This is a list of rivers of the Americas, it includes major historical or physiological significant rivers of the Americas grouped by region where they are located (Central America, Northern America, West Indies and South Americas). The longest rivers in each country are included. Further details and references are provided in each river's separate article. Unusually significant tributaries appear in this list, under the river into which they drain.
The longest river in the Americas is the Amazon River. The length of the Amazon River is usually said to be "at least" 6,400 km (4,000 mi),[1] but reported values lie anywhere between 6,275–7,025 km (3,899–4,365 mi).[2]
The length measurements of many rivers are only approximations and differ from each other because there are many factors that determine the calculated river length, such as the position of the geographical source and the mouth, the scale of measurement, and the length measuring techniques (for details see also List of rivers by length).[2][3]
There are 11 countries in the Americas that do not have rivers: Anguilla,[4] Aruba, Bermuda,[5] Bonaire, Cayman Islands,[6] Curaçao, Saba, Saint Barthélemy, Saint Martin, Sint Eustatius, and Sint Maarten.
The water in rivers in Central America flows to either the Atlantic Ocean or Pacific Ocean. The Río Coco, locally known as the Wanks, runs along the border with Honduras and is the longest river flowing totally within Central America. The second longest river in Central America is the Patuca River.[7][8]
Some of the significant rivers and their lengths in Central America include:
The Aguán River's watershed is one of seven watersheds in Honduras,[9] and covers over 1 million hectares (3,900 sq mi), of which around 200,000 are in the Aguán River Valley.[10]
North American watersheds (Atlantic, Arctic, Great Basin, & Pacific)Columbia River basinMississippi River basinYellowstone River flowing through Paradise ValleyGreat Basin
Water from rivers in the Northern Americas flows toward either the Arctic Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, the land-locked Great Basin in the western United States or the interior basin in Mexico.
The Missouri River is the longest river in North America and the United States (2,341 mi (3,767 km)).[20] The second longest river in North America and the United States is the Mississippi River (2,320 mi (3,730 km)). The Rio Conchos (350 mi (560 km)) is the longest river in Mexico. The longest river in Canada is the Mackenzie River (1,080 mi (1,740 km)).
Some of the longest or otherwise notable rivers include the rivers listed in the table below.
the first permanent English settlement in America and all past and current Virginia capitols, Jamestown, Williamsburg, and Richmond are located along its shores
In 1498, Bartolome Colon had a fort built on the Ozama River delta, which would later become the first permanent European settlement in the New World (Santo Domingo).[28]
On 24 May 2004, it overran its banks resulting in the death of over one thousand individuals, with hundreds more injured and homeless near the city of Jimani.[30][31][32]
^Jobin, William R.; Jobin, William (1999). Dams and disease: ecological design and health impacts of large dams, canals and irrigation systems. Taylor & Francis. pp. 157–158. ISBN978-0-419-22360-3.
^Floyd, Troy (1973). The Columbus Dynasty in the Caribbean, 1492–1526. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press. p. 34.
