When you first learn how many rivers there are in Russia, you will be very surprised. There are more than 2.8 million rivers on the territory of our country, the total length of which is 12.4 million kilometers. Most of them are short and narrow, but there are also giants like the Lena and Yenisei. All these rivers play a major role in the country's economy, providing us with fresh water and even electricity (water is used in hydroelectric power plants). Rivers are also needed for water transport, so they are important for logistics. Residents of Russia are very lucky with rivers, but there are countries in the world that do not have a single river on their territory. The question arises: where do they get their drinking water from?
Burj al-Mamlaka skyscraper in Riyadh (Saudi Arabia). Image: bigasia.ru
Contents
- 1 The driest places on Earth
- 2 Why it doesn't rain in deserts
- 3 A country without a single river
- 4 How water is obtained in deserts
- 5 Countries With Little Water
The Driest Places on Earth
There are 17 countries in the world that do not have a single river. Almost all of them are located on the Arabian Peninsula, which is considered the largest in the world.
Satellite image of the Arabian Peninsula. Image: wikimedia.org
The peninsula has long been known as one of the driest places on Earthbecause it is located in the tropical and subtropical zones. This means that direct sunlight falls on it all year round. During the day, temperatures on the Arabian Peninsula can exceed +50 degrees Celsius.
The temperature of the sand in the desert can reach 80 degrees Celsius. Image: tripadvisor.ru
Also on the list of the driest places on Earth are the Atacama Desert, the Antarctic Desert and Death Valley in the USA.
Why it doesn't rain in deserts
Although the Arabian Peninsula is washed by the Indian Ocean, the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea, the water sources are too far from its main part. Rain clouds coming from the oceans lose most of their moisture before they reach the interior of the peninsula.
The Rub' al-Khali Desert in the southern part of the Arabian Peninsula. Image: yugnash.ru
There are also many deserts on the peninsula and a high-pressure zone often prevails there. In such conditions, the air descends and heats up, which further prevents the formation of clouds.
In general, the Arabian Peninsula is very hot and dry, so there is nothing surprising in the absence of rivers on its territory.
A country without a single river
The largest country without rivers is Saudi Arabia. The area of the Arab state is an impressive 2,149,690 square kilometers. At the same time, about 95% of this territory is occupied by the Arabian Desert. Cities of Saudi Arabiavery large: the population of Riyadh exceeds 7 million people, and more than 4 million men and women live in Jeddah. All of them have to survive in an average summer temperature of +45 degrees Celsius. In some parts of the country, there is no rain for several years.
Residents of Saudi Arabia. Image: picworld.ru
How water is obtained in the deserts
Despite the lack of rivers and rain, there is water in Saudi Arabia. Over many years of living in arid territory, local residents have found very inventive ways to obtain fresh water.
Saudi Arabia has developed seawater desalination technologies. About 60% of all water consumed comes to homes from desalination plants located along the coast.
Seawater desalination plants in Saudi Arabia. Image: wholesalechemical.com
Water in Saudi Arabia is also extracted from underground sources, but this resource is gradually depleting. The reason is that water has been extracted from underground for several hundred years, especially a lot of water is used for watering plants. At the same time, groundwater reserves are not replenished.
Millions of years ago, rivers flowed across the Arabian Peninsula, but today they have dried up and only riverbeds remain. During rare rains, they collect fresh water, which can be used after purification. Saudi Arabia also recycles wastewater for use in agriculture and industry.
Read also: Why the Sahara Desert has been periodically covered with lush vegetation for the past 800 thousand years
Countries with little water
In addition to Saudi Arabia, other countries are also deprived of riverscountries of the Arabian Peninsula. For example, there are no river channels on the lands of Oman, Kuwait, Qatar and the UAE. All of them also rely on underground water sources and desalination and water purification systems.
Kuwait has no rivers, but the Persian Gulf is located next to it. Image: lenta.ru
But Yemen is lucky, because in its southwest there is Wadi Hadramaut River. True, it is also a seasonal river, that is, it is filled with water only during rainy periods. The area along the riverbed is covered with vegetation, and fish live in the waters. They survive due to the fact that during periods of drought, the water in the Wadi Hadramaut River does not disappear completely.
People live near the Wadi Hadramawt River. Image: waterresources.ru
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States without rivers also exist outside the Arabian Peninsula. For example, the Vatican, which is considered the smallest state in the world, can be added to this list. There is not a single river on its territory, it receives water through pipes from Italy. The dwarf state of Monaco also does not have a single river and receives water from France.