List of rivers of Chile facts for kids

Chile is a long country in South America, known for its amazing landscapes, from dry deserts in the north to icy glaciers in the south. All these different areas are shaped by the many rivers that flow through them. Rivers are like the veins of the land, carrying water, shaping valleys, and providing homes for plants and animals. They are also super important for people, giving us water for drinking, farming, and making electricity. This article will help you explore some of the most important rivers in Chile.

How Rivers are Organized

Because Chile has so many rivers, people often organize them in different ways to make them easier to study. You can find lists of rivers organized by their names, or by the region they flow through.

Rivers by Region

Chile is divided into different regions, and each one has its own set of rivers. Knowing which rivers are in which region helps us understand the local geography and how water is used in different parts of the country. Here are some of Chile's regions and roughly how many rivers are found in each:

• List of rivers of the Arica y Parinacota Region: About 34 rivers
• List of rivers of the Tarapacá Region: About 44 rivers
• List of rivers of the Antofagasta Region: About 41 rivers
• List of rivers of the Atacama Region: About 61 rivers
• List of rivers of the Coquimbo Region: About 121 rivers
• List of rivers of the Valparaíso Region: About 174 rivers
• List of rivers of the Santiago Metropolitan Region: About 211 rivers
• List of rivers of the O'Higgins Region: About 156 rivers
• List of rivers of the Maule Region: About 256 rivers
• List of rivers of the Bío Bío Region: About 568 rivers
• List of rivers of La Araucanía Region: About 662 rivers
• List of rivers of Los Ríos Region: About 165 rivers
• List of rivers of Los Lagos Region: About 755 rivers
• List of rivers of the Aysén Region: About 297 rivers
• List of rivers of the Magallanes Region: About 173 rivers

Rivers by Latitude

Another way to list rivers is by their latitude. This means ordering them from north to south, based on where they flow into the ocean, a lake, or another river.

Chile's Largest Rivers

Some rivers are much bigger than others. We often measure a river's size by its "basin area." A river basin (or drainage basin) is all the land where water flows into that river. Imagine a giant funnel; all the rain and snow that falls into that funnel will eventually end up in the main river. The larger the basin, the more water the river usually carries.

Here are some of Chile's largest rivers, based on the size of their basin area within Chile:

Notes:

• The length listed for the Rapel River actually includes its tributary, the Tinguiririca River.
• The length for the Valdivia River includes the Cruces River. The Valdivia River itself is about 15 km long.

Images for kids

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  A friendly robot learning about rivers.

See also

• List of rivers of the Americas by coastline