Mackenzie (river). Description, geographical location

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:45

Mackenzie is the largest river in North America, in particular Canada. Its length is more than 4000 km. From this article you can learn a lot of interesting things about this reservoir.

Origin of the name

The longest river in Canada is named after the explorer and discoverer - the Scotsman Alexander Mackenzie. It was he who made the first journey through its waters in 1789. This river interested Europeans as a potential route that would lead to the Pacific Ocean. But Mackenzie is the river that could not lead them to the Pacific coast, as it is fenced off from it on the western side by the Rocky Mountains.

The first name of the river in English meant "disappointment", or "discontent". It is likely that she did not make a very good impression on the first researcher.

Geographic location of the Mackenzie River

The Mackenzie River flows in the northwest of the country. Due to its numerous tributaries, it is an extensive river system. It occupies about 20% of Canada. The river basin lies in several Canadian provinces at once. It also includes a number of Canadian lakes. The main path of the river passes through the lands of the subpolarregion of the country, which are called the Northwest Territories.

Mackenzie originates from the Great Slave Lake. It is the deepest body of water on the North American continent. Its depth is 614 meters. This lake is considered to be one of the wonders of the local nature. The Mackenzie flows into the bay of the Beaufort Sea of the Arctic Ocean. 11% of the total flow is her water.

When it flows into the bay, the swampy delta of the Mackenzie River is formed, it occupies a vast territory - about 12,000 square meters. km. Here soils are bound by permafrost.

Northwest - this is the direction Mackenzie carries its waters. The river formed the valley from the thickness of alluvial and glacial deposits. It is covered mainly with spruce forest and swampy.

Description of the river

Mackenzie is not only the longest river in the north of America, but also quite deep. Therefore, it is suitable for navigation. In summer, river boats go along it for 2000 km. But the riverbed is also used in winter for economic purposes, however, very unusual ones. The ice road for cars is Mackenzie in winter. The river forms very thick and durable ice. Its thickness can reach up to 2 meters, so the movement of cars is absolutely safe.

Since the reservoir belongs to the Arctic water sources, it feeds mainly on snow and rainfall. Severe flooding often occurs during the melting of snow and ice. Canada's climate is quite harsh. In view of this, the Mackenzie River in the central and northern regions of the country is coveredice for more than six months: from mid-October to early May. Sometimes freezing can last until early June, mainly in the lower reaches of the reservoir.

Where and how does the river flow?

The Canada River flows through a vast area of the country. This area consists mainly of forests and forest-tundra. As a rule, these are deserted, untouched spaces. The banks of the Mackenzie, covered with forests, are very picturesque. There are many species of wild animals here, including the well-known grizzly bears. Many sites are heavily waterlogged - about 18% of the total area of the river basin. Throughout its entire length, the Mackenzie River, the photo of which is presented in this article, has a fairly wide channel, it can reach 5 km. The water flows calmly, slowly. The height difference from the source of the Mackenzie to its mouth is very small and amounts to just over 150 meters.

Interesting facts

Not far from Canada's northernmost settlement of Tuktoyaktuk, at the mouth of the Mackenzie River, are hydrolaccoliths, or pingos. These are cone-shaped hills. They consist of gravel and other soil elements that are literally squeezed out of the bowels of the earth to the surface under the influence of ice from below. Hills can be up to 40 meters high and about 300 meters in diameter.

About 53 species of fish live in Mackenzie waters. An interesting fact is that many representatives of the fauna are genetically related to those that live in the Mississippi River. Scientists have a version that in the past these reservoirs could be interconnected by systems of lakes and channels.

River today

Mackenzie is the main transport artery. It transports goods both in winter and summer. The level of seasonal fluctuations in the water in the river is used to extract hydropower. Several dams have been built on it. They not only produce the energy necessary for a person, but also fight floods during a flood. In the south, the development of agriculture became possible.

The Mackenzie Basin is rich in minerals:

1. Oil.
2. Gas.
3. Coal.
4. Gold.
5. Tungsten.
6. Potassium s alt.
7. Silver.
8. Uranium.
9. Diamonds and others

Due to mining developments, many of the inhospitable areas of the Mackenzie Basin have been turned into habitable areas. Mackenzie is a river whose banks are almost entirely covered with forests. Therefore, the extraction of raw materials and blanks is in full swing here. Only 1% of Canada's population lives in the basin - only about 400,000 people. This is approximately 0.2 people per 1 sq. km. But lately, ecotourism has been playing an increasingly important role in the regional economy.

The Mackenzie River is a very attractive place for adventure tourists who can travel by canoe or boat. No wonder thousands of travelers from all over the world come here every year.