The Ganges River

rivers · Asia · water systems

Born in the Himalayas. The Ganges River starts high in the western Himalayan mountains of India, in a state called Uttarakhand. From there, it flows south and east across the massive Gangetic Plain.

Massive water system. The Ganges, Brahmaputra, and Meghna rivers together form the second-largest river system on Earth by the amount of water they discharge into the ocean. That is an enormous amount of flowing water.

Crosses two countries. This trans-boundary river flows through both India and Bangladesh before emptying into the Bay of Bengal. In Bangladesh, the river changes its name to the Padma.

Joins with other rivers. The Ganges receives water from many tributaries, including the Yamuna from the western Himalayas and several rivers flowing down from Nepal. These smaller rivers add their water to make the Ganges even mightier.

Creates a massive delta. Where the Ganges, Brahmaputra, and Meghna rivers meet, they form the Ganges Delta, one of the largest river deltas in the world. This delta eventually flows into the Bay of Bengal.