Which river is often cited as the deepest in the world?

• A. Nile River
• B. Amazon River
• C. Yangtze River
• D. Congo River

Answer: (D)

Rivers differ in how deep their channels run, and this question focuses on which one has the greatest depth beneath the surface. The Congo River in central Africa is famed for carving a very deep channel, with depths around 200–220 meters in certain sections. That extreme depth comes from a long erosion history in a geologically active region, where the river has cut down through bedrock and formed a deep, canyon-like valley. While the Nile, Yangtze, and Amazon are incredibly long and powerful, their deepest points do not reach as far below the surface as the Congo’s deepest spots. So the river most often cited as the deepest in the world is the Congo River.