What are the longest rivers in the UK?
The longest rivers in each of the four UK countries are:
- River Severn in England
- River Tay in Scotland
- River Bann in Northern Ireland
- River Tywi in Wales
Watch: Learn about the longest rivers in the UK
What is a river?
A river is a natural body of water that flows over land.
- Rivers often begin in mountains and hills.
- They flow downhill.
- Rivers shape land, because they carve out valleys and carry rocks with them.
- Usually, rivers flow into a sea or ocean.
Rivers in the UK
Many of the first villages were built near rivers, because the rivers provided people with fresh water, fish and transport.
For example, England's capital city, London, was built on the River Thames.
When the Romans founded London, they chose that point on the River Thames because it was easy to build a bridge there. Plus the river allowed them to move supplies to and from Britain.
Rivers and people
Rivers are still essential for people because:
- they provide us with water.
- farmers use the rich soils near rivers to grow their crops.
- they are used for travelling and the transportation of materials and goods.
- they are visited for recreational activitiesActivities people do in their free time to relax. such as fishing, boating and swimming.
In the past, people used to live near rivers. Because of this, they got used to expecting seasonal flooding. The floods left sedimentSediment can be small pieces of rocks, minerals and the remains of plants., which was good for growing food.
Over time, people have learned ways to control the rivers to stop flooding. One example of this is building dams.
How people use rivers
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Activities
Quiz: Where are the longest rivers?
Quiz: River features
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