List of waterways facts for kids
Imagine a special path on water that boats and ships can use! These paths are called waterways. They can be rivers, canals, parts of the sea like estuaries (where a river meets the ocean), big lakes, or even narrow sea passages called firths. Waterways are super important for moving goods and people around the world.
Sometimes, a river is just a "watercourse" if it's too shallow or rough for boats to carry heavy things. But a true waterway is ready for ships! This list will show you different kinds of waterways: those used by ships between countries, those used by boats inland between countries, and then waterways found within a single country.
Important Waterways Around the World
Waterways can connect different countries or even different oceans! These are known as international waterways.
Waterways Connecting Countries
Some waterways are so important they are shared by many countries or help ships travel between oceans.
International Sea Routes
These are sea paths or canals that ships use to travel between oceans or major seas.
- Danish straits
- Great Belt
- Øresund
- Turkish Straits
- Strait of Malacca
International Inland Waterways
These are rivers or lakes that flow through or border several countries, allowing boats to travel between them.
- St. Croix River (Canada, United States)
- Danube (Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Moldova, Ukraine, Romania)
- Rhine (Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Austria, Germany, France, Netherlands)
- Mekong (China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam)
- Nile River (Egypt, Sudan, South Sudan, Uganda)
- Lake Victoria (Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya)
- Congo River and its tributaries (Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Central African Republic)
- Colorado River (United States, Mexico)
- Great Lakes Waterway (US, Canada)
Waterways by Country
Many countries have their own important waterways for transport, trade, or even just for fun!
Argentina
Australia
Austria
Azerbaijan
- Caspian Sea – The city of Baku is a port on this sea.
Belgium
- Meuse River
- Scheldt River
Bolivia
Brazil
Canada
- Saint John (Woolastook) River
- Northwest Passage
- Saint Lawrence Seaway
- Mackenzie River
- St. Marys River and canal of Ontario
- Detroit River
- St. Clair River
- Welland Canal
- Lake St. Clair
- Lake Superior
- Saskatchewan River
- Hudson Strait and Hudson Bay
- Great Bear Lake, including Port Radium
Chile
- Valdivia River
- Bueno River (before the 1960 Valdivia earthquake)
China
Croatia
- Danube river
- Drava
- Sava River
Egypt
- Nile River
- Lake Nasser
- Suez Canal
- Gulf of Suez
- Gulf of Aqaba
France
- Rhine River
- Rhone River
- Seine River
- Meuse River
- List of canals in France
Germany
India–Bangladesh
- Brahmaputra River – The part from Sadiya to Dhubri (891 km)
- Ganges River – The part from Prayagraj to Haldia (1,620 km)
Iran
- Caspian Sea
- Persian Gulf
- Karun
Netherlands
- IJsselmeer
- Meuse (Maas)
- Rhine River
- Scheldt River
- Waal River
New Zealand
Pakistan
Paraguay
Peru
Philippines
- San Bernardino Strait
- Surigao Strait
- Manila Bay
Portugal
Romania
- Danube River
- Danube–Black Sea Canal
- Bega (Tisza)
Russia
- Volga–Baltic Waterway
- White Sea – Baltic Canal
- Amur River
- Caspian Sea
- Lake Baikal
- Dnieper River
- Don River
- Lena River
- Neva River
- Ob River
Serbia
- Danube River
- Sava River
Slovakia
Switzerland
Turkey
United Kingdom
United States
- Mississippi River System
- Missouri River
- Monongahela River
- Ohio River
- St. Lawrence Seaway
- Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway
- Chesapeake Bay
- Columbia River
- Delaware River
- Detroit River
- Erie Canal
- Gulf Intracoastal Waterway
- Hudson River
- Lake Champlain
- Lake Michigan
- Lake Superior
- Sacramento River
- Savannah River
- St. Clair River
- St. Marys River and canal of Michigan
- Tennessee River
- Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway
- List of canals in the United States
Ukraine
Uruguay
Vietnam
Learn More About Waterways
- List of canal engineer
- List of canals by country
