What is the widest river on Earth?

January 28, 2020, West Newbury, Massachusetts — As I have already confessed, I subscribe to too many sites that send too much stuff to my too full inbox every day. Recently, Travel Trivia sent me that question and gave me these answers to choose from:

___ Nile River

___ Mississippi River

___ Amazon River

___ Congo River

​What do you think? Here’s their answer:

Also serving as one of the longest rivers in the world, the Amazon River is the widest on Earth. Stretching a staggering 4,000 miles through South America, the Amazon swells to an incredible 24.8 miles across at its widest point during the rainy season. Even in the dry season it's impressive, reaching 6.8 miles across. These numbers don't take into account the Amazon's many estuaries and deltas, which can be even wider. All told, the Amazon makes up the biggest drainage system on the planet.

Source: Universe Today

The question ‘What is the longest river on Earth’ has been debated for years. On the ship, one lecturer made a case for the Amazon being the longest. But two sites I just checked both claim it’s the Nile. So maybe Will Short and the other crossword puzzlers are right after all, and the answer is a four-letter word beginning with N. A lot depends on how far up into the Amazon’s tributaries you measure, and the season, and the amount of meandering

the river does through the 9 countries it passes through. The Nile passes through 11 !

But I’m procrastinating. Again. I’m supposed to be writing my trip summation. Stay tuned... #