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It is a popular belief that rivers flow south, perhaps because in the Northern Hemisphere they are thought to flow towards the Equator, or perhaps because of the perspective given by maps, which tend to place the Northern Hemisphere at the top and give the impression that rivers have to flow downwards by pure and simple “perceived” and, of course, unreal gravity. In any case, this belief is flatly false and rivers always flow guided by gravity (from higher to lower height), following and shaping the landscape of their basins, and changing their direction when the slopes of the land so dictate. Here are some examples of rivers that do not flow south.
Amazon River
The Amazon River is an unavoidable reference of rivers that do not flow from north to south. The Amazon River is born in the Andes mountain range, in Peru, and flows into the Atlantic Ocean after crossing Colombia and Brazil, with a channel that runs predominantly from west to east and multiple tributaries in various directions. The Amazon River has the largest flow and also the largest hydrographic basin in the world. According to recent measurements, with its 7,062 km length it is the longest river on the planet. The Amazon River is the habitat of the curious pink dolphin. It crosses the Amazon jungle, the Amazonia, the largest jungle in the world.
Nile river
Another important river that can be mentioned that does not flow from north to south is the Nile, an African river that runs from south to north. Closely associated with the development of the oldest cultures in history, the Nile River flows through 10 countries in northeast Africa. The main tributaries of the Nile are the White Nile and the Blue Nile. The former originates in Rwanda and runs through the great lakes of Africa, while the Blue Nile begins at Lake Tana in Ethiopia. These two tributaries meet in the Sudan, near its capital, Khartoum, and then flow north through Egypt to the Mediterranean Sea. Since ancient times, the Nile River has sustained the development of the populations that settled on its banks.
Douro River
The Duero is one of the most important rivers in the Iberian Peninsula. It is born in Picos de Urbión, in the Spanish province of Soria, and flows into Porto, in Portugal. In its last section its waters run from east to west, but since its source it changes direction several times, and its tributaries flow both to the south and to the north.
Lena River
The Lena River is one of the most important watercourses in Russia along with the Obi and the Amur. After being born in the Baikal mountains, 22 km from the lake of the same name, on the central Siberian plateau. The Lena covers a distance of about 4,300 kilometers, crossing vast areas of Siberia until it empties into the Laptev Sea, in the glacial Arctic Ocean. In its first sections its predominant direction is from west to east, then turning north to the mouth. The river’s floodplain is covered in snow-covered forests and tundra, habitats that are home to numerous birds, including swans and geese. Species of fish such as salmon and sturgeon grow in the river waters.
St. John River
The San Juan River is the longest river in Florida, in the United States, and flows from south to north along the east coast of the state until it empties into the Atlantic Ocean. It was the livelihood of the indigenous hunter-gatherers who inhabited the Florida peninsula for more than 10,000 years, a region later inhabited by French and Spanish settlers who arrived in the 16th century. Spanish missionaries established a mission at the mouth of the river; the mission was called San Juan del Puerto, giving its name to the river.
Sources
Amazon River , Britannica . Accessed October 2021.
Bolshiyanov, D. Makarov, A, Savelieva, L. Lena River delta formation during the Holocene . Biogeosciences 12(5): 579-593, 2015.
Nile river; Information and Characteristics . Geoencyclopedia. Accessed October 2021.
St. Johns Rivers . SJRWMD . Accessed October 2021.
