Thames River
| Location | |
| Country | UK |
| Cities | London, Oxford, Reading, Windsor |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Sources | |
| Thames Head | |
| Location | Gloucestershire (UK) |
| Elevation | 110 m (360 ft) |
| Ullenwood | |
| Location | Gloucestershire (UK) |
| Elevation | 214 m (702ft) |
| Mouth | |
| Thames Estuary (North Sea) | |
| Location | Southend-on-Sea (Essex, UK) |
| Elevation | Sea level |
| Length | 346 km (215 mi) |
| Basin size | 12,935 km² (4,994 sq mi) |
| Discharge | |
| Location | Average |
| London | 65.8 m³/s (2,320 cu ft/s) maximum: 370 m³/s (13,000 cu ft/s) |
| Entering Oxford | 17.6 m³/s (620 cu ft/s) |
| Leaving Oxford | 24.8 m³/s (880 cu ft/s) |
| Reading | 39.7 m³/s (1,400 cu ft/s) |
| Windsor | 59.3 m³/s (2,090 cu ft/s) |
The Thames river is located in the Southern of England (UK). The river is about 346 km (215 mi) length and it is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the UK.
It is a major trade route for international trade with the Port of London and the UK system of canals.
Human activity has used the Thames for thousands of years for its water, food, and energy.
The strategic position of the river has made it a central place in the history of England and the United Kingdom.
The Seine River
| Location | |
| Country | France |
| Cities | Le Havre, Rouen, Paris, Melun |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | |
| Langres Plateau | |
| Location | Source-Seine |
| Elevation | 446 m (1,463 ft) |
| Mouth | |
| Location | The Channel Le Havre / Honfleur |
| Elevation | Sea level |
| Length | 775 km (482 mi) |
| Basin size | 79,000 km² (31,000 sq mi) |
| Discharge | |
| Location | Le Havre / Honfleur |
| Average | 560 m³/s (20,000 cu ft/s) |
The Seine river is located in the north of France. The river is about 775 km (482 mi) length and it is an important waterway within the Paris Basin. It links Paris with the English Channel (at Le Havre). It is navigable by ocean-going vessels as far as 120 km (75 mi) from the sea (at Rouen).
Mekong River
| Location | |
| Countries | China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam |
| Cities | Can Tho, Phnom Penh, Vientiane, Baoshan |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Sources | |
| Lasaigongma Spring | |
| Location | Mt. Guozongmucha (China) |
| Elevation | 5,224 m (17,139 ft) |
| Mouth | |
| Location | Mekong Delta Vietnam |
| Elevation | Sea level |
| Length | 4,350 km (2,700 mi) |
| Basin size | 795,000 km² (307,000 sq mi) |
| Discharge | |
| Location | South China Sea |
| Average | 16,000 m³/s (570,000 cu ft/s) |
| Minimum | 1,400 m3/s (49,000 cu ft/s) |
| Maximum | 39,000 m3/s (1,400,000 cu ft/s) |
The Mekong is the located in East and Southeast Asia. It flows from the Tibetan Plateau through China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. Its total length is estimated to 4,350 km (2,700 mi), which make it the third longest river of Asia.
The extreme seasonal variations in flow and the presence of rapids and waterfalls make its navigation difficult, but even so it is a major trade route between western China and southeast Asia.
Ohio River
| Location | |
| Country | U.S. |
| States | Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois |
| Cities | Pittsburgh, PA Cincinnati, OH Louisville, KY |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Sources | |
| Allegheny River | |
| Location | Allegany Township, PA |
| Elevation | 680 m (2,240 ft) |
| Monongahela River | |
| Location | Fairmont, WV |
| Elevation | 270 m (880 ft) |
| Mouth | |
| Location | Mississippi River Cairo, IL |
| Elevation | 88 m (290ft) |
| Length | 1,579 km (981 mi) |
| Basin size | 490,600 km² (189,422 sq mi) |
| Discharge | |
| Location | Cairo, IL |
| Average | 8,000 m³/s (281,000 cu ft/s) |
| Maximum | 52,000 m³/s (1,850,000 cu ft/s) |
The Ohio is located in the Southern and Midwestern of the United States. The river flows through or along the border of 6 states: Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, Kentucky, Indiana and Illinois. And its drainage basin includes parts of 14 states.
The Ohio River is the third largest river by discharge volume in the U.S. and the largest tributary by volume of the Mississippi.
The Ohio river is also the source of drinking water for more than three million people.
The Nile River and the impact on Egypt’s population density
Historical maps from Worldinmaps.com, now part of TerraScientifica.
Egyptian civilization and Sudanese Kingdoms have depended on the river since ancient times. Most of the population and cities of Egypt lie along the Nile and nearly all the cultural and historical sites of Ancient Egypt are found along the river.
The Nile River and the desert
Historical maps from Worldinmaps.com, now part of TerraScientifica.
The northern section of the river flows through the desert in Sudan and Egypt. The Nile is the primary water source of Egypt and Sudan.
Nile River
Historical maps from Worldinmaps.com, now part of TerraScientifica.
The Nile is a north-flowing river in northeastern Africa and it is the longest river in the world. The drainage basin covers eleven countries (Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Ethiopia, Eritrea, South Sudan, the Republic of Sudan and Egypt).
The Nile has two major tributaries: the White Nile and the Blue Nile. These two rivers meet just north of the Sudanese capital Khartoum.
The White Nile is considered to be the headwaters and primary stream of the Nile. The White Nile finds its source in the Great Lakes region of central Africa, with the most distant source still undetermined but located in either Rwanda or Burundi.
The Blue Nile has its source at the Lake Tana in Ethiopia.
The Nile ends in a large delta and flows into the Mediterranean Sea.
Key Facts
| Location | |
| Countries | Egypt, Sudan, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Uganda, Congo, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi |
| Cities | Jinja, Juba, Khartoum, Cairo |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Sources | |
| White Nile | |
| Location | Burundi or Rwanda |
| Elevation | 2,400 m (7,900 ft) |
| Blue Nile | |
| Location | Lake Tana (Ethiopia) |
| Elevation | NA |
| Mouth | |
| Location | Mediterranean Sea Nile Delta (Egypt) |
| Elevation | Sea level |
| Length | 6,650 km (4,130 mi) |
| Width (maximum) | 2.8 km (1.7 mi) |
| Depth (average) | 8 – 11 m (26 – 36 ft) |
| Basin size | 3,400,000 km² (1,300,000 sq mi) |
| Discharge | |
| Location | Aswan |
| Average | 2,830 m³/s (100,000 cu ft/s) |
| Location | Cairo |
| Average | 1,400 m3/s (49,000 cu ft/s) |
Volga River
| Location | |
| Country | Russia |
| Cities | Tver, Yaroslavl, Nizhny Novgorod, Cheboksary, Kazan, Ulyanovsk, Samara, Saratov, Volgograd, Astrakhan |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | |
| Location | Valdai Hills |
| Elevation | 228 m (748 ft) |
| Mouth | |
| Location | Caspian sea Astrakhan Oblast |
| Elevation | -28 m (-92 ft) |
| Length | 3,531 km (2,194 mi) |
| Basin size | 1,360,000 km² (530,000 sq mi) |
| Discharge | |
| Location | Astrakhan |
| Average | 8,060 m³/s (285,000 cu ft/s) |
The Volga is the longest river in Europe. It flows through Central Russia from its source in the Valdai Hills to the Caspian Sea. It has a length of 3,531 (2,194 mi) and a catchment area of 1,360,000 km² (530,000 sq mi). It is also the Europe’s largest river in terms of discharge and drainage basin.
English Channel
Historical maps from Worldinmaps.com, now part of TerraScientifica.
The English Channel, also called the Channel and La Manche in French, is a narrow sea of the Atlantic Ocean between the southern coast of England and the northern coast of France. Eastward the Channel is connected to the North Sea at the Strait of Dover (Pas de Calais in French).
Main features
| Max. length | 560 km (350 mi) |
| Max. width | 240 km (150 mi) |
| Min. width | 34 km (21 mi) |
| Surface Area | 75,000 km2 (29,000 sq mi |
| Average Depth | 63 m (207 ft) |
| Max. Depth | 174 m (571 ft) at Hurd’s Deep |
| Salinity | 3.4–3.5% |
| Max. Temperature | 20 °C (68 °F) |
| Min. Temperature | 5 °C (41 °F) |
English Channel width
The width of the Channel is at is widest 240 km (150 mi) and 34 km (21 mi) at its narrowest place. This narrow distance is located at the strait of Dover. When the weather allows it, it is possible to see the English coast from France and the French coast from England.
Shipping traffic
The English Channel is the busiest international seaway in the world, with 400 commercial vessels daily. Indeed, the boats have to cross the strait of Dover to travel between the Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea to join, under others, Antwerp and Rotterdam, which are among the biggest port in the world.
The English Channel is also crossed transversely by ferries that connect the United Kingdom with France. Prior to 1994 and except air transport, it was the only way of transport between these 2 countries.
The Channel Tunnel
The Channel Tunnel (also call the Chunnel) is the name of the underwater railroad tunnel that goes from Folkestone in the southeast of the United Kingdom to Coquelles, near Calais, in the north of France. The tunnel was built between 1987 and 1994 to link the United Kingdom with the European continent. The Channel Tunnel is the tunnel with the longest underwater section in the world with a total length of 50,5 km (31 mi) and 38 km (23.5 mi) of it underwater. At its deepest point, it is located 75 m (250 ft) below the sea bed and 115 m (380 ft) below sea level. The tunnel is composed of 2 lateral tubes for the trains and 1 central for service. The speed limit for the trains in the tunnel is 160 km/h (100 mph).
Bay of Bengal
Historical maps from Worldinmaps.com, now part of TerraScientifica.
The Bay of Bengal is a sea in the northeast of the Indian Ocean and it is the largest bay in the world in terms of the area. This area was for long only considered for its poverty, natural disasters and political instabilities, but recently it has become a strategic and economic important region.
Location
The Bay of Bengal is located in the northeast of the Indian Ocean. It is bordered on the east by Myanmar and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands of India, on the north by Bangladesh, on the northwest and the west by India. The South is limited by Sri Lanka and by the north westernmost point of the island of Sumatra (Indonesia).
Key features
The key geographical features of the Bay of Bengal are:
- Maximum length: 2 090 km (1,300 mi)
- Maximum width: 1 610 km (1,000 mi)
- Area: 2 600 000 km² (1,000,000 sq mi)
- Average depth: 2 600 m (8,500 ft)
- Maximum depth: 4 694 m (15,400 ft)
Why is the Bay of Bengal important?
In the past this region was not a geopolitical region of interest by developed countries because countries in this region of the world have missed out on the great economic boom experienced by the East Asian tigers during the latter part of the 2Oth century. Indeed, this region was more known for its poverty, natural disasters and political instability.
This region gained importance these last years and it may even become a new center of economic development in Asia. Indeed, the largest bay of the world host a huge population and the countries around the Bay of Bengal are experiencing high economic growth rates. Furthermore, China is also pushing for the development of this region for its nearby landlocked southern provinces. The bay is also crossed by some of the world’s most important trading routes. All these factors make it a major area of economic and strategic interest.
The region is also of geostrategic importance because it is located between the two huge economic blocks: the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
Major Rivers
Many major rivers flow into the Bay of Bengal. In the north, the mouths of the Ganges and the Brahmaputra rivers form the greatest delta of the world.
List of major rivers flowing into the bay of Bengal:
- Brahmani
- Brahmaputra
- Ganges
- Godavari
- Kaladan
- Kaveri
- Kollidam
- Krishna
- Mahanadi
- Meghna-Surma-Bara River System
- Palar
- Pennar
- Subarnarekha
Weather and Climate
The climate of the Bay of Bengal is dominated by the monsoons. The winter season is characterized by northeast winds (the northeast monsoon). During the summer, rainy southwest winds prevail.
The region is also affected by cyclones during spring and fall. An important Cyclone has hit Bangladesh in November 1970 with as result a totally destroyed coastal region. To protect this region, coastal polders were built.