Lakes and Rivers

• Lake Baikal (Russia) is the deepest lake of the world.One of the biggest and most ancient lakes of world is situated nearly in the center of Asia in a huge stone bowl set 445 m above sea level. Everyone who has been to its shores is impressed and charmed by the grandeur, size, and unusual might of this Siberian miracle of nature. Other important lakes in Russia are Lake Onega and Lake Ladoga.
• Lake Eyre is a important lake of Australia.
• Lake Onakal (Uganda) and Lake Aswan (Egypt) are man made lakes.
• Lake Tso Sekuru located on the Tibetan Plateau is the highest lake of the world.
• Lake Titicaca, located at the boundary of Bolivia and Peru is the highest navigable lake of the world.
  The highest lake in India is Devtal, located at a height of 17,745 ft in the Garhwal Himalayas.
• Dead Sea is the lowest lake of the world, its base is located 2500 ft below the sea level.
• Lake Van (Turkey) is the most saline lake of the world, with salinity of330%. It is followed by Dead Sea (238%) Jordan, and Great Salt Lake (220% salinity) USA.
• Caspian Sea is the largest lake of the world. It is a salt water lake. Ural and Volga rivers drain into it from the north, therefore its northern part is less saline.
• Lake Victoria, forms the border between Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya.
• Lake Nyasa or Lake. Malawi forms the border of Tanzania, Malawi and Mozambique.
• Lake Tanganyika forms the border of Zaire. Tanzania and Zambia.
• Lake Superior is the largest fresh water lake of the world.
• The nuclear test range of China is located near the lake Lop Nor.
• Lake Chad forms the border of Chad, Niger, Nigeria, Camroon.
• Lake Great Bear it is famous as Port Radium.
• Lake Athabasca famous as Uranium City.
• LakeVolta in Ghana is a largest man made lake.
• Lake Maracaibo in Venezuela is famous for oil reserves.
• Wular Lake: Wular Lake is one of the largest fresh water lakes in Asia and the largest in India, is located in Jammu and Kashmir. It is measures 24 kms across and surrounded by towering mountains, The green water of the Wular Lake is an important natural habitat for fish, a rich population of birds and wildlife. Thousands of people living on its shores and elsewhere in the Kashmir valley depend on Wular Lake for fishing to earn their livelihood.
• Dal Lake: The Kashmir valley is blessed with exotic natural beauty of landscape and water bodies, out of them one of the best is Dal Lake. Dal Lake is one of the most beautiful lakes of India and is the second largest in the J&K valley. This is one of the most famous lakes in India and an icon of the Kashmir tourism industry. Apart from the natural beauty, Dal Lake attractions are The floating gardens, colorful shikaras and houseboats. The east of Dal Lake was the residence of goddess Maa Durga. The Dal lake is situated in the beautiful city of Srinaga,Some of the most famous mosques are also located in Srinagar city to visit.
• Loktak Lake: Loktak Lake is the largest freshwater lake in northeastern India, located in Manipur. It is also called the only floating lake in the world due to the floating phumdis. This ancient lake plays an important role in the economy of Manipur. It serves as a source of water for hydro power generation, irrigation drinking water supply and wildlife. The Keibul Lamjao National Park, which is the last natural refuge of the endangered sangai now found only in manipur.
• Chilka Lake: Chilka Lake is the brackish water lake and is the largest coastal lake in India. The Chilka Lake in situated in Orissa and is Asia’s largest inland salt-water lagoon. Brackish water is water that has more salinity than fresh water, but not as much as seawater. Chilika Lake, popularly known as Chilka, is the queen of natural scenery in the tribal state Orissa, also known as the Swiss-lake in the continent. Attraction of chilika lake are fishing boats, migratory birds and an entertaining baba. The beautiful chilka lake is paradise for the migratory birds.
• Pulicat lake: It is a saline backwater lake lying along the Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh coast; part extending to Chengalpattu district of Tamil Nadu. It has an area of 481 sq.KM and it is the 2nd largest brackish water lagoon in India after Chilka lake in Orissa.

Rivers

• The Ganga : The source of Ganga is at Gaumukh (the shape of the ice formation is like a cow's mouth), where the mighty river emerges from the depths of Gangotri glacier. The Gangotri glacier is situated at the height of4255 m above sea level and is approximate 24 km in length and 7-8 km in width. Here the river is known as Bhagirathi after King -Bhagirath. Rising in the icy caves of Gangotri glacier, the gushing , tossing and gurgling Bhagirathi starts its long journey downwards where later it joins river 'Alaknanda' and becomes Ganga. There are many legends associated with river Ganga, some of which are even mentioned in the ancient holy scriptures.
• The Godavari : It is the only river in India that flows from western to southern India and is considered to be one of the big river basins in India. With a length of 1465 km, it is the second longest river in India after the Ganges river. .It is also known as "Dakshin ganga (Southern Ganges)" or "Budi Ganga". Godavari originates near Trimbak in Nashik District of Maharashtra state and flows east across the Deccan Plateau into the Bay of Bengal near Narasapuram in West Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh.
• The Kavery : The origin of this river is traditionally placed at Talakaveri, Kodagu in the Western Ghats in Karnataka, flows generally south and east through Karnataka and Tamil Nadu and across the southern Deccan plateau through the southeastern lowlands, emptying into the Bay of Bengal through two principal mouths. The Kaveri basin is estimated to be 27,700 square miles (72,000 km2)
• Krishna River starts its journey in the Western Ghats at an altitude of about 1300 metres above sea level in Mahabaleshwar. The river passes through Sangli District and enters the sea in the Bay of Bengal at Hamasaledevi in Andra Pradesh. It passes through the states of Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andra Pradesh.
• Narmada River : This river rises on the summit of Amarkantak Hill in Madhya Pradesh state .It traverses the first 320 kilometres course around the Mandla Hills, which form the head of the Satpura Range; then moves towards Jabalpur passing through the `Marble Rocks`, it enters the Narmada Valley between the Vindhya and Satpura ranges, and moves westwards towards the Gulf of Cambay. It flows through the states of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Gujarat, and finally meets the Arabian Sea in the Bharuch District of Gujarat. Narmada River flows through the states of Madhya Pradesh 1,077 km (669.2 miles), Maharashtra, 74 km (46.0 miles)), 35 km (21.7 miles) border between Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra and 39 km (24.2 miles) border between Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat and in Gujarat 161 km (100.0 miles)).
• The river Brahmaputra is one of the major river in the world. It originates from Mansarovar near Mount Kailash in the Himalayas, flows via Tibbet, China, India and Bangladesh to Bay of bangal. The total length it travels from Himalayans to the Bay is 2900 Km. In Tibbet the river is known as 'Tsangpo'. It follows the great Himalayans in its course till India with an avergae height of 4000 meters. It enters India in Arunachal Pradesh where it is called 'Siang'. It then flows down to the plains of Assam, where it is called Dibang. It joins with other two giant rivers, Dibang and Lohit.
• The Mahanadi River rises in the Indian state of Chhattisgarh and then flows in the eastward direction, cutting a ravine in the Eastern Ghat. Before joining the Bay of Bengal at False Point through several channels, the river enters the plains of Orissa near Cuttack and forms a delta. This delta is one of the largest mangrove forests in peninsular India, and also a rice producing area. The term `Mahanadi` means Great River and it is truly one of the largest rivers in southeast India and the sixth largest in India. The Tel and the Hadso are the main tributaries of the Mahanadi. Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Orissa share are drained by the Mahanadi.
• Tapti is a river of western India and the history of this river starts with its origin in the Betul district. It rises in Betul district of Madhya Pradesh and flows between two spurs of the Satpura Hills, across the plateau of Khandesh, and thence through the plain of Surat to the sea. It has a total length of around 724 km. and drains an area of 30,000 sq. m. For the last 32 m. of its course, it is a tidal flow, but is only navigable by vessels of small tonnage; and the port of Swally at its mouth. The history of this river is closely associated with the Anglo Portuguese history. The upper reaches of the river are now deserted, owing to silting at the outflow of the river. The waters of the Tapti are usually not used for irrigation.
• Yamuna River : The main stream of the river Yamuna originated from the Yamunotri glacier near Bandar Punch in the Mussorie range of lower Himalayas in the district of Uttar Kashi in Uttarakhand. Some say the source of the river is the Saptarishi Kund, a glacial lake. There is a sacred shrine of Yamunotri or Yamnotri, near this source at an altitude of 3235 m. The Tons and Giri rivers are the important tributaries of Yamuna and principal source of water in mountaineous range. The river Yamuna traverse a route length of about 1200 km in the plain from Saharanpur district of Uttar Pradesh to the confluence with river Ganga at Allahabad.
• Nile River (4,132 miles 6,650 km.) : The Nile River is the longest river in the world. It has its origins in Burundi, south of the Equator, and flows northward through north eastern Africa, eventually flowing through Egypt and finally draining into the Mediterranean Sea. Three principal streams form the Nile. In Ethiopia's highlands, water flows from the Blue Nile and the Atbara. Headstreams of the White Nile flow into Lake Victoria and Lake Albert. The Nile River basin is immense and occupies an area about one-tenth of the continent of Africa. It includes portions of Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda, Zaire, Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, The Sudan, and Egypt. It is estimated to drain an area of 1,293,000 square miles (3,349,000 sq. km.)
• Amazon : The length of the Amazon River is approximately 6400 kilometres (4000 miles). The Amazon River is located in South America. It runs through Guyana, Ecuador, Venezuela, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia and Peru.
• Mississippi-Missouri River : The Mississippi is the world's fourth-longest river at 3,870 miles, including the Missouri River. It flows from its source, at Lake Itasca, in Minnesota, to the Gulf of Mexico. It is the longest river in the United States. This river forms the Bird-foot Delta.
• Rio-Grande : This river forms the border between the USA and the Mexico.
• St Lawrence River : This river forms the biggest inland waterway of the world. Niagara Fall is located on this river.
• Colorado River : World famous Grand Canyon and Hoover Dam are located on this river. Rhine River. This river forms the busiest waterway in Europe. This river is also called 'Coal River'. The busiest port of the Europe, Rotterdam, is situated on the mouth of this river.
• Danube River : This river, originating from the Black Forest Mountains of Germany and flowing through the capitals of five European nations - Belgrade (Yugoslavia), Bratislava (Slovania), Bucharest (Romania), Budapest (Hungary) and Vienna (Austria) - falls into the Black Sea.
• Volga River : This is the longest river of Europe. It originates from the Voldai Hills and drains into the Caspian Sea.
• Niger River : The river Niger, draining into the Gulf of Guinea, is also known as the 'Oil River'.
• Zambezi River : Victoria Fall and Kariba dam are located on this river.
• Congo/Zaire River : This river intersects the Equator twice. Stanley and Livingston Falls are located on this river.
• Amur River : This river forms the border of Russia and China.
• Mekong River : This is the longest river of South-East Asia.
• Murray-Darling River : This river originates from the Mt Kosciusko and is the largest river of Australia.
• R. Limppo : This river which originates from the high velds of South Africa, cuts across the tropic of Capricorn twice.
• R. Mahe : This river of India cuts across the tropic of Cancer twice.
• Seine River: The Seine is a 776 km (482 mi)-long river and an important commercial waterway within the Paris Basin in the north of France. It rises at Source-Seine, 30 kilometres northwest of Dijon in northeastern France in the Langres plateau, flowing through Paris and into the English Channel at Le Havre.
• Tigris River: River that was a boundary of Mesopotamia, or the "land between the rivers" (Tigris and Euphrates) The Tigris was the eastern of the two rivers and flowed from a source deep in the Armenian mountains all the way to the Persian Gulf, about 1,200 miles. Both rivers were the lifeblood of Mesopotamian civilizations, giving them water and a vehicle for their trade and defense.
• Euphrates River: River that was a boundary of Mesopotamia, or the "land between the rivers" (Tigris and Euphrates) The Euphrates was the western of the two rivers and flowed from a source deep in the Armenian mountains all the way to the Persian Gulf, almost 1,800 miles. Both rivers served as means of defense and trade for every civilization in this area.
• The Huang Ho River: The Huang Ho is the world's sixth-longest river at 3,395 miles. Its source is the Kunlun Mountains, in western China. Its mouth is the Gulf of Bohai. The river is called the Yellow River, named for the color of the silts that are carried downstream in its flow. The earliest civilization in China settled on the banks of the Huang Ho. Ever since, the river has been a source of life and death. The river has flooded so often that is has become known as the River of Sorrow. Possibly the worst flood in written history occurred in 1931. Between July and November of that year, the river overflowed its banks, flooding about 34,000 square miles of land completely and about 8,000 square miles partially. Entire villages and huge amounts of agriculture and farmland were washed away. About 80 million people were left homeless. Nearly 1 million people died in the flood itself and in the famines and epidemics that resulted from the flooding.
• Rhine River: The Rhine River is 1,230 kilometres (760 mi) long. It is one of the longest rivers in Europe. The Rhine is an important waterway. Many goods are transported over the Rhine, and the Rhine valley is also an important wine producing region. The river Rhine begins at Tomasee, a lake in the canton of Graubünden in Switzerland, and runs through Switzerland, Germany and the Netherlands. It is also the border between Switzerland and Liechtenstein and also the border between Germany and France.
• Irrawaddy River: Irrawaddy River, Burmese Ayeyarwady, principal river of Myanmar (formerly Burma), running through the centre of the country. Myanmar’s most important commercial waterway, it is about 1,350 miles (2,170 km) long. The river flows wholly within the territory of Myanmar. Its total drainage area is about 158,700 square miles (411,000 square km). Its valley forms the historical, cultural, and economic heartland of Myanmar.