Faces People, Places, and World Culture for Kids and Children February 2017

1. Rivers generate a lot of power! In fact, hydroelectric plants produce 16 percent of the world’s electricity. The force of water flowing through dams cause turbines connected to generators to spin and produce electricity. 2. Not only is the Amazon one of the world’s longest rivers, it has more tributaries than any other river on the planet! About 1,000 streams and small rivers empty into it as it courses through Peru, Bolivia, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, and Brazil. 3. How vital is the Nile to Egypt? More than 99 percent of Egypt’s 85 million people live within a few miles of the river. But the river is not important to just Egypt. It is a water source for many other East African countries including Ethiopia and Kenya. 4. Life in…

The Nile crocodile has partially earned its reputation as a vicious man-eater because it makes its home in the Nile Basin and other parts of Africa close to where people live. Because the crocodile is not picky about which vertebrate it eats, an unsuspecting villager washing clothes by the riverbank might look as tasty as a zebra. It is estimated that up to 200 people a year may die in the jaws of Nile crocodiles. Africa’s largest crocodile, this huge beast can reach 20 feet in length and weigh up to 1,650 pounds. The Nile crocodile’s diet is mainly fish and small vertebrates, although adult crocodiles will eat larger animals, including antelope, buffalo, and young hippos. The Nile crocodile will attack almost any unfortunate creature that crosses its path, and…

In the United States, rivers and streams provide two-thirds of the country’s drinking water. Water undergoes a filtration process after being pumped from dams that are constructed to collect water from rivers. Although people who live in industrialized nations have access to clean, filtered water, those living in impoverished countries and remote villages often do not. Many people drink water that is collected directly from rivers, and it is often contaminated with parasites and bacteria. Almost 800 million people have no access to clean drinking water, and millions (many of them children) die each year from drinking contaminated water. In addition to quenching the world’s thirst, rivers also provide an important source of food. Thousands of species of fish live in rivers, and people rely on these fish for survival.…

The mightiest river in the world, the Amazon contains one-fifth of the world’s fresh flowing water. It also has more tributaries than any other river on the planet. About 1,000 streams and small rivers empty into it. An Amazing Waterway The Amazon is one of the world’s longest rivers, second only to the Nile in Africa. Beginning with streams in the Andes Mountains in Peru, the Amazon flows 4,000 miles eastward through Colombia and Brazil to the Atlantic Ocean. Throughout its course, the river usually ranges from about one to six miles wide. During the annual flood season, it can swell to as much as 20 miles wide in some areas. It is also one of the deepest rivers, reaching 300 feet deep in a number of areas. In addition,…

When we think of the Nile River, most of us immediately conjure up images of a slow flowing river running northward through the vast desert sands of Egypt, between banks lined with exotic palms, moving past temples and pyramids, finally emptying into the Mediterranean Sea. Although we think first of Egypt, throughout history the Nile has also been a very important water source to many other countries in East Africa including Ethiopia, Zaire, Kenya, Uganda, Eritrea, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, Congo, Sudan, and South Sudan. As the Nile flows through Egypt, we picture it as a single long river. In fact, it is made up of source waters from two tributaries — other rivers that feed a larger river. The White Nile, which begins at Lake Victoria (Africa’s largest lake), merges…

Martin Strel knows a thing or two about rivers. The 62-year-old has been swimming in them since he was a young boy growing up in Slovenia. Although he holds five world records in marathon swimming, he is best known for using his sport to raise awareness of water pollution. After years of swimming in dirty water, he decided he had to do something. Strel says he began to swim to promote “peace, friendship, and clean water.” He hopes to see environmental laws strengthened and strictly enforced. As part of his quest, he has swum in many of the world’s most famous rivers. In 2000, he conquered Europe’s second longest river, the Danube. He swam 1,866 miles (3,003 km) in 58 days and set a world record for distance swimming. The…