This entry gives the total length of navigable rivers, canals, and other inland bodies of water.

Topic: Afghanistan1,200 km (2011) (chiefly Amu Darya, which handles vessels up to 500 DWT)

Topic: Albania41 km (2011) (on the Bojana River)

Topic: Angola1,300 km (2011)

Topic: Argentina11,000 km (2012)

Topic: Australia2,000 km (2011) (mainly used for recreation on Murray and Murray-Darling River systems)

Topic: Austria358 km (2011)

Topic: Bangladesh8,370 km (2011) (includes up to 3,060 km of main cargo routes; network reduced to 5,200 km in the dry season)

Topic: Belarus2,500 km (2011) (major rivers are the west-flowing Western Dvina and Neman Rivers and the south-flowing Dnepr River and its tributaries, the Berezina, Sozh, and Pripyat Rivers)

Topic: Belgium2,043 km (2012) (1,528 km in regular commercial use)

Topic: Belize825 km (2011) (navigable only by small craft)

Topic: Benin150 km (2011) (seasonal navigation on River Niger along northern border)

Topic: Bolivia10,000 km (2012) (commercially navigable almost exclusively in the northern and eastern parts of the country)

Topic: Bosnia and Herzegovina(2011) (Sava River on northern border; open to shipping but use limited)

Topic: Brazil50,000 km (2012) (most in areas remote from industry and population)

Topic: Brunei209 km (2012) (navigable by craft drawing less than 1.2 m; the Belait, Brunei, and Tutong Rivers are major transport links)

Topic: Bulgaria470 km (2009)

Topic: Burma12,800 km (2011)

Topic: Burundi(2011) (mainly on Lake Tanganyika between Bujumbura, Burundi's principal port, and lake ports in Tanzania, Zambia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo)

Topic: Cambodia3,700 km (2012) (mainly on Mekong River)

Topic: Cameroon(2010) (major rivers in the south, such as the Wouri and the Sanaga, are largely non-navigable; in the north, the Benue, which connects through Nigeria to the Niger River, is navigable in the rainy season only to the port of Garoua)

Topic: Canada636 km (2011) (Saint Lawrence Seaway of 3,769 km, including the Saint Lawrence River of 3,058 km, shared with United States)

Topic: Central African Republic2,800 km (2011) (the primary navigable river is the Ubangi, which joins the River Congo; it was the traditional route for the export of products because it connected with the Congo-Ocean railway at Brazzaville; because of the warfare on both sides of the River Congo from 1997, importers and exporters preferred routes through Cameroon)

Topic: Chad(2012) (Chari and Legone Rivers are navigable only in wet season)

Topic: China27,700 km (2020) (navigable waterways)

Topic: Colombia24,725 km (2019) (18,225 km navigable; the most important waterway, the River Magdalena, of which 1,092 km is navigable, is dredged regularly to ensure safe passage of cargo vessels and container barges)

Topic: Congo, Democratic Republic of the15,000 km (2011) (including the Congo River, its tributaries, and unconnected lakes)

Topic: Congo, Republic of the1,120 km (2011) (commercially navigable on Congo and Oubangui Rivers above Brazzaville; there are many ferries across the river to Kinshasa; the Congo south of Brazzaville-Kinshasa to the coast is not navigable because of rapids, necessitating a rail connection to Pointe-Noire; other rivers are used for local traffic only)

Topic: Costa Rica730 km (2011) (seasonally navigable by small craft)

Topic: Cote d'Ivoire980 km (2011) (navigable rivers, canals, and numerous coastal lagoons)

Topic: Croatia785 km (2009)

Topic: Cuba240 km (2011) (almost all navigable inland waterways are near the mouths of rivers)

Topic: Czechia664 km (2010) (principally on Elbe, Vltava, Oder, and other navigable rivers, lakes, and canals)

Topic: Denmark400 km (2010)

Topic: Ecuador1,500 km (2012) (most inaccessible)

Topic: Egypt3,500 km (2018) (includes the Nile River, Lake Nasser, Alexandria-Cairo Waterway, and numerous smaller canals in Nile Delta; the Suez Canal (193.5 km including approaches) is navigable by oceangoing vessels drawing up to 17.68 m)

Topic: El Salvador(2011) (Rio Lempa River is partially navigable by small craft)

Topic: Estonia335 km (2011) (320 km are navigable year-round)

Topic: European Union(2013) 53,384 km

Topic: Fiji203 km (2012) (122 km are navigable by motorized craft and 200-metric-ton barges)

Topic: Finland8,000 km (2013) (includes Saimaa Canal system of 3,577 km; southern part leased from Russia; water transport used frequently in the summer and widely replaced with sledges on the ice in winter; there are 187,888 lakes in Finland that cover 31,500 km); Finland also maintains 8,200 km of coastal fairways

Topic: Francemetropolitan France: 8,501 km (1,621 km navigable by craft up to 3,000 metric tons) (2010)

Topic: Gabon1,600 km (2010) (310 km on Ogooue River)

Topic: Gambia, The390 km (2010) (on River Gambia; small oceangoing vessels can reach 190 km)

Topic: Germany7,467 km (2012) (Rhine River carries most goods; Main-Danube Canal links North Sea and Black Sea)

Topic: Ghana1,293 km (2011) (168 km for launches and lighters on Volta, Ankobra, and Tano Rivers; 1,125 km of arterial and feeder waterways on Lake Volta)

Topic: Greece6 km (2012) (the 6-km-long Corinth Canal crosses the Isthmus of Corinth; it shortens a sea voyage by 325 km)

Topic: Guatemala990 km (2012) (260 km navigable year round; additional 730 km navigable during high-water season)

Topic: Guinea1,300 km (2011) (navigable by shallow-draft native craft in the northern part of the Niger River system)

Topic: Guinea-Bissau(2012) (rivers are partially navigable; many inlets and creeks provide shallow-water access to much of interior)

Topic: Guyana330 km (2012) (the Berbice, Demerara, and Essequibo Rivers are navigable by oceangoing vessels for 150 km, 100 km, and 80 km respectively)

Topic: Honduras465 km (2012) (most navigable only by small craft)

Topic: Hungary1,622 km (2011) (most on Danube River)

Topic: India14,500 km (2012) (5,200 km on major rivers and 485 km on canals suitable for mechanized vessels)

Topic: Indonesia21,579 km (2011)

Topic: Iran850 km (2012) (on Karun River; some navigation on Lake Urmia)

Topic: Iraq5,279 km (2012) (the Euphrates River (2,815 km), Tigris River (1,899 km), and Third River (565 km) are the principal waterways)

Topic: Ireland956 km (2010) (pleasure craft only)

Topic: Italy2,400 km (2012) (used for commercial traffic; of limited overall value compared to road and rail)

Topic: Japan1,770 km (2010) (seagoing vessels use inland seas)

Topic: Kazakhstan43,983 km (2020) (on the Ertis (Irtysh) River (80%) and Syr Darya (Syrdariya) River)

Topic: Kenya(2011) none specifically; the only significant inland waterway is the part of Lake Victoria within the boundaries of Kenya; Kisumu is the main port and has ferry connections to Uganda and Tanzania

Topic: Kiribati5 km (2012) (small network of canals in Line Islands)

Topic: Korea, North2,250 km (2011) (most navigable only by small craft)

Topic: Korea, South1,600 km (2011) (most navigable only by small craft)

Topic: Kyrgyzstan576 km (2022)

Topic: Laos4,600 km (2012) (primarily on the Mekong River and its tributaries; 2,900 additional km are intermittently navigable by craft drawing less than 0.5 m)

Topic: Latvia300 km (2010) (navigable year-round)

Topic: Liechtenstein28 km (2010)

Topic: Lithuania441 km (2007) (navigable year-round)

Topic: Luxembourg37 km (2010) (on Moselle River)

Topic: Madagascar600 km (2011) (432 km navigable)

Topic: Malawi700 km (2010) (on Lake Nyasa [Lake Malawi] and Shire River)

Topic: Malaysia7,200 km (2011) (Peninsular Malaysia 3,200 km; Sabah 1,500 km; Sarawak 2,500 km)

Topic: Mali1,800 km (2011) (downstream of Koulikoro; low water levels on the River Niger cause problems in dry years; in the months before the rainy season the river is not navigable by commercial vessels)

Topic: Mauritania(2011) (some navigation possible on the Senegal River)

Topic: Mexico2,900 km (2012) (navigable rivers and coastal canals mostly connected with ports on the country's east coast)

Topic: Moldova558 km (2011) (in public use on Danube, Dniester and Prut Rivers)

Topic: Mongolia580 km (2010) (the only waterway in operation is Lake Hovsgol) (135 km); Selenge River (270 km) and Orhon River (175 km) are navigable but carry little traffic; lakes and rivers ice free from May to September)

Topic: Mozambique460 km (2010) (Zambezi River navigable to Tete and along Cahora Bassa Lake)

Topic: Netherlands6,237 km (2012) (navigable by ships up to 50 tons)

Topic: Nicaragua2,220 km (2011) (navigable waterways as well as the use of the large Lake Managua and Lake Nicaragua; rivers serve only the sparsely populated eastern part of the country)

Topic: Niger300 km (2012) (the Niger, the only major river, is navigable to Gaya between September and March)

Topic: Nigeria8,600 km (2011) (Niger and Benue Rivers and smaller rivers and creeks)

Topic: Norway1,577 km (2010)

Topic: Panama800 km (2011) (includes the 82-km Panama Canal that is being widened)

Topic: Papua New Guinea11,000 km (2011)

Topic: Paraguay3,100 km (2012) (primarily on the Paraguay and Paraná River systems)

Topic: Peru8,808 km (2011) (8,600 km of navigable tributaries on the Amazon River system and 208 km on Lago Titicaca)

Topic: Philippines3,219 km (2011) (limited to vessels with draft less than 1.5 m)

Topic: Poland3,997 km (2009) (navigable rivers and canals)

Topic: Portugal210 km (2011) (on Douro River from Porto)

Topic: Romania1,731 km (2010) (includes 1,075 km on the Danube River, 524 km on secondary branches, and 132 km on canals)

Topic: Russia102,000 km (2009) (including 48,000 km with guaranteed depth; the 72,000-km system in European Russia links Baltic Sea, White Sea, Caspian Sea, Sea of Azov, and Black Sea)

Topic: Rwanda(2011) (Lac Kivu navigable by shallow-draft barges and native craft)

Topic: Senegal1,000 km (2012) (primarily on the Senegal, Saloum, and Casamance Rivers)

Topic: Serbia587 km (2009) (primarily on the Danube and Sava Rivers)

Topic: Sierra Leone800 km (2011) (600 km navigable year-round)

Topic: Slovakia172 km (2012) (on Danube River)

Topic: Slovenia(2012) (some transport on the Drava River)

Topic: South Sudansee entry for Sudan

Topic: Spain1,000 km (2012)

Topic: Sri Lanka160 km (2012) (primarily on rivers in southwest)

Topic: Sudan4,068 km (2011) (1,723 km open year-round on White and Blue Nile Rivers)

Topic: Suriname1,200 km (2011) (most navigable by ships with drafts up to 7 m)

Topic: Sweden2,052 km (2010)

Topic: Switzerland1,292 km (2010) (there are 1,227 km of waterways on lakes and rivers for public transport and 65 km on the Rhine River between Basel-Rheinfelden and Schaffhausen-Bodensee for commercial goods transport)

Topic: Syria900 km (2011) (navigable but not economically significant)

Topic: Tajikistan200 km (2011) (along Vakhsh River)

Topic: Tanzania(2011) (Lake Tanganyika, Lake Victoria, and Lake Nyasa (Lake Malawi) are the principal avenues of commerce with neighboring countries; the rivers are not navigable)

Topic: Thailand4,000 km (2011) (3,701 km navigable by boats with drafts up to 0.9 m)

Topic: Togo50 km (2011) (seasonally navigable by small craft on the Mono River depending on rainfall)

Topic: Turkey (Turkiye)1,200 km (2010)

Topic: Turkmenistan1,300 km (2011) (Amu Darya River and Kara Kum Canal are important inland waterways)

Topic: Uganda(2011) (there are no long navigable stretches of river in Uganda; parts of the Albert Nile that flow out of Lake Albert in the northwestern part of the country are navigable; several lakes including Lake Victoria and Lake Kyoga have substantial traffic; Lake Albert is navigable along a 200-km stretch from its northern tip to its southern shores)

Topic: Ukraine1,672 km (2012) (most on Dnieper River)

Topic: United Kingdom3,200 km (2009) (620 km used for commerce)

Topic: United States41,009 km (2012) (19,312 km used for commerce; Saint Lawrence Seaway of 3,769 km, including the Saint Lawrence River of 3,058 km, is shared with Canada)

Topic: Uruguay1,600 km (2011)

Topic: Uzbekistan1,100 km (2012)

Topic: Venezuela7,100 km (2011) (Orinoco River (400 km) and Lake de Maracaibo navigable by oceangoing vessels)

Topic: Vietnam47,130 km (2011) (30,831 km weight under 50 tons)

Topic: World2,293,412 km (2017)

top ten longest rivers: Nile (Africa) 6,693 km; Amazon (South America) 6,436 km; Mississippi-Missouri (North America) 6,238 km; Yenisey-Angara (Asia) 5,981 km; Ob-Irtysh (Asia) 5,569 km; Yangtze (Asia) 5,525 km; Yellow (Asia) 4,671 km; Amur (Asia) 4,352 km; Lena (Asia) 4,345 km; Congo (Africa) 4,344 km

note 1: rivers are not necessarily navigable along the entire length; if measured by volume, the Amazon is the largest river in the world, responsible for about 20% of the Earth's freshwater entering the ocean

note 2: there are 20 countries without rivers: 3 in Africa (Comoros, Djibouti, Libya), 1 in the Americas (Bahamas), 8 in Asia (Bahrain, Kuwait, Maldives, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Yemen), 3 in Europe (Malta, Monaco, Holy See), 5 in Oceania (Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Tonga, Tuvalu); these countries also do not have natural lakes

top ten largest natural lakes (by surface area): Caspian Sea (Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia, Turkmenistan) 372,960 sq km; Lake Superior (Canada, United States) 82,414 sq km; Lake Victoria (Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda) 69,490 sq km; Lake Huron (Canada, United States) 59,596 sq km; Lake Michigan (United States) 57,441 sq km; Lake Tanganyika (Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Zambia) 32,890 sq km; Great Bear Lake (Canada) 31,800 sq km; Lake Baikal (Russia) 31,494 sq km; Lake Nyasa (Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania) 30,044 sq km; Great Slave Lake (Canada) 28,400 sq km

note 1: the areas of the lakes are subject to seasonal variation; only the Caspian Sea is saline, the rest are fresh water

note 2: Lakes Huron and Michigan are technically a single lake because the flow of water between the Straits of Mackinac that connects the two lakes keeps their water levels at near-equilibrium; combined, Lake Huron-Michigan is the largest freshwater lake by surface area in the world

note 3: the deepest lake in the world (1,620 m), and also the largest freshwater lake by volume (23,600 cu km), is Lake Baikal in Russia

Topic: Zambia2,250 km (2010) (includes Lake Tanganyika and the Zambezi and Luapula Rivers)

Topic: Zimbabwe(2011) (some navigation possible on Lake Kariba)