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Tributary

Adapted from Wikipedia · Explorer experience

The mouth of the Nam Khan river where it flows into a body of water.

A tributary is a smaller river or stream that flows into a bigger river or lake. It never flows straight into the sea or ocean. Tributaries help carry water from the land into the larger rivers.

Sometimes, two or more tributaries meet at a place called a confluence. This is where the water from different streams comes together.

One of the longest tributaries in the world is the Irtysh. It flows into the big Ob River. Another huge tributary is the Madeira River, which carries a lot of water into another large river.

Images

Map showing the Amazon River drainage basin, highlighting important rivers and regions.
Map of the Benue River drainage basin, showing its course and surrounding areas.
Map showing the path of the Huai River in eastern China and where it flows into the Yangtze River.
Map showing the Jialing River drainage basin in China.
Map showing the Liao River drainage basin in China.
Map of the Mekong River and its tributaries in Southeast Asia
Map showing the Wabash River watershed with the Vermilion River highlighted, including its Salt, Middle, and North forks.
Map showing the path of the Yamuna River, a major tributary of the Ganges in northern India.

Related articles

Stream
Lake
Ocean

This article is a child-friendly adaptation of the Wikipedia article on Tributary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

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