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The Lena River



  

Great rivers in the world

 

Glance at a map of the earth, and in most places, you will see lines snaking their way across landmasses. These are tendrils cross plains, deserts and grasslands. They wind their way through valleys, canyons, and forests. These are rivers, our planet’s arteries of life. Rivers are closely linked with our human history. One of the earliest civilizations sprang up in the fertile valleys of the Tigris and the Euphrates rivers in the Middle East. Great civilizations were made possible by the Hwang River in China, the Ganges and the Indus in southern Asia, and the Nile in Egypt. No wonder, then, that man has always stood in awe before the might, the bounty, and the beauty of rivers.

 

About the Lena River

 

The Lena is the eastern most of the three great Siberian rivers that flows into the Arctic Ocean (the other two being the Ob River and the Yenisei River). It is the 11th longest river in the world and it has the 9th largest watershed. It is the greatest Russian river with its watershed entirely within national ranges. It bears the waters throughout 4400 km from its sources in Baikal mountains to the Arctic ocean. On the average the width of the Lena river reaches 15 km, the width of a channel in lower reaches to 20-25 km, and the sizes of the Lena delta are in the Guinness Book of Records. Its inflows Vitim, Olekma, Aldan and Vilyui surpass many large rivers of Europe. The delta is a frozen tundra for about 7 months of the year, but spring transforms the region into a lush wet land for the remainder of the year.There are no dams, no hydroelectric power stations on the river and the beauty of the river proceeds on a natural channel, as well as millions years ago. Here it is still possible to drink water, having scooped from the river in a palm.

 

The origin of the river

 

Surprising landscapes, the rich plant and animal world, the original culture of the ancient people - all these are capable to amaze the imagination of the most tempted traveler. When has the river Lena received its name? There are many versions. One of them, comic, attributes "christening" of the river to cossacks:" having passed the rivers Muku (on which they suffered), Kupu (where they bathed), Kutu (where they boozed) " they left on the big river where it was possible to be too lazy. From it there also was a river name – Lena(from russian „лень” - laziness). The majority of the researchers, however, believe that, most likely, Lena is a Russian tunguso-Manchurian name of this river "Elju-Ene" that means „the Big River ". And it is valid, because the length of this river is of 4400 km. The river Lena occupies the 11 th place among the largest rivers of the world and the second after the Amur river with its inflows by Shilka and Onon, among the rivers of Russia. From its catchment basin making 2500 км2 the river feeds its waters, more than 500 inflows on an extent over 10 km. Inflows The general length of inflows of the river Lena makes more than 50 thousand km. Such inflows as Oljkma, Vitim, Aldan and Vilyui can argue on the extent and the volume with any largest European artery. Lena introduces in Laptev sea about 540 cubic kilometers of water a year. And together with the water - more than 5 million tons of the dissolved substances, 27 million tons of the weighed deposits and a huge stock of heat of the Siberian earth. The Lena river starts absolutely nearby, all in 20 kilometers from the legendary lake-sea Baikal. It follows as a streamlet on a stony channel from a small roundish lake, located where the Baikal mountains is separated by water. The top site of the river is shown detailed in A.Kolesova and S.Mostahova's book: "Approximately in 20 km from a source to the right coast of the big Lena the small road goes down. It was laid by tourists, geologists and also the wood inhabitants coming on a watering place here. The width of the small river is big, only 5-7 m, the depth of the river is 0,2-0,4 m, but the speed of a current is considerable (to 7-9 km/hour). From here across the big Lena it is already possible to float on an inflatable boat … Soon the first nominal talkative stream of Zolotokan runs into the Big Lena. In the distance we can see amazing beauty: ridges with stony tops that become blue where one can see some snowflakes.”

 

History

 

But back again to its origins, or rather one of them to the Manzurke river flowing into the Lena river just above Kachuga. If we carefully look into the relief map, you'll find Manzurki very broad, sprawled valleys, and powerful, reaching 100 m invested into the thickness of the river (alluvial) deposits of sand and pebble composition. The biggest expert on geology and nature of the river Lena A. Borsuk, saw a huge disparity between the low speed and the flow of modern runoff. The oracle of the river Lena from the Baikal lake could occur as a result of lifting frame from the Baikal mountain ranges. High seismic activity of this territory, which manifests itself in a fairly frequent and strong earthquakes, and mountain slopes face their jagged slope and nudity does not contradict this assumption. But then had to form another river, originated from the lake.

 

Ancient legend about the river

 

There is indirect evidence that the origins of Lena’s oracle of Lake Baikal and the formation of a new waterway is just what happened to the memory of people who once populated those regions, which is reflected in an ancient Buryat legend about this event. We give it to some reduction in N.I. Tolstikhina record made by him in 1919. Since time immemorial, between the mountain ranges of southern Siberia Baikal hero lived and he had 360 rivers - daughters, among which was the favorite beauty Angara. The daughter loved her father supplying him with clean water and peace and tranquility reigned between them. But one day, Angara saw the youth of Yenisei running in the distance. At first glance, she fell in love with him and late at night and ran after him. In the morning the father did not find his beloved daughter, and seeing the fugitive away, pulled away from the nearest cliff a huge black stone and threw it at her. The stone fell just at the point where the Angara ran from the Lake Baikal and long dark black rock rose into the origins of the Angara River. Now from the rock was only a little stone islet slightly raised above the water level. Sore, Baikal pulled out of the mountain the second stone and with even greater force dropped after his daughter. . But again Angara has had time to run a dangerous place, and the stone fell into the valley formed and disintegrated into pieces, and having fraternal thresholds, where now the Brotherly Hydroelectric power station is constructed too. And the third stone has thrown Baikal after the daughter and that stone hardly further a mouth of the river Ylym has fallen and formed the rapids on which have constructed the Ust-Ylym Hydroelectric power station. So it was true or not , we cannot give it a trial. A fantastic story line of the ancient legends sometimes disguise historical facts in an unusual manner that are often distorted being transmitted from generation to generation. So the legend goes, but as it was in fact God only knows.

 

The valley of the river

 

Extending to 74 ° N, the valley of the river Lena crosses several latitudinal geographic zones and global geological structures, which determines the great diversity of its landscapes, and makes focusing on only those critical of their features, which even in small measure determine the hydrography and hydrology of the river, the contours of the valley and its sides, the work done by a mass of moving water and ice. However, to understand all this, is necessary to touch at least in broad outline, the Lena River basin, many features of its geological structure and history and, especially, permafrost conditions, determine the unique features of the Lena valley, distinguishing it from other river valleys of our planet. Lena is one of the few major rivers of Eurasia, not yet "saddled" hydroelectric dams or other water control structures. In its pool there are still untouched landscapes. There is another thing to defend and protect from itching unintelligent converters of nature. Vast areas of the Lena basin form a habitat for many Siberian peoples, in the first place - the Yakuts, the Evens and the Evenkis. They are inextricably linked with the natural environment that provides them foodstuff and an exchange.

 

The Lena’ s ecosystem

 

Finally, the landscapes of the Lena valley are unique. Their moral and the esthetic value will increase in the process of expansion of cultural exchanges, requirement to learn natural laws. These are internal security reasons of the Lena basin. Meanwhile, gold and diamonds, iron, coal, oil and gas, semi-precious stones and tiles, mica and apatite - this is not a complete list of what is contained in the bowels of the Lena land. The taiga and the tundra attract fishermen and hunters. The fertile land and river terraces are used for field crops reindeer moss, vegetables and livestock in the south, reindeer and horse pasture to the north. The Lena’s numerous inflows, innumerable lakes are reliable sources of fish. The river itself and its main tributaries are the transportation routes since ancient times. The territory of the Lena basin did not escape urban trends , in cities and towns industrial production and population is concentrated. These are the prerequisites for further action on the Lena ecosystems. Despite their size and number, rivers carry very little of the world’s fresh water. Nevertheless, they are vital to life. “Without access to and some degree of control over water,the human life at its simplest and its most complex would be impossible.” “The record of man’s response to that fact constitutes much of the history of civilization.” In fact, the more we study the rivers, the more we are compelled to give thanks.





Others The Longest Rivers in the World .

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We live in a world blessed with sights that are beautiful beyond words.
Everyone dreams to visit at least one of these places.
Those who live in modern cities with tall buildings tend to lose what Mother Nature has to offer.
They say "beauty is in the eye of the beholder," and there are probably many places that you consider to be most important in the world.
  To our mind, rivers are very important and they offer splendid, natural views that Mother Nature offers.
Water is one of the most precious natural resources , we cannot live without it.
Globally, water supplies are rare: less than 1% of the world's water is good for consumption, and much of it, 2/3 of the Earth’s surface is covered by rivers and salt waters.
A river is formed from the union of several streams which naturally flow downhill , under the effect of gravity , which either flows into another stream or river ( its tributary ) or in a lake , a sea or an ocean .
  For this reason we do not pretend that our list of places included are the most beautiful, but rather among the vast collection of the  longest and the  largest rivers in the world.
1 - Nile - 6600 km, the most beautiful areas of the basin downstream waterways are in Aswan.
2 - Amazon - 6480 km, the largest river basin in the world, cruises are up to Iquitos.
3 - Yang Tse Kiang - 6300 km downstream from the dam cruises.
4 - Mississippi - 6280 km, one in four Americans living around the pool's third largest river in the world, every city on its banks proposes at least one cruise.
5 - Yenissei - 5540 km, navigable by small portions, is the longest in Russia.
6 - Huang He (Yellow River) - 5464, with most cruises in China.
7 - Ob Irtchych - 5410 km, one of the 120 rivers that cross Russia.
8 - Congo - 4800 km, the second largest river basin in the world that flows, in sequence with Amazon, African adventure for the brave.
9 - Amur - 4500 km, navigable river, it crosses Russia and China.
10 - Lena - 4400 km, the most eastern of Russian rivers, crosses Siberia from the south to the north and it is one of the most fascinating deltas.
  For the lovers of amazing sceneries, these rivers can be the perfect destinations and the cruises the most wonderful experiences.
Cruises have always aroused the curiosity of people even if not everyone can afford such a trip.
If the desire to live new sensations, schedule your vacation early next year and choose a destination that allows you to take a cruise on one of the longest rivers in the world.

Images of The Lena River, icons, photos, figures, visions, appearances, illustrations, snapshots, captures, canvas and pictures of The Lena River - The Longest Rivers in the World

The Lena River - Surprising landscape
The Lena River - Surprising landscape

The Lena River - Cruise on the river
The Lena River - Cruise on the river

The Lena River - Yakutsk region
The Lena River - Yakutsk region

The Lena River - Upper reaches of the river
The Lena River - Upper reaches of the river

The Lena River - The Sakha region
The Lena River - The Sakha region

The Lena River - Turbulent river
The Lena River - Turbulent river

The Lena River - Great river of the world
The Lena River - Great river of the world

The Lena River - Wild mountaneous landscape
The Lena River - Wild mountaneous landscape

The Lena River - The width of the  river
The Lena River - The width of the river