What is the Difference between River and River Basin?
By BYJU'S Exam Prep
Updated on: November 9th, 2023
The difference between River and River Basin is that a river is a water body, and a river basin comprises many different watersheds. A river is a body of water that resembles a ribbon and flows downward due to gravity. A stream, creek, or brook is a flowing body of water smaller than a river, and a river basin is made up of several different watersheds.
Table of content
Difference Between River and River Basin
A river can be wide and deep, or it can be shallow enough to wade across. A river’s drainage basin is where the river and all of its tributaries drain.
- A watershed is a smaller river basin.
- Each tributary and stream has its watershed that empties into a larger stream or wetland.
- These lakes, wetlands, ponds, and streams are all a component of a river basin.
Check out the Difference between River and River Basin in the table below.
| River | River Basin |
| A river is a ribbon-shaped stream of water that flows downhill due to gravity. | A river drainage basin is an area where a river and all of its tributaries drain. |
| A river might be vast and deep, or it can be shallow enough to wade across. | A river basin is made up of numerous watersheds. |
| A stream, brook or creek is a flowing body of water smaller than a river. | A watershed is a little river basin. |
| Some rivers run all year, while others flow only during particular seasons or after heavy rain. | Every stream and tributary has a separate watershed that drains to a larger stream or Wetland. |
| The longest rivers can stretch for thousands of kilometers. | Basins are generated by factors above or below the ground (such as erosion) (like Earthquake). |
Distinct Sections of the River
Rivers of India has three distinct sections: upper, middle, and lower courses.
The Upper Course:
- It is the area that is closest to the river’s source.
- Typically, the terrain is mountainous and high; the river moves quickly here.
Middle Course:
- At this point, the river begins to flatten out, widen, and move in looping loops.
- There is a great deal of transit, deposition, and erosion.
Lower Course:
- It is the river’s final course.
- The river moves closer to the sea in this section, and this section of the river has the slowest flow.
Summary:
What is the difference between River and River Basin?
The difference between a river and a river basin is that a river is a body of water that flows downward owing to gravity; A river basin is made up of many individual watersheds. A river is a stream of water that flows downhill due to gravity. The area through which a river and all of its tributaries flow are known as a river drainage basin.
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