the Amur flows into the river. The river spreads over three states: Russia, Mongolia and China. Approximately three thousand kilometers of the border between Russia and China runs along the Amur. In China it is a dragon. According to legend, two dragons lived here for a very, very long time: white - evil, and black - good. When the black dragon defeated evil, he remained to live at the bottom. The Chinese have adopted this name.

It is noteworthy that on the border of the Amur basin one can observe an amazing spectacle - the change of four physical and geographical zones. There are steppe and semi-desert zones, as well as forest and forest-steppe zones. During the entire existence of the Amur, more than thirty peoples of the world and different ethnic groups settled in these places. If you recall the name of the major rivers of Russia, then the Amur immediately comes to mind.

It is safe to say that the wetlands of the Far Eastern giant are considered very valuable. natural complex. The fact is that fish resources are reproduced here, and the river is of great importance for the migration of hundreds of thousands of birds. It is on the Amur that almost 95% of the Far Eastern and 50% of the White-naped and Japanese cranes nest. There are over 5,000 species various plants and approximately 400 species of birds, as well as 70 species of mammals. One of the rarest is the Amur tiger.

AT last years the situation on the Amur became much worse. This is due to the active human intervention in the ecosystem of the river. The fact is that more than a hundred million people live in the Amur basin, and this is if we talk only about China. If we still know exactly how many rivers there are in Russia, then in a few years the Amur may not exist, and man will be to blame for everything.

Don is a witness of Russian history

According to the research, scientists were able to name the approximate time of the occurrence of this river. According to most scientists, Don appeared about 23 million years ago. This is the largest river in the south. In Greek literature, there is such a name as Tanais. A long time ago, the legendary Amazons lived here - warriors, who practically had no equal. There are also mentions of these female warriors in Russian stories, according to which, they often fought with the heroes of Russia.

If you list the rivers of Russia, the names of which were given by other peoples, then the Don is one of them. Iranian peoples for some time they lived in places of the Northern Black Sea region, then these tribes gave the name to the river, which is still used today. Don in translation into Russian means "river".

In many ways, the economy of the south depends on river transport. Most of them are carried out along the Don. It is safe to say that about 85% of the main industry is located on the banks of the river. Here and machine-building plants, food and chemical, as well as the tobacco industry. There was no lack of energy. On the Don is the Rostov NPP, as well as the Novovoronezh NPP.

It is worth paying your attention to the fact that there are three Dons all over the world. The most important is located on the territory of Russia, it is also the largest. The younger namesake flows in the Scottish county of Aberdeen. Another Don is located in York County, in England.

As you can see, the rivers located on the territory of Russia are very popular, and some are known even in far abroad countries. We continue our story further, because there is still a lot of interesting things.

What is the longest river in Russia?

The answer to this question is certainly of interest to many. The Lena River is the longest in Russia. In the world, it ranks tenth in length and eighth in fullness. It originates in the mountains in the south of Siberia and flows into the Laptev Sea. The length of the river is 4,400 kilometers.

On the slopes of the Baikal Ridge, Lena originates. In those places, this is a very small lake, which does not even have its own name. It is located at an altitude of about 930 meters above sea level, ten kilometers from Lake Baikal. Among the mountains, the Lena has no tributaries and flows along the bottom of a small valley. AT winter time almost completely freezes, and in summer it dries up almost completely.

Having received the first tributaries, the river becomes deeper and wider. Mountain currents are very fast and winding. If you ask what long river in Russia is of great importance for the country, then this is without a doubt the Lena. The fact is that this reservoir is the main highway Yakutia. Almost everything that is brought here from the north comes along the river. This is due to the poor condition of the roads.

It is impossible not to consider the issue of population. Studies have shown that few people live on the banks of the Lena. Main part settlements located in Yakutsk, otherwise we are talking only about

Today it is almost impossible to establish where the name came from. Scientists make assumptions that the origin of the name refers to the Tungus-Manchurian "Yelyu-Ene", which means "Big River".

The Russians discovered the reservoir in 1621. First, the explorer Pyanda did this, and then the centurion Peter Beketov.

"Borisfen", or Dnieper

This river flows through the territory of three countries: Russia, Belarus and Ukraine. Despite the fact that most of them are located in the Russian Federation, the Dnieper is of great importance for all the listed states. It is difficult to say exactly when this source of food and water appeared for the ancient peoples. However, even Herodotus in his treatises mentioned a river called "Borisfen" and its great importance for the population. Then he said that this is one of the most profitable rivers in the whole world. Much has been said about high quality water. It was transparent and pleasant to the taste. A large number of fish living in the Dnieper contributed to the development of fishing villages.

Today, the length of the river is approximately 2,201 kilometers, it ranks third in length in Europe. The Dnieper is characterized by a slow and calm current. In fact, this is a typical flat river.

The Dnieper originates on the Valdai Upland, which in Smolensk region. It flows into the Black Sea, or to be more precise, into the Dnieper-Bug Estuary.

If you list all the rivers flowing through the territory of Russia, then the Dnieper is one of the most fertile, as it has more than 400 tributaries and a lot of fish. Catfish, pike perch, carp, perch, as well as about a hundred species of various birds, including plover, herbalist, swan, duck and many others, live here.

You can talk endlessly about how beautiful the Dnieper is during sunset or dawn, but it's better to see all this once, and it doesn't matter where you are - in Russia, Ukraine or Belarus.

Yenisei is the real pride of the country

There are whole legends about the origin of this river. But all stories are not supported by facts. It is unknown where the name came from. Someone says that from the Tungus peoples, from the word "Yenesi", which means "big water" in translation. Another part of the researchers and scientists is inclined to the Kyrgyz origin from the word "enee-sai" - "mother river". But one thing is for sure: it is unique river. The fact is that camels are found in the upper reaches of the Yenisei, and if you go downstream, you can most likely meet entire families of polar bears hunting on the banks. It is noteworthy that on the left bank of the river there are Siberian plains, and on the right bank the taiga begins. The Yenisei also has a certain influence on the Arctic Ocean. The fact is that the Siberian rivers carry out a huge amount of heat, making the climate of the North less severe.

If to describe big rivers Russia, which take out significant volumes of water from their channel, then the Yenisei is in the first place. Approximately 600 km 3 of water per year goes into this river, several times more than the flow of the Volga. The length of the reservoir is 3,487 km, so it rightfully ranks fifth in length in the Russian Federation. The Yenisei is very beautiful, especially in summer and winter, when it is covered with greenery or snow. Certainly there are others long rivers Russia, which we will now talk about.

Oka and Ural

As you have probably already noticed, the name of the largest rivers in Russia is sometimes not at all connected with the activities of Russian people in their native territory. Oka, for example, originates from the Finno-Ugric word "ioku", which means "river" in translation. Since ancient times, the Oka has been an important trade artery. After that it became a defensive line of the south of Russia. For our country, the river is of great importance, since the whole central Russia lies on the banks of the Oka. The area of ​​its basin is a little over 240,000 km2. In fact, this is the same as the whole of the UK. The length of the river is 1,500 kilometers.

Although not the largest in Russia, it is of greater importance than the Nile for the Egyptians. There are several important nature reserves on the Oka. One of them is located in the central course - Prioksko-Terrasny, the second - Oksky State biosphere reserve- located in the Ryazan region.

Volga and Danube are the longest rivers in Europe. In third place is the Urals, which stretches for 2,428 kilometers. In ancient times, the river was called "Yaik", which means "flooding, overflowing" in Turkic. During the reign of Catherine II in 1775, the river was renamed the Ural, however, despite this, in Kazakhstan, most people use the former name.

As you can see, the name of the large rivers of Russia quite often has foreign origin. The peoples living on the territory of the country gave their names to the reservoirs.

The most surprising thing is that one coast of the Urals is located in Europe, and the second - in Asia. Today, along the course of the river, you can see many tourists and fishermen, but the shipping interest has practically disappeared, so it is difficult to call the Urals an important trade and transport artery of Russia.

Everyone should know

It is safe to say that it is necessary to remember the great rivers of Russia, because this is our history. For example, the Volga - one of the largest rivers in the world - enchants with its grandeur. Here you can meet amazing representatives flora and fauna. If you love nature, then be sure to go to the Urals. To be more precise, then visit its part, located a little lower than Orsk.

The gorge of the Guberlinsky Mountains, as well as the Orsky Gate, has beautiful views. There are many geological and landscape monuments here, which, although not of great importance for the infrastructure of Russia, are of interest to travelers. It is in the Urals that many lovers of active fishing gather. Here you can see a lot of tourists traveling along the stream.

The largest river in all respects is located in Siberia, and this is the Ob. It is formed by the confluence of two currents, such as Katun and Bii. The length is often considered from the very source of the Irtysh, in this case the river stretches 5,410 kilometers. There are a large number of industrial bases on the Ob. This is due to the fact that more than fifty species of various species live in this reservoir. aquatic life. Approximately 25 species of fish are of industrial importance, so shipping is very well developed here.

However, not everything is as rosy as it seems at first glance. Ecology is a significant problem. The name of the rivers of Russia (we reviewed the list above) has long become something familiar to us, so it is important to consider that some water bodies are endangered.

Conclusion

So we considered the name of the rivers of Russia. The list turned out to be impressive, but, in fact, it is only a few percent of the total water resource of the state.

Highly important issue, which rises more and more every year, is ecological situation. A large number of dams and chemical plants on the banks of large rivers significantly worsen the living conditions of their inhabitants. As a result, fish production is reduced, water quality suffers.

I would like to note that for Russia, small rivers are no less important than such giants as the Lena, Volga, etc. The fact is that they form the tributaries of many large rivers. But, as practice shows, uncontrolled water intake from small sources leads to their narrowing, shallow water and even drying out. Today, irretrievable consumption is approximately 4% per year, and this is quite a lot. At this rate, in 12 years, approximately 50% of small rivers will be lost.

Slightly improve the situation can only be as follows: by reducing the number Wastewater. But deal with the decision this issue hardly anyone is going to. All that ordinary people can do is not to engage in illegal fishing and not pollute the water.

Small business also causes great damage to the rivers of the Russian Federation, but this is incomparable with the harm caused by the activities of hydroelectric power plants and nuclear power plants. We should not forget that many rivers are located on the territory of several states at once. But if the population, for example, of Belarus is not so numerous, especially on the banks of rivers, then in China, hundreds of millions of people live in the coastal zone, depleting the natural resource.

In any case, take care of nature, do not throw garbage into the rivers, as this adversely affects the quality of the water we drink. In the end, all this is reflected in our health.

Russia is largest state in the world (its area is 17.12 million km 2, which is 12% of the earth's land), about 3 million rivers flow through its territory. Most are no different large sizes and has a relatively short length, their total length is 6.5 million km.

By the Ural Mountains and the Caspian Sea, the territory of Russia is divided into European and Asian parts. The rivers of the European part belong to the basins of such seas as the Black and Caspian, Baltic and to the basin of the Arctic Ocean. The rivers of the Asian part - the basins of the Arctic and Pacific Oceans.

Major rivers of Russia

The largest rivers of the European part are the Volga, Don, Oka, Kama, Northern Dvina, some originate in Russia, but flow into the seas on the territory of other countries (for example, the source of the Western Dvina River is the Valdai Upland, the Tver Region of the Russian Federation, the mouth is the Gulf of Riga, Latvia). Such large rivers as the Ob, Yenisei, Irtysh, Angara, Lena, Yana, Indigirka, Kolyma flow through the Asian part.

The Lena River, 4400 km long, is one of the longest rivers on our planet (7th place in the world), its sources are located near the deep-water fresh lake Baikal in Central Siberia.

The area of ​​its basin is 2490 thousand km². It has a western direction of flow, reaching the city of Yakutsk, it changes its direction to the north. Forming a huge delta at the mouth (its area is 32 thousand km 2), which is the largest in the Arctic, the Lena flows into the Laptev Sea, the basin of the Arctic Ocean. The river is the main transport artery of Yakutia, its largest tributaries are the Aldan, Vitim, Vilyui, Olekma rivers...

The Ob River passes through the territory of Western Siberia, its length is 3650 km, together with the Irtysh it forms a river system 5410 km long, and this is the sixth largest in the world. The area of ​​the Ob river basin is 2990 thousand km².

It starts in the Altai Mountains, at the headwaters of the confluence of the Biya and Katun rivers, in the southern part of Novosibirsk, the constructed dam forms a reservoir, the so-called "Ob Sea", then the river flows through the Gulf of Ob (area of ​​more than 4 thousand km²) into the Kara Sea, basin of the Arctic Ocean. The water in the river is characterized by a high content of organic matter and a low content of oxygen. It is used for commercial fish production (valuable species - sturgeon, sterlet, nelma, muksun, broad whitefish, whitefish, peled, as well as partial species - pike, ide, burbot, dace, roach, crucian carp, perch), power generation (Novosibirskaya HPP on the Ob, Bukhtarma and Ust-Kamenogorsk on the Irtysh), shipping ...

The length of the Yenisei River is 3487 km, it flows through the territory of Siberia, dividing it into the Western and Eastern parts. The Yenisei is one of the largest rivers in the world, together with its tributaries the Angara, the Selenga and the Ider, it forms a large river system 5238 km long, with a basin area of ​​2580 thousand km².

The river begins in the Khangai Mountains, on the Ider River (Mongolia), flows into the Kara Sea of ​​the Arctic Ocean basin. The river itself is called the Yenisei near the city of Kyzyl ( Krasnoyarsk region, Republic of Tuva), where the rivers Big and Small Yenisei meet. It has a large number of tributaries (up to 500), about 30 thousand km long, the largest ones: Angara, Abakan, Lower Tunguska. Kureika. Dudinka and others. The river is navigable, it is one of the most important waterways in the Krasnoyarsk Territory of Russia, such large hydroelectric power stations as Sayano-Shushenskaya, Mainskaya, Krasnoyarskaya are located downstream, timber is rafted on rafts ...

The Amur River, 2824 km long, with a basin area of ​​1855 thousand km², flows through Russia (54%), China (44.2%) and Mongolia (1.8%). Its origins are in the mountains of western Manchuria (China), at the confluence of the Shilka and Argun rivers. The current has an easterly orientation and passes through the territory of the Far East, starting at the Russian-Chinese border, its mouth is located in the Tatar Bay (its northern part is called the Amur Estuary) of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk, which belongs to the basin of the Arctic Ocean. Large tributaries: Zeya, Bureya, Ussuri, Anyui, Sungari, Amgun.

The river is characterized by sharp fluctuations in the water level, which is caused by summer and autumn monsoon precipitation, with heavy showers, a wide flood of water up to 25 km is possible, which lasts up to two months. The Amur is used for navigation, large hydroelectric power stations (Zeyskaya, Bureyskaya) have been built here, commercial fisheries have been developed (the Amur has the most developed ichthyofauna among all the rivers of Russia, about 140 species of fish live here, 39 species of them are commercial) ...

One of the most famous rivers flowing in the European part of Russia, for which the words from the song are composed "tofolk race, like a full-flowing sea» - Volga. Its length is 3530 km, the basin area is 1360 thousand km² (1/3 of the entire European part of Russia), most of it passes through the territory of Russia (99.8%), the smaller part - Kazakhstan (0.2%).

This is one of the largest rivers in Russia and throughout Europe. Its origins are on the Valdai plateau in the Tver region, it flows into the Caspian Sea, forming a delta, along the way receiving water from more than two hundred tributaries, the most significant of them is the left tributary of the Volga, the Kama River. The area around the riverbed (15 subjects are located here Russian Federation) is called the Volga region, there are four large millionaire cities: Nizhny Novgorod, Kazan, Samara and Volgograd, 8 hydroelectric power stations of the Volga-Kama cascade ...

The Ural River, 2428 km long (third place in Europe after the Volga and Danube) and with a basin area of ​​​​2310 thousand km², is unique in that it divides the mainland of Eurasia into two parts of the world, Asia and Europe, therefore one of its banks lies in Europe, the other - in Asia.

The river flows through the territory of Russia and Kazakhstan, begins on the slopes of Uraltau (Bashkortostan), flows from north to south, then changes direction several times to the west, then to the south, then to the east, forms an estuary with branches and flows into the Caspian. For navigation, the Urals are used to a small extent, in the Orenburg region, the Iriklinskoe reservoir and hydroelectric power station were built on the river, commercial fishing is carried out (sturgeon, roach, bream, pike perch, carp, asp, catfish, Caspian salmon, sterlet, nelma, kutum) ...

The Don River is one of the largest rivers in the European part of Russia, its length is 1870 km, the basin area is 422 thousand km², it is the fourth in Europe after the Volga, Dnieper and Danube in terms of water throughput.

This river is one of the most ancient, its age is 23 million years, the sources are in the small town of Novomoskovsk ( Tula region), here begins the small river Urvanka, which gradually grows and absorbs the water of other tributaries (there are about 5 thousand of them) spills into a wide channel and flows over large areas of southern Russia, flowing into the Taganrog Bay Sea of ​​Azov. The main tributaries of the Don are the Seversky Donets, Khoper, Medveditsa. The river is rapids and shallow, has a typical flat character, such large million-plus cities as Voronezh and Rostov-on-Don are located here. The Don is navigable from the mouth to the city of Voronezh, there are several reservoirs, the Tsimlyansk hydroelectric station ...

The Northern Dvina River, with a length of 744 km and a basin area of ​​357 thousand km², is one of the largest navigable rivers in the European part of Russia.

Its origins are the confluence of the Sukhona and Yug rivers under Veliky Ustyug (Vologda region), it has a northern direction of flow to Arkhangelsk, then north-western and again northern, near Novodvinsk (a city in the Arkhangelsk region) forms a delta consisting of several branches, its area is about 900 km², and flows into the Dvina Bay White Sea, Arctic Ocean basin. The main tributaries are Vychegda, Vaga, Pinega, Yumizh. The river is navigable along its entire length; the oldest paddle steamer, built in 1911, “N.V. Gogol "...

The Neva River flowing through the territory Leningrad region, connecting Lake Ladoga with the Gulf of Finland in the Baltic Sea, is one of the most picturesque and full-flowing rivers in Russia. The length is 74 km, the basin area of ​​48 thousand rivers and 26 thousand lakes is 5 thousand km². 26 rivers and rivulets flow into the Neva, the main tributaries are the Mga, Izhora, Okhta, Chernaya Rechka.

Neva - the only river, flowing from the Shlisselburg Bay in Lake Ladoga, its channel flows through the territory of the Neva Lowland, the mouth is located in the Neva Bay of the Gulf of Finland, which is part of the Baltic Sea. On the banks of the Neva there are such cities as St. Petersburg, Shlisselburg, Kirovsk, Otradnoye, the river is navigable along its entire length ...

The Kuban River in the very south of Russia originates in Karachay-Cherkessia at the foot of Mount Elbrus ( Caucasian mountains) and flows through the territory North Caucasus, forming a delta, flows into the Sea of ​​Azov. The length of the river is 870 km, the basin area is 58 thousand km², 14 thousand tributaries, the largest of them are Afips, Laba, Pshish, Mara, Dzheguta, Gorkaya.

The largest reservoir in the Caucasus is located on the river - Krasnodar, the Kuban cascade of hydroelectric power stations, the cities of Karachaevsk, Cherkessk, Armavir, Novokubansk, Krasnodar, Temryuk ...