Rivers
Rivers are natural drainage channels for surface waters. Surface waters are received from two major sources: runoff and base flow. Runoff is that part of precipitation that flows toward the rivers or streams on the ground surface or within the soil (subsurface runoff or interflow). Base flow is the part of stream flow that enters the stream channel from groundwater.
The world's largest rivers are shown in this figure. ![Figure - World's largest rivers (74kB)](/web/20061210104246im_/http://www2.ec.gc.ca/water/Gif/figure.gif)
The longest rivers in Canada are shown in this figure. ![Figure - Longest rivers in Canada (65kB)](/web/20061210104246im_/http://www2.ec.gc.ca/water/Gif/figure.gif)
This map shows Canada's continental watersheds, one to each surrounding ocean: the Pacific, the Arctic, and the Atlantic as well as to Hudson Bay and to the Gulf of Mexico. Small watersheds combine to make up regional watersheds, which in turn join others to form continental watersheds. ![Figure - Drainage pattern (external link)](/web/20061210104246im_/http://www2.ec.gc.ca/water/Gif/figure.gif)
A river's watershed or drainage basin the area supplying it with water is separated from the watersheds of neighbouring rivers by higher lands called drainage divides.
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