The CIA World Factbook Edition 2011 Transportation
Waterways In 35 editions of 36.
Waterways was published in 35 editions of the CIA World Factbook, from 1990 to 2024. The 2011 edition carries it in 124 entries, in its Transportation section. Every entry is shown as that edition published it.
- entries in the 2011 edition
- 124
- the first edition with it
- 1990
- the latest edition with it
- 2024
Published as “Waterways” (1996 to 2024) and “Inland waterways” (1990 to 1995).
the entry has the field in that editionnot in that editionthe open editionEach entry below ends in its editions with Waterways, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down; choose one in a row to read that edition’s text there.
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Entries with Waterways in each edition
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World
1 entryWorld
671,886 km (2004)
- top ten longest rivers:
- Nile (Africa) 6,693 km;
- Amazon (South America) 6,436 km;
- Mississippi-Missouri (North America) 6,238 km;
- Yenisey-Angara (Asia) 5,981 km;
- Ob-Irtysh (Asia) 5,569 km;
- Yangtze (Asia) 5,525 km;
- Yellow (Asia) 4,671 km;
- Amur (Asia) 4,352 km;
- Lena (Asia) 4,345 km;
- Congo (Africa) 4,344 km
note: if measured by volume, the Amazon is the largest river in the world
Africa
33 entriesBenin
- 150 km (seasonal navigation on River Niger along northern border) (2010)
- country comparison to the world: 102
Burundi
(mainly on Lake Tanganyika between Bujumbura, Burundi's principal port, and lake ports in Tanzania, Zambia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo) (2010)
Cameroon
(major rivers in the south, such as the Wouri and the Sanaga, are largely non-navigable; in the north, the Benue, which connects through Nigeria to the Niger River, is navigable in the rainy season only to the port of Garoua) (2010)
Central African Republic
2,800 km (the primary navigable river is the Ubangi, which joins the River Congo; it was the traditional route for the export of products because it connected with the Congo-Ocean railway at Brazzaville; because of the warfare on both sides of the River Congo from 1997, however, routes through Cameroon became preferred by importers and exporters) (2010)
country comparison to the world: 34
Congo, Democratic Republic of the now Democratic Republic of the Congo
- 15,000 km (including the Congo, its tributaries, and unconnected lakes) (2009)
- country comparison to the world: 8
Congo, Republic of the now Republic of the Congo
1,120 km (commercially navigable on Congo and Oubanqui rivers above Brazzaville; there are many ferries across the river to Kinshasa; the Congo south of Brazzaville-Kinshasa to the coast is not navigable because of rapids, thereby necessitating a rail connection to Pointe Noire; other rivers are used for local traffic only) (2010)
country comparison to the world: 62
Cote d'Ivoire
- 980 km (navigable rivers, canals, and numerous coastal lagoons) (2009)
- country comparison to the world: 67
Egypt
3,500 km (includes the Nile River, Lake Nasser, Alexandria-Cairo Waterway, and numerous smaller canals in Nile Delta; the Suez Canal (193.5 km including approaches) is navigable by oceangoing vessels drawing up to 17.68 m) (2010)
country comparison to the world: 29
Gambia, The now The Gambia
- 390 km (on River Gambia; small ocean-going vessels can reach 190 km) (2010)
- country comparison to the world: 89
Ghana
1,293 km (168 km for launches and lighters on Volta, Ankobra, and Tano rivers; 1,125 km of arterial and feeder waterways on Lake Volta) (2011)
country comparison to the world: 58
Guinea
1,300 km (navigable by shallow-draft native craft in the northern part of the Niger system) (2009)
country comparison to the world: 54
Guinea-Bissau
(rivers are navigable for some distance; many inlets and creeks give shallow-water access to much of interior) (2009)
Kenya
(the only significant inland waterway in the country is the part of Lake Victoria within the boundaries of Kenya; Kisumu is the main port and has ferry connections to Uganda and Tanzania) (2010)
Malawi
- 700 km (on Lake Nyasa [Lake Malawi] and Shire River) (2010)
- country comparison to the world: 76
Mali
1,800 km (downstream of Koulikoro; low water levels on the River Niger cause problems in dry years; in the months before the rainy season the river is not navigable by commercial vessels) (2010)
country comparison to the world: 45
Mozambique
- 460 km (Zambezi River navigable to Tete and along Cahora Bassa Lake) (2010)
- country comparison to the world: 86
Niger
300 km (the Niger, the only major river, is navigable to Gaya between September and March) (2010)
country comparison to the world: 94
Nigeria
- 8,600 km (Niger and Benue rivers and smaller rivers and creeks) (2009)
- country comparison to the world: 15
Senegal
- 1,000 km (primarily on the Senegal, Saloum, and Casamance rivers) (2010)
- country comparison to the world: 64
Sudan
- 4,068 km (1,723 km open year round on White and Blue Nile rivers) (2008)
- country comparison to the world: 25
Tanzania
(Lake Tanganyika, Lake Victoria, and Lake Nyasa (Lake Malawi) are the principal avenues of commerce with neighboring countries; the rivers are not navigable) (2009)
Togo
50 km (seasonally navigable by small craft on the Mono River depending on rainfall) (2009)
country comparison to the world: 103
Uganda
(there are no long navigable stretches of river in Uganda; parts of the Albert Nile that flow out of Lake Albert in the northwestern part of the country are navigable; several lakes including Lake Victoria and Lake Kyoga have substantial traffic; Lake Albert is navigable along a 200-km stretch from its northern tip to its southern shores) (2009)
Zambia
- 2,250 km (includes Lake Tanganyika and the Zambezi and Luapula rivers) (2010)
- country comparison to the world: 39
Asia
15 entriesAfghanistan
- 1,200 km; (chiefly Amu Darya, which handles vessels up to 500 DWT) (2008)
- country comparison to the world: 59
Bangladesh
8,370 km (includes up to 3,060 km of main cargo routes; the network is reduced to 5,200 km in the dry season) (2007)
country comparison to the world: 17
India
14,500 km (5,200 km on major rivers and 485 km on canals suitable for mechanized vessels) (2008)
country comparison to the world: 9
Kazakhstan
4,000 km (on the Ertis (Irtysh) River (80%) and Syr Darya (Syrdariya) River) (2010)
country comparison to the world: 26
Korea, North now North Korea
- 2,250 km (most navigable only by small craft) (2010)
- country comparison to the world: 38
Korea, South now South Korea
- 1,608 km (most navigable only by small craft) (2010)
- country comparison to the world: 49
Mongolia
580 km (the only waterway in operation is Lake Hovsgol (135 km); Selenge River (270 km) and Orhon River (175 km) are navigable but carry little traffic; lakes and rivers freeze in winter, they are open from May to September) (2010)
country comparison to the world: 82
Russia
102,000 km (including 48,000 km with guaranteed depth; the 72,000 km system in European Russia links Baltic Sea, White Sea, Caspian Sea, Sea of Azov, and Black Sea) (2009)
country comparison to the world: 2
Turkmenistan
- 1,300 km (Amu Darya and Kara Kum canal are important inland waterways) (2008)
- country comparison to the world: 55
Central America and the Caribbean
8 entriesCuba
240 km (almost all navigable inland waterways are near the mouths of rivers) (2010)
country comparison to the world: 95
Guatemala
990 km (260 km navigable year round; additional 730 km navigable during high-water season) (2010)
country comparison to the world: 66
Nicaragua
2,220 km (navigable waterways as well as the use of the large Lake Managua and Lake Nicaragua; rivers serve only the sparsely populated eastern part of the country) (2010)
country comparison to the world: 40
Panama
- 800 km (includes the 82-km Panama Canal that is being widened) (2010)
- country comparison to the world: 73
Europe
36 entriesBelarus
2,500 km (use limited by its location on the perimeter of the country and by its shallowness) (2003)
country comparison to the world: 35
Czech Republic now Czechia
664 km (principally on Elbe, Vltava, Oder, and other navigable rivers, lakes, and canals) (2010)
country comparison to the world: 77
Finland
7,842 km (includes Saimaa Canal system of 3,577 km; southern part leased from Russia; water transport is used frequently in the summer and is widely replaced with sledges on the ice in winter; there are 187,888 lakes in Finland that cover 31,500 km) (2010)
country comparison to the world: 18
France
- metropolitan France:
- 8,501 km (1,621 km accessible to craft of 3,000 metric tons) (2010)
- country comparison to the world:
- 16
Germany
7,467 km (Rhine River carries most goods; Main-Danube Canal links North Sea and Black Sea) (2010)
country comparison to the world: 19
Greece
6 km (the 6 km long Corinth Canal crosses the Isthmus of Corinth; it shortens a sea voyage by 325 km) (2010)
country comparison to the world: 107
Italy
2,400 km (used for commercial traffic; of limited overall value compared to road and rail) (2009)
country comparison to the world: 36
Moldova
- 558 km (in public use on Danube, Dniester and Prut rivers) (2008)
- country comparison to the world: 83
Romania
1,731 km (includes 1,075 km on the Danube River, 524 km on secondary branches, and 132 km on canals) (2006)
country comparison to the world: 47
Switzerland
1,299 km (there are 1,227 km of waterways on lakes and rivers for public transport and another 65 km on the Rhine River between Basel-Rheinfelden and Schaffhausen-Bodensee used for the transport of commercial goods) (2010)
country comparison to the world: 57
Middle East
4 entriesNorth America
3 entriesCanada
636 km (Saint Lawrence Seaway of 3,769 km, including the Saint Lawrence River of 3,058 km, shared with United States) (2008)
country comparison to the world: 78
Mexico
2,900 km (navigable rivers and coastal canals mostly connected with ports on the country's east coast) (2010)
country comparison to the world: 33
United States
41,009 km (19,312 km used for commerce; Saint Lawrence Seaway of 3,769 km, including the Saint Lawrence River of 3,058 km, is shared with Canada) (2008)
country comparison to the world: 4
Oceania
4 entriesSouth America
11 entriesBolivia
10,000 km (commercially navigable almost exclusively in the northern and eastern parts of the country) (2010)
country comparison to the world: 13
Brazil
- 50,000 km (most in areas remote from industry and population) (2010)
- country comparison to the world: 3
Guyana
330 km (the Berbice, Demerara, and Essequibo rivers are navigable by oceangoing vessels for 150 km, 100 km, and 80 km respectively) (2010)
country comparison to the world: 92
Paraguay
- 3,100 km (primarily on the Paraguay and Paran? river systems) (2010)
- country comparison to the world: 32
Peru
8,808 km (there are 8,600 km of navigable tributaries on the Amazon system and 208 km on Lago Titicaca) (2010)
country comparison to the world: 14
Suriname
- 1,200 km (most navigable by ships with drafts up to 7 m) (2010)
- country comparison to the world: 61
Venezuela
7,100 km (the Orinoco River (400 km) and Lake de Maracaibo are navigable by oceangoing vessels) (2010)
country comparison to the world: 21
Southeast Asia
9 entriesBrunei
209 km (navigable by craft drawing less than 1.2 m; the Belait, Brunei, and Tutong rivers are major transport links) (2011)
country comparison to the world: 97
Laos
4,600 km (primarily on the Mekong River and its tributaries; 2,900 additional km are intermittently navigable by craft drawing less than 0.5 m) (2010)
country comparison to the world: 24
Malaysia
- 7,200 km (Peninsular Malaysia 3,200 km; Sabah 1,500 km; Sarawak 2,500 km) (2011)
- country comparison to the world: 20
Philippines
- 3,219 km (limited to vessels with draft less than 1.5 m) (2011)
- country comparison to the world: 30
Thailand
- 4,000 km (3,701 km navigable by boats with drafts up to 0.9 m) (2010)
- country comparison to the world: 27
Vietnam
- 17,702 km (5,000 km are navigable by vessels up to 1.8 m draft) (2011)
- country comparison to the world: 7
Cite this page
Central Intelligence Agency. The World Factbook 2011, “Waterways”, all entries. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/fields/waterways/2011.