The world's oldest river flows only a few times a year.

Alongside the longest river (Nile) and the world's largest by water volume (Amazon), the Finke is considered the oldest on the planet, flowing through Australia.

The Finke River is almost dry for most of the year. Photo: Wikimedia

Most experts agree that the world's oldest river is the Finke River, also known as Larapinta by the Australian Aboriginal community. This river flows only a few times a year after heavy rains and stretches about 600 - 750 km, emptying into Lake Eyre. Dating back about 350 - 400 million years, the Finke River originates in the MacDonnell Ranges in the Northern Territory, Australia, according to IFL Science .

Determining the exact age of a river is extremely difficult, especially over long geological periods. Scientists and geologists can examine the surrounding ecology, mountain ranges, and riverbed sediments, along with the meandering course that has changed the landscape over hundreds of millions of years of erosion. Even after taking all of these factors into account, estimates of a river’s age can vary widely.

The oldest river in North America is the New River, which flows 547 km from the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina through Virginia and West Virginia, where it empties into the Kanawha River. Estimates of its age vary, but most calculations place it between 10 and 360 million years old. One study found it to be the second oldest river in the world, in a campaign to stop damming the river. Meanwhile, the oldest river in Europe is the Meuse, which is 950 km long and flows through three countries: France, Belgium, and the Netherlands. Researchers estimate the river to be between 320 and 340 million years old.

An Khang (According to IFL Science )

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