Beware of These Dangerous Rivers! Quiz

Answer: Ganges River

The Ganges River flows 2,525 km (1,569 miles) from the Himalayas through India and Bangladesh to the Bay of Bengal. It is one of the most frequented waterways in the world, supporting over 400 million people who use it for various purposes. People use it for daily activities (e.g. bathing, fishing, and transport) as well as for religious practices for Hindus who see its water as divine.

The Ganges, however, has strong currents and often floods. The amount of people this affects causes it to be one of the rivers with the largest amount of deaths per year. Many cross it in small, overcrowded boats, which are prone to capsizing. Many people in the area cannot swim. In parts of the Ganges River basin, drowning is the leading cause of death for children under five years old. In addition, the river is heavily polluted by untreated industrial waste from tanneries and chemical plants, domestic sewage, and religious offerings. This causes additional deaths from illnesses and disease.

Answer: Africa

The Nile River is regarded as the longest river in the world and runs northward through eleven countries in Africa. It is 6,650 km (4,130 miles) long where it starts in Lake Victoria and ends in the Mediterranean Sea. Throughout history, the Nile has been incredibly important for civilizations throughout the African continent.

The Nile may be known as the "giver of life," yet it is responsible for fatalities every year. Crocodiles and hippos live in the river and pose deadly threats to humans. However, it is a much smaller animal that is a much bigger problem. Mosquitoes cannot be understated. They are one of the most dangerous features of the Nile River due to their disease-carrying abilities. These insects find the Nile area as a breeding ground and spread diseases such as the West Nile virus, dengue fever, and malaria.

Answer: Brazil

The Amazon River is located in the northern portion of South America, flowing from west to east. The river system originates in the Andes Mountains of Peru and travels through nine countries before emptying into the Atlantic Ocean. The river is believed to be 6,400 km (4,000 miles) long and has the world's largest river basin, with 60% of it lying in the country of Brazil.

The river holds many dangers and its animal life contributes highly to it. The Amazon is filled with dangerous animals, such as bull sharks, piranha, and black caiman crocodiles. Green anacondas, which suffocate their prey by constriction, and electric eels, which can produce shocks of up to 600 volts, swim in its water.

Answer: Three Gorges

The Yangtze River is the longest river in Asia and is the third longest river in the world, with a length of 6,300 km (3,915 miles). It starts on the Tibetan plateau and flows through many mountainous areas until it reaches the East China Sea. It supports nearly one-third of China's population as a source of transportation, agriculture, and hydroelectric power.

However, the river has a long history of floods and a recent history of pollution. There are three major gorges on the Yangtze. The longest and most dangerous of the three, Xiling, was particularly infamous for its rapids and swirling whirlpools. At one point it was called a "witches' cauldron of turbulence". The building of Three Gorges Dam has helped somewhat but those traveling the Yangtze must still keep a careful eye out for the swirling waters.

Answer: Victoria Falls

The Zambezi River flows through six countries in the southern part of Africa. It starts in Zambia on the Central Africa Plateau and runs 3,540 km (2,200 miles) to the Indian Ocean. Along the way it forms Victoria Falls. The river provides power, food and transport for many people, and is a home for a great diversity of wildlife. It also serves as a tourist attraction for many visitors to the area.

Besides Victoria, the river also houses Chavuma Falls and Ngonye Falls. Whereas these roaring waters are impressive, they cause rushing currents that conceal huge stones and trenches in the riverbed, posing risks to navigation and a large safety factor. The Zambezi falls also contain underwater caves which makes for a temptation to divers but poses extreme danger, even to experienced sportspeople. Finally, the area around the falls also supports a vast number of crocodiles.

Answer: True

The Mississippi River is one of the largest rivers in North America. It flows 3,770 km (2,340 miles) from its start in the state of Minnesota to its eventual ending at the Gulf of Mexico. The river goes through ten US states and its watershed covers 32 states and two Canadian provinces. The Mississippi serves as a vital transportation route for the United States of America, provides a critical habitat for animals, and is a huge part of American history.

Despite its placid image, this river is incredibly dangerous for swimming. There are numerous undercurrents, many of which are unpredictable, that can easily pull a swimmer down into its depths. There is also large debris in the water that is hard to navigate and almost impossible to avoid if one is being pulled by the current. The river's current also changes with water levels, becoming faster during high water and potentially creating hazards like sandbars which make the river dangerous for swimmers, boaters, and even large vessels.

Answer: Boiling temperatures

The Shanay-Timpishka, more popularly known as the "Boiling River of the Amazon", is a tributary of the Pachitea River. It is located in the central Amazon rainforest of Peru. The entire river system is around 9 km (5.6 miles), but only the lower 6.3 km (3.9 miles) is thermal. A geothermal process happens when water from the Amazon forest seeps into the earth, gets heated deep underground, and rises back up.

Water temperatures range from 45 °C (113 °F) to nearly 100 °C (212 °F) at the hottest point in this river. This kind of high temperature can cause severe burns or death to those entering the water. Small animals that accidentally fall in are often boiled alive. Indigenous people have long known about the river and integrated it into their sacred practices, but have long understood its dangerous nature and avoided entering the water.

Answer: Orinoco River

The Orinoco River is a major waterway in South America that stretches 2,740 km (1,700 miles). It starts in the Guiana Highlands and flows through Venezuela to the Atlantic Ocean. It passes through rain forests and large savanna areas. Along the way it serves as a vital transportation route, supports local fishing and farming industries, and provides hydroelectric power.

This river's beauty hides a deceptive danger, however. Its extremely winding path through the land makes navigation very treacherous. Flooding from seasonal rains also adds to the navigation problem and can cause accidents on submerged objects. In addition to the difficult navigation, the water itself contains high amounts of mercury due to illegal mining operations.

Answer: World's deepest river

The Congo River system is in central Africa and has an overall length of 4,700 km (2,900 miles). It starts in Zambia and passes through six countries before ending in the Atlantic Ocean. It is also the world's deepest river with some areas measuring 220m (720 ft) deep. The Congo River and its basin support a unique ecological system, including the world's second-largest tropical rainforest. This includes over 700 species of fish and various endangered species like mountain gorillas and forest elephants.

The Congo River, however, poses danger to those trying to navigate the waters. Chief among its dangers is the large number of rapids and swift currents. There is even a part of its lower section knows as "The Gates of Hell". In addition, the river is so deep at places that even light cannot penetrate which hides hidden obstacles and causes further difficulty in navigation. Many of the local boats and barges are in poor condition and are no match for the tumultuous ride.

Answer: Mining

The Rio Tinto River, found in Spain, is 100 km (62 mi) long. It starts in the Sierra Morena mountains of Andalusia and ends in Gulf of Cadiz. The Río Tinto river has a unique red and orange colour derived from its chemical makeup that is extremely acidic and with very high levels of iron and heavy metals. Interestingly, the Rio Tinto provides a unique environment for astrobiological research due to its similarity to Mars. It serves as a site for studying unique organisms and developing space exploration technologies,

Whereas the river offers a unique study ground, its very composition causes it to be extremely dangerous. Due to its natural acidity (the water is acidic as lemon juice) and all the mining runoff over the years, the river is uninhabitable for most life forms. It is considered one of the most heavily polluted river and estuary systems in the world.