{{Short description|River that crosses one or more political borders}}

A '''transboundary river''' is a river that crosses at least one political border, either a border within a state or an international boundary. Bangladesh has the highest number of these rivers, with at least 58 major rivers that enter the country from the Republic of India, including two of the world's largest rivers, the Brahmaputra and the Ganges. The Naf River is the only river that flows via Bangladesh into Myanmar.

The hydrologic and political effects of rivers that cross significant boundaries are enormous. Rivers have positive effects in that they carry a significant amount of sediment, which aids in building land in estuarine regions. However, this sediment raises the height of riverbeds, thereby causing flooding. International conventions governing water sharing have led to complex political disputes.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://mea.gov.in/foreignrelation/bangladesh.pdf |format=PDF| title =India-Bangladesh Political Relations | accessdate = 2007-12-18 | last = | first = | work = Sharing of River Waters | publisher = Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, February 2007 |archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20070925125012/http://www.mea.gov.in/foreignrelation/bangladesh.pdf<!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archivedate = 2007-09-25}}</ref>

== List of major international transboundary rivers == {| class="wikitable sortable" !River !Length (km) !Countries |- |Amazon |6,500 |{{Hs|03}}{{flag|Brazil}}<br>{{flag|Colombia}}<br>{{flag|Peru}} |- |Brahmaputra |3,848 |{{Hs|03}}{{flag|Bangladesh}}<br>{{flag|China}}<br>{{flag|India}} |- |Colorado |2,333 |{{Hs|02}}{{flag|Mexico}}<br>{{flag|United States}} |- |Columbia |2,000 |{{Hs|02}}{{flag|Canada}}<br>{{flag|United States}} |- |Danube |2,860 |{{Hs|10}}{{flag|Austria}}<br>{{flag|Bulgaria}}<br>{{flag|Croatia}}<br>{{flag|Germany}}<br>{{flag|Hungary}}<br>{{flag|Moldova}}<br>{{flag|Romania}}<br>{{flag|Serbia}}<br>{{flag|Slovakia}}<br>{{flag|Ukraine}} |- |Daugava |1,020 |{{Hs|03}}{{flag|Belarus}}<br>{{flag|Latvia}}<br>{{flag|Russia}} |- |Dnipro |2,200 |{{Hs|03}}{{flag|Belarus}}<br>{{flag|Russia}}<br>{{flag|Ukraine}} |- |Euphrates |2,800 |{{Hs|03}}{{flag|Iraq}}<br>{{flag|Syria}}<br>{{flag|Turkey}} |- |Ganges |3,084 |{{Hs|02}}{{flag|Bangladesh}}<br>{{flag|India}} |- |Ichamati |334 |{{Hs|02}}{{flag|Bangladesh}}<br>{{flag|India}} |- |Indus |3,500 |{{Hs|03}}{{flag|China}}<br>{{flag|India}}<br>{{flag|Pakistan}} |- |Irrawaddy |2,210 |{{Hs|02}}{{flag|China}}<br>{{flag|Myanmar}} |- |Mekong |4,350 |{{Hs|06}}{{flag|Cambodia}}<br>{{flag|China}}<br>{{flag|Laos}}<br>{{flag|Myanmar}}<br>{{flag|Thailand}}<br>{{flag|Vietnam}} |- |Meuse |925 |{{Hs|03}}{{flag|Belgium}}<br>{{flag|France}}<br>{{flag|Netherlands}} |- |Niger |4,180 |{{Hs|05}}{{flag|Benin}}<br>{{flag|Guinea}}<br>{{flag|Mali}}<br>{{flag|Niger}}<br>{{flag|Nigeria}} |- |Nile |7,088 |{{Hs|11}}{{flag|Burundi}}<br>{{flag|DR Congo}}<br>{{flag|Egypt}}<br>{{flag|Eritrea}}<br>{{flag|Ethiopia}}<br>{{flag|Kenya}}<br>{{flag|Rwanda}}<br>{{flag|South Sudan}}<br>{{flag|Sudan}}<br>{{flag|Tanzania}}<br>{{flag|Uganda}} |- |Rhine |1,230 |{{Hs|06}}{{flag|Austria}}<br>{{flag|France}}<br>{{flag|Germany}}<br>{{flag|Liechtenstein}}<br>{{flag|Netherlands}}<br>{{flag|Switzerland}} |- |Rhône |813 |{{Hs|02}}{{flag|France}}<br>{{flag|Switzerland}} |- |Rio Grande |3,051 |{{Hs|02}}{{flag|Mexico}}<br>{{flag|United States}} |- |St. Lawrence |500 |{{Hs|02}}{{flag|Canada}}<br>{{flag|United States}} |- |Tagus |1,007 |{{Hs|02}}{{flag|Portugal}}<br>{{flag|Spain}} |- |Tigris |1,850 |{{Hs|03}}{{flag|Iraq}}<br>{{flag|Syria}}<br>{{flag|Turkey}} |- |Yukon |3,190 |{{Hs|02}}{{flag|Canada}}<br>{{flag|United States}} |- |Zambezi |2,474 |{{Hs|06}}{{flag|Angola}}<br>{{flag|Botswana}}<br>{{flag|Mozambique}}<br>{{flag|Namibia}}<br>{{flag|Zambia}}<br>{{flag|Zimbabwe}} |}

== See also ==

* List of Bangladesh-India transboundary rivers * List of international river borders

== References == <references />

== External links == * [http://www.tbpa.net/ Global Transboundary Protected Areas Network] * [http://waterpartners.geo.orst.edu/ Universities Partnership for Transboundary Waters] * [http://webarchive.loc.gov/all/20021009105103/http%3A//www.cec.org/pubs_info_resources/law_treat_agree/transbound_agree/index.cfm?varlan%3Denglish Publication and Information Resources] * [http://www.ppl.nl/index.php?option=com_wrapper&view=wrapper&Itemid=82 Bibliography on Water Resources and International Law]. Peace Palace Library

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Category:International rivers