Brazilian scientists say they have established that the Amazon, not the Nile, is the longest river in the world.The precise length of the river is not easy to calculate and depends on correctly identifying the source and the mouth.
The new claim follows an expedition by scientists that is said to have discovered a new source of the Amazon in the south of Peru, not the north of the country as had been thought for many years.
While the exact location is yet to be confirmed from two choices, scientists say either would make the river the longest in the world, at around 6,800 kilometres.
There has been a healthy academic debate over the world's longest river for some years and the claim from Brazil may not go unchallenged.
The Amazon is recognized as the world's largest river by volume but the Nile has generally been regarded as the longest.
Link & Image: BBC via ABC News
Tags: Amazon River | Nile
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