The Amur River

The Amur River

On This Site

• The 25 Longest Rivers in the World
• The River as a Lifeline
• The River as a Boundary
• Geography links

The Amur is the sixth-longest river in the world, flowing 2,744 miles across the Far East regions of Russia, forming from a blending of the Argun and Shilka Rivers and flowing to the Tartar Strait at the Pacific Ocean. The Amur is the largest undammed river in the world. For 1,000 miles, the river forms a natural boundary between Russia and China.

The area in and around the Amur River is home to 95 percent of the world's Oriental white stork, as well as significant numbers of cranes and other birds. The river is the unique home to more than 100 species of fish. More famously living in this area is the Amur Leopard, of which only about 50 are thought to remain in existence. The river valley forms a rich habitat for a variety of other wildlife as well. This is remarkable when one considers that the river is navigable only May to November.

The river was home to ancient peoples in both Russia and China. Archaeologists from those two nations have recently teamed up to form digs to study clues to how these ancient peoples lived.

At the same time, environmentalists are concerned that the river is being mined for agricultural purposes at the expense of wildlife habitats. A sometimes fierce debate over the purpose of the river is ongoing.

Facts About the Amur River

Length

2,744 miles

Source(s)

Mongolia

Mouth

Tartar Strait (Pacific Ocean)

Countries Flows Through

Russia

Major Cities Flows By/Through

Khabarovsk, Komsomolsk, Nikolayevsk

Where Name Comes From

Russian for "Black water"

Graphics courtesy of ArtToday

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