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340 Rivers Trivia Questions, Answers, and Fun Facts

How much do you know about Rivers? This category is for trivia questions and answers related to Rivers (Geography). Each one is filled with fun facts and interesting information.
1 The Amazon, the world's largest river in terms of discharge volume, travels through six countries. How many national capitals are located on this river?
Answer: Zero

The Amazon has the largest drainage basin in the world and discharges about 209,000 cubic metres per second or 55,000,000 US gal/second which is greater than the next seven largest rivers in the world combined. This represents 20% of the global ocean discharge from rivers.
The Amazon River is in the northern half of South America, flowing from west to east. It originates in the Andes Mountains in Peru then travels through Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Bolivia, and Brazil before reaching the Atlantic Ocean 6400 kilometres or 4000 miles (approximately) later.

There are no capital cities on the river for two reasons: The river is actually a huge flood plain and along most of its length are protected conservation areas to preserve fauna and flora.

There are three major cities on the river: Iqitos in Peru, Manhaus in the centre of Brazil and Belem on the river's delta near the Atlantic coast. It is possible to reach Manhaus, a city of two million people, by road but it is an 11 hour bus journey from Boa Vista in northern Brazil or 36 hours from Venezuela. Iquitos, a city of nearly half a million, can only be reached by river or plane.

Another fascinating piece of trivia: Not one bridge crosses the Amazon in its entire 6400 km length. While any such bridge would be very long there are no plans to build one as the population around the river is very small and ferries are all that is required.
  From Quiz: To Witness The Power of Pure Water
2 This river is the longest river in Afghanistan. What is its name?
Answer: Helmand

The Helmand River is the longest river in Afghanistan. It flows for 1,150 km (710 miles) and rises approximately 80 km (50 miles) west of Kabul, in the Hindu Kush mountains and it has no outlet to the sea. The river water is used mainly by farmers for irrigation. The river feeds into Lake Hamun which is on the border between Afghanistan and Iran.
  From Quiz: Up the Lazy River
3 In which area of Russia does the Volga River rise?
Answer: Valdai Hills

The Volga is the main waterway in this great nation. Its importance to the Russian people stretches far back into the mists of time, leading to this river being given the affectionate title "Mother Volga". It contains many locks which were built to bypass reservoirs and dams. Trade is important upstream and downstream on this giant waterway, with building materials, fish, and grain ferried to its upper regions, and lumber shipped downstream.
    Your options: [ Valdai Hills ] [ Himalayas ] [ The Alps ] [ Mato Grosso ]
  From Quiz: Amazing Trading Rivers of the World
4 Early Shoshone Native Americans made a curved shape with their hands to convey to early explorers, "This river has a good run of salmon". Europeans mistook the sign and named the river what?
Answer: Snake

The Snake begins in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, USA, then flows through Oregon, Idaho and Washington. With steep mountains and deep canyons, it is part of the largest North American river system to empty, eventually, into the Pacific Ocean. Shoshone and Nez Perce peoples have lived along this river since prehistoric times. In its best years it ran millions of salmon.

The answer isn't Marilyn, though a curvy gesture does suggests a bombshell beauty.
  From Quiz: Ol' Rabbit River Just Keeps Rollin'
5 The HMS Duddon, H-37 Garnier Sampaio, and HrMs Johan Maurits van Nassau have all used the name of this river upon which Humphrey Bogart's famous film steamboat, the "African Queen", was also built and launched. What river is this?
Answer: Ribble

The first HMS Ribble was built in the North East in 1904. The second was borrowed by the Dutch in World War Two and renamed HrMs Johan Maurits van Nassau. The third was launched as HMS Duddon but was given to Canada in 1944 and renamed HMCS Ribble. The last one was sold to Brazil in 1995 and recommissioned as H-37 Garnier Sampaio. The "African Queen" was built by Lytham Shipbuilding and Engineering Limited in 1912. It is currently berthed in Key Largo, Florida, but is not in good shape despite being placed on the US Register of Historic Places in 1992. Phoenix Rising member mikew41 created this question.
    Your options: [ Humber ] [ Mersey ] [ Ribble ] [ Thames ]
  From Quiz: Rivers of Phoenix Rising 2
6 This river in England separates Manchester and Salford city centres. It flows near the heart of Manchester city centre to become the start of the "Big Ditch". What is this river called?
Answer: River Irwell

The River Irwell is 39 miles long and separates Manchester and Salford city centres, yet flows close to the heart of Manchester city centre. The "Big Ditch" is a term used to describe the Manchester Ship Canal, which helped Salford and Manchester become a major port in the late 19th century. Despite its polluted past the River Irwell has been cleaned up somewhat and is stocked with fish in places. It is also the river where Manchester and Salford Universities have their boat race. Phoenix Rising member zonko created this question.
  From Quiz: Rivers of Phoenix Rising
7 Which body of water does not drain into the St. Lawrence River watershed?
Answer: Lake of the Woods

Any body of water feeding the Great Lakes drains into the St. Lawrence, but the Lake of the Woods (mostly in Ontario and Minnesota) drains, via the Winnipeg River, into Lake Winnipeg, and thus into the Hudson Bay watershed. Lac St.-Jean (in Quebec), drains into the Saguenay River, a tributary of the St. Lawrence. Lake Winnebago (in Wisconsin) drains into Lake Michigan via the Fox River, and Cayuga Lake (in New York), drains into Lake Ontario via the Seneca and Oswego Rivers.
    Your options: [ Cayuga Lake ] [ Lake of the Woods ] [ Lac St.-Jean ] [ Lake Winnebago ]
  From Quiz: Watersheds of North America
8 Lule, Dal and Ume are the principal rivers of which country?
Answer: Sweden

They all drain into the Gulf of Bothnia.
    Your options: [ Indonesia ] [ Denmark ] [ Malaysia ] [ Sweden ]
  From Quiz: This River Runs Through It
9 On the Danube, upstream travel is between which cities in the direction indicated?
Answer: Vienna to Linz

The Danube empties into the Black Sea, and begins in Germany. Graz lies on the Mur, not the Danube.
    Your options: [ Vienna to Budapest ] [ Vienna to Linz ] [ Budapest to Graz ] [ Budapest to Belgrade ]
  From Quiz: European and North American Rivers: Upstream or D
10 What river flowing generally in a southwesterly direction, is about 970 miles long, and empties into the Mississippi river?
Answer: Ohio

The Ohio river is a major tributary of the Mississippi river. Starting at the confluence of the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers in Pittsburgh,PA. The Ohio river then empties into the Mississippi river at Cairo,Ill. The Susquehanna river flows southward until it reaches the Chesapeake Bay. The Columbia river flows in a generally west direction and empties into the Pacific Ocean. The Pecos river is about 926 miles long and flows into the Rio Grande.
  From Quiz: Rivermania
11 A temporary body of water formed in a meander cut-off is what type of lake?
Answer: Oxbow

After a flood, when a river may change its form, meander cut-offs are left full of water. Over time, these lakes are filled with sediment leaving scars on the land surface. They are called oxbow lakes because they resemble the U-shaped piece of wood fitted around the neck of a harnessed ox.
  From Quiz: River Landforms
12 What river runs through Baghdad?
Answer: Tigris

Originates at Lake Hazar.
  From Quiz: Rivers 3
13 Into which body of water does the Rio Grande river flow?
Answer: Gulf of Mexico

For part of the Rio Grande's course this 1885 mile long river, is the boundary between USA and Mexico.
    Your options: [ Gulf of California ] [ Caribbean Sea ] [ Gulf of Mexico ] [ Pacific Ocean ]
  From Quiz: Where Do These Rivers Flow?
14 Along with the Tigris, what other river forms Mesopotamia and empties into the Persian Gulf?
Answer: Euphrates

Found in modern-day Iraq, these rivers form the lifeblood of the Persian Gulf.
  From Quiz: Rivers Around the World
15 Partially ice-bound in the winter, this river is a major shipping artery out of the Great Lakes.
Answer: St. Lawrence

From Lake Ontario to Anticosti Island in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, this river is 750 mi. in length.
    Your options: [ Klondike ] [ St. Lawrence ] [ Ottawa ] [ Saguenay ]
  From Quiz: Rivers of North America
16 The Nile, the longest river in the world, passing through nine countries, has three national capitals located on the river itself. Cairo and Khartoum are two, what is the third?
Answer: Juba

The Nile river has a total length of about 6,650 km (4,130 mi) between Lake Victoria and the Mediterranean Sea. The Nile is the longest river and is the only major African river than flows south to north.

The Nile, known as the White Nile above Khartoum, starts in Burundi, flows into Lake Victoria and flows northward where it meets the Blue Nile (which commences in Ethiopia) at Khartoum the capital of Sudan. It continues as the Nile, passing through Cairo before it reaches the Mediterranean Sea at Alexandria.
  From Quiz: To Witness The Power of Pure Water
17 After a long flight south, I reach my next destination, a South American city located deep in the heart of the Amazon rainforest, at the confluence of the Rio Negro and the Solimões - two rivers that together form the mighty Amazon. Where am I?
Answer: Manaus

Manaus, the capital of the Brazilian state of Amazonas, has a population of about 2 million. Because of its unique location, it is generally reached by boat or plane, though in recent years roads have been built that pass close to the city. Manaus was founded in the late 17th century as a fort named Fort de São José da Barra do Rio Negro, then elevated to town status in 1832 with the name of Manaus (after the indigenous Manaós people). In the late 19th century, the rubber boom made Manaus the richest city in South America, nicknamed the Paris of the Tropics for its sophisticated and extravagant lifestyle - which included the introduction of electricity and the building of an opera house, the Teatro Amazonas. When the boom ended, the city underwent an abrupt decline, which lasted for most of the 20th century. In the 1960s, the introduction of a free trade zone and the opening of new roads encouraged the regrowth of the city's population. Now Manaus is one of Brazil's largest cities, with a thriving tourist industry that makes the most of the city's unique environment and culture. The Rio Negro ("black river") gets its name from the tannins from decaying vegetal matter that stain its water a dark brown colour; it is the Amazon's largest tributary (2,250 km/1,400 mi), and the one of the world's ten largest rivers in term of discharge. Solimões is the name given to the upper part of the Amazon River in Brazilian Portuguese.

The three remaining options are all major South American cities, two of them (Buenos Aires and Lima) also national capitals.
  From Quiz: Down by the River
18 The Darling River is the ninth in our worldwide list of wide world rivers, at around 20km. Where would you find it?
Answer: Australia

At 915 miles (1,472km) long, it rises in northern New South Wales and flows to join the Murray River. The entire Murray-Darling system is 1,767 miles (2,844km) long. The Darling has dried up on numerous occasions. In the late 19th century, it was an important transportation system.
  From Quiz: The Water Is Wide
19 Flowing through Switzerland and France, which river also lends its name to a well known wine region?
Answer: Rhone

The Rhone was historically important as a trade route between the Mediterranean Sea and the inland cities of France. Rising in the Swiss Alps, it traverses the Swiss cities of St-Maurice and Geneva, among others, before entering France where it passes through Lyon, Avignon and Arles.

The Rhone wine region is located in the Rhone valley in the southern part of France. It is famous for the red wine produced from the Syrah grape and the white wines produced from the Marsanne and Rousanne grapes.
    Your options: [ Rhone ] [ Oder ] [ Vistula ] [ Elbe ]
  From Quiz: A River Runs Through This Quiz
20 In which Asian country would I find the Ishikari, Shiribetsu and Anano rivers?
Answer: Japan

All these rivers are found on Japan's second largest island, Hokkaido. The Ishikari river runs for 268 kilometres, the Shiribetsu river is 126 kilometres long while the Anano river is only 9.4 kilometres.
    Your options: [ China ] [ Japan ] [ India ] [ Korea ]
  From Quiz: Worldly Waterways
21 What is the name of the longest river in Scotland?
Answer: Tay

As well as being the longest river in Scotland at 188 km (117 miles), the Tay is the seventh longest river in the UK. The Tay flows across the Highlands from the slopes of Ben Lui in western Scotland. After flowing through three lochs, it travels through the centre of Scotland at Strathray, then flows through Perth in the southeast, and then to its mouth at the Firth of Tay. By volume, it is the largest river in the UK, its catchment being about 5,200 sq km (2,000 square miles).

The Tay has a large population of Atlantic salmon, freshwater pearl mussels and Eurasian otters. Anglers come from all over the world to fish for Atlantic salmon. The British record for the largest salmon ever caught by rod weighed 64 lbs, and was caught in the Tay River in 1922. The Tay has many tributaries that are also renowned for salmon fishing.
  From Quiz: Up the Lazy River
22 Into which body of water does Africa's Congo River empty?
Answer: Atlantic Ocean

The Congo is almost 3,000 miles long. Interestingly, it is the deepest river in the world, reaching depths of 750 feet. The area of Africa through which it makes its long journey badly lacks roads and railways, apart from the very minimum of these. The Congo then is the lifeline that holds the economy together. Products that are ferried along this river include copper, palm oil, sugar, coffee and cotton. The Congo is also a vital source of produced electricity. Astonishingly, by the turn of the 21st century, it possessed forty hydropower plants along its journey, with more planned. These produce thirteen percent of the world's entire hydropower generated electricity. With the potential for many more to be constructed, the very real possibility exists for the Congo to become a leading trader in this necessity of the modern world.
    Your options: [ Atlantic Ocean ] [ Antarctic Ocean ] [ Caribbean Sea ] [ English Channel ]
  From Quiz: Amazing Trading Rivers of the World
23 This river in South Africa is called the Apies after an animal that once thrived there but in modern times encountered troubles. Jane Goodall might approve of the name. What does "apies" mean?
Answer: Little Apes

Apies means apes. The river was named by early settlers, the Ndebele, after a Chief Tshwane ("Little Ape"), later translated to apies. The river runs through the National Zoological Gardens of South Africa in Pretoria, one of the top ten zoos in the world. Jane Goodall was awarded the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, in part for her work with chimpanzees, an ape closely related to humans. An aepyornis is a flightless bird in Madagascar. Gorillas were the subject of studies by Dian Fossey.
  From Quiz: Ol' Rabbit River Just Keeps Rollin'
24 What is the name of the river in Malacca, Malaysia, that was once an important trade route during the 1400s?
Answer: Malacca

The Malacca River was the founding place of the Malacca Sultanate. Trading was done along a bridge, now known as the Tan Boon Seng Bridge, where one could barter for goods from the East and the West. The capture of this bridge by the Portuguese led to the downfall of the Malacca Sultanate. Phoenix Rising member purelyqing created this question.
  From Quiz: Rivers of Phoenix Rising 2
25 Which river flows through Western Australia's capital city, Perth, and is named after that State's bird emblem?
Answer: Swan

The 'Dreamtime' legends of the Australian aborigines indicate that the Swan River was formed by the giant serpent, Wagyl, as it moved over the land. The Dutch explorer, Willem De Vlamingh, named the river the 'Swarte Swaene Revier' after the proliferation of black swans in the area. Phoenix Rising member pollucci19 created this question.
    Your options: [ Swan ] [ Franklin ] [ Peregrine ] [ Curlew ]
  From Quiz: Rivers of Phoenix Rising
26 On the Rhine, when would you be swimming upstream?
Answer: Bonn to Coblenz

The Rhine begins in Switzerland, tumbles down the earth-rumbling falls at Schaffhausen, winds through the Black Forest, through the romantic hilly castle country of middle Germany, and splits into a delta shortly before Arnhem. It then empties into the North Sea near Rotterdam. My Dutch philosophy professor used to say that by the time the Rhine reached the Netherlands, the water in it had been drunk twice.
  From Quiz: European and North American Rivers: Upstream or D
27 What river is navigable by ship up to 2000 miles upstream from where it empties into the ocean?
Answer: Amazon

Ocean going ships of up to 3000 tons can navigate the Amazon river as far as Iquitos. This very mighty river discharges 180,000 cubic meters of water per second. The Amazon river is the world's second longest river. But the Amazon river is first in the world by far in its sheer volume of water flowing into the Atlantic Ocean.
  From Quiz: Rivermania
28 This type of stream flows parallel to another, unable to join due to the natural levees caused by the larger river.
Answer: Yazoo

The Mississippi River has many yazoo streams running alongside it. The yazoo stream flows along the larger river for some distance before a 'weakness' can be found in the levees along the river.
    Your options: [ Mere ] [ Ogive ] [ Tidal ] [ Yazoo ]
  From Quiz: River Landforms
29 Which river drains Lake Baikal, the world's deepest lake?
Answer: Yenisei-Angara

Lake Baikal is located in the Buryat Autonomous Republic in Russia. It covers 31,500 square kilometers, and its maximum depth is 1,620 meters. It even has its own web page!
    Your options: [ Ob ] [ Yenisei-Angara ] [ Sungari ] [ Paraguay ]
  From Quiz: Rivers of the World
30 What river is at the bottom of the Grand Canyon?
Answer: Colorado

The Colorado flows through seven states.
  From Quiz: Rivers 3
31 Which river pours the most water into the ocean?
Answer: Amazon

It's the river with the highest volume of water. It is second in length to the Nile.
    Your options: [ Ganges ] [ Amazon ] [ Thames ] [ Nile ]
  From Quiz: Rivers 2
32 Into which body of water does the Rhine river flow?
Answer: North Sea

The Rhine is a very important commercial river in Europe.
    Your options: [ English Channel ] [ Atlantic Ocean ] [ North Sea ] [ Baltic Sea ]
  From Quiz: Where Do These Rivers Flow?
33 On which continent would you find the Lena River?
Answer: Asia

It is the tenth longest river in the world and is in Russia.
    Your options: [ North America ] [ Australia ] [ South America ] [ Asia ]
  From Quiz: Rivers Of The World
34 What river was the basis of early civilization in Egypt?
Answer: Nile

A 2006 survey discovered that it is even longer than previously estimated.
  From Quiz: Rivers Around the World
35 Formed at the confluence of the Monongahela and Allegheny rivers, this river flows mostly southwest into the Mississippi river.
Answer: Ohio

The Ohio River originates in the area of Pittsburgh, and is approx. 980 mi. long.
    Your options: [ Missouri ] [ Ohio ] [ Red ] [ Colorado ]
  From Quiz: Rivers of North America
36 At number eight in our list of wide rivers is the Huang He. By what other name is it also known?
Answer: Yellow River

It is also one of the longest in Asia and has a width of between 20 and 25km.
With a length of 3,395 miles (5,464 km), it is China's second longest river. It rises on the Plateau of Tibet and flows to the Bo Hai (Gulf of Chihli).
  From Quiz: The Water Is Wide
37 Which large country is home to the Lena, Amur and Ob rivers?
Answer: Russia

The Ob and Lena are found within the Siberian region of Russia and empty out into the Arctic Ocean. These two rivers are found entirely within the territorial boundaries of Russia. The Amur forms the boundary between Russia and China. The Chinese name for the river is Heilong Jiang which translates to Black Dragon River.
    Your options: [ Russia ] [ Canada ] [ Brazil ] [ Afghanistan ]
  From Quiz: A River Runs Through This Quiz
38 The Rio Loa is the longest river in which South American country?
Answer: Chile

The Rio Loa (Loa River) is the longest river in Chile at 440 km long. It rises on the slopes of the Andes Mountains near the Mino Volcano. On its way to the Pacific Ocean, the Loa flows south for about 150 km. At this stage, the river is quite elevated above sea level and large volumes of water flow into the Loa from the Andes. Once the river reaches Chiu Chiu, it flows west and then curves to the north to Quillagua, where it turns west again. It flows into the Pacific Ocean south of the port of Huanillos.

Many geoglyphs, petroglyphs and pictographs can be found along the length of the Loa, proving that the banks of the river have been habituated for many, many years.
    Your options: [ Chile ] [ Bolivia ] [ Argentina ] [ Peru ]
  From Quiz: Up the Lazy River
39 The biggest and most important waterway in China is the Yellow River. For centuries, the people have referred to this river by which title?
Answer: The cradle of Chinese civilisation

The history of this mighty river is fascinating. Its giant floods, its massive change of direction, its enormous cost of life - it's almost as though this massive waterway is a country in its own right. Just one little snippet in this regard: such is the amount of sediment deposited in some parts of the river, the resulting build up of the same actually causes the river to flow ABOVE the level of the lands it flows through. For thousands of years this stupendous river has seen the enormous development of agricultural products. This allowed the increasing population along its banks to store and trade in these crops. With this then came the craftsmen and the artisans to add their products to an ever-growing trade along the river. Cites built around this economy grew from this. Today the river is an important source of hydroelectricity as well. In 2010, more than 2,000 representatives of investment firms from all around the world converged in the "Shandong province to participate in the first Economic Trade Fair of the Yellow River Delta High-Efficient Eco-Economic zone".
    Your options: [ The cradle of Chinese civilisation ] [ The mother of Chinese civilisation ] [ The father of Chinese civilisation ] [ The grandma of Chinese civilisation ]
  From Quiz: Amazing Trading Rivers of the World
40 The Limpopo River has its source in the African interior, with the nearest large settlement being Johannesburg. It then travels just over one thousand miles until it reaches the sea at the town of Xai-xai. In which country is Xai-xai?
Answer: Mozambique

For over half its length, the Limpopo follows the borders between South Africa and Botswana and Zimbabwe. The town of Xai-xai, at the mouth of the river, is on the coast of the Indian Ocean, in Mozambique.
    Your options: [ Mozambique ] [ Zimbabwe ] [ South Africa ] [ Tanzania ]
  From Quiz: Final Destination
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