RIVERS
Rivers - large natural streams of flowing water - run through every continent. Wide rivers even flow beneath Antarctica's massive ice sheet.
Rivers are found in every kind of terrain. Some flow continuously with great forces, some experience seasonal surges, and some dry up intermittently. South America's Amazon River carries more water than any other river on earth.
Rivers vary widely in length. A river may have a fairly short course, or it can span much of a continent. The Mississippi River bisects most of the united sates in Minnesota to its delta in Louisiana.
Rivers play a major role in water cycle, discharging large amounts of fresh water into the oceans, where evaporation occurs. Clouds form from the resulting water vapour and travel inland. creating precipitation and a supply of fresh water to rivers and streams.
Since the beginning of human settlement, river valleys have been favour location They provide a reliable water supply for settlers and their crops and provide a means for moving people and goods. As industries developed, river waters were harnessed to power machinery. In flood, however, out-of-control rivers threaten lives and property.
FAST FACTS
- EACH YEAR THE AMAZON SENDS 20 PERCENT OF THE EARTH'S AVAILABLE FRESH WATER INTO ATLANTIC.
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