This list covers 39 rivers whose names start with the letter G, running alphabetically from “Ganges” to “Guadalete.” These waterways cross six continents and range from mighty, mile-wide giants to seasonal streams that vanish for part of the year. People rely on them for drinking water, farming, fishing, hydroelectric power, and transportation, and many have shaped the cities and cultures that grew up along their banks.
Rivers are natural channels of flowing water that carry rain and snowmelt from higher ground down to lakes, seas, or oceans. They’ve guided human settlement for thousands of years, offering fertile soil, trade routes, and fresh water. The Ganges, for example, is considered sacred to hundreds of millions of Hindus and draws pilgrims from across India every year.
Below you’ll find the table with the river, its countries, length, type, and description.
River: the name of each river, so you can quickly find the one you’re looking for or compare it with others on the list.
Countries: the country or countries each river flows through, helping you place it on a map and understand its regional importance.
Length (km): the river’s total length in kilometers, giving you a quick way to compare their sizes at a glance.
Type: whether the river is a major river, a tributary, a border river, or a seasonal river, so you know how it fits into its wider water system.
Description: a short summary of what makes the river notable, from its history and culture to the landscapes it shapes.
Rivers
| River | Countries | Length (km) | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ganges | India, Bangladesh | 2,525 | Major river |
| Godavari | India | 1,465 | Major river |
| Ghaghara | Nepal, India | 1,080 | Tributary |
| Gambia River | Guinea, Senegal, The Gambia | 1,120 | Major river |
| Gila River | United States | 1,044 | Tributary |
| Garonne | Spain, France | 602 | Major river |
| Guadalquivir | Spain | 657 | Major river |
| Guadiana | Spain, Portugal | 744 | Major river |
| Glomma | Norway | 604 | Major river |
| Green River | United States | 1,175 | Tributary |
| Grand River | United States | 420 | Major river |
| Genesee River | United States | 253 | Tributary |
| Guaporé River | Brazil, Bolivia | 1,749 | Border river |
| Guaviare River | Colombia | 1,497 | Tributary |
| Gunnison River | United States | 264 | Tributary |
| Great Ouse | United Kingdom | 230 | Major river |
| Goulburn River | Australia | 653 | Tributary |
| Gascoyne River | Australia | 760 | Seasonal river |
| Georgina River | Australia | 600 | Seasonal river |
| Great Zab | Turkey, Iraq | 400 | Tributary |
| George River | Canada | 565 | Major river |
| Gatineau River | Canada | 386 | Tributary |
| Grand River | Canada | 280 | Major river |
| Gandak River | Nepal, India | 630 | Tributary |
| Gomti River | India | 900 | Tributary |
| Geum River | South Korea | 401 | Major river |
| Grijalva River | Mexico | 480 | Major river |
| Gudenå | Denmark | 158 | Major river |
| Genil | Spain | 258 | Tributary |
| Gash River | Eritrea, Sudan | 456 | Seasonal river |
| Ganjiang | China | 823 | Tributary |
| Grand River | United States | 440 | Tributary |
| Guyandotte River | United States | 264 | Tributary |
| Grande Ronde River | United States | 315 | Tributary |
| Gallatin River | United States | 195 | Tributary |
| Gaula | Norway | 154 | Tributary |
| Ghatprabha | India | 283 | Tributary |
| Göta älv | Sweden | 93 | Major river |
| Guadalete | Spain | 157 | Major river |
Descriptions
Ganges
Sacred to Hindus, the Ganges flows from the Himalayas to the Bay of Bengal and supports one of the world’s most densely populated river basins.
Godavari
Known as the “Ganges of the South,” it’s India’s second-longest river, crossing the Deccan Plateau on its way to the Bay of Bengal.
Ghaghara
Called the Karnali in Nepal, this Himalayan river is a major tributary of the Ganges, notorious for dramatic seasonal flooding.
Gambia River
West Africa’s Gambia River is navigable for much of its length and gave its name to the small nation it runs through.
Gila River
A major tributary of the Colorado River, the Gila winds through Arizona’s desert country and played a key role in early Southwestern settlement.
Garonne
Rising in the Pyrenees, the Garonne flows through Toulouse and Bordeaux before widening into the Gironde estuary on the Atlantic coast.
Guadalquivir
Andalusia’s principal river, long vital for trade and navigation, flowing past the historic cities of Córdoba and Seville to the sea.
Guadiana
One of Iberia’s great rivers, it forms part of the Spain-Portugal border before emptying into the Gulf of Cádiz.
Glomma
Norway’s longest river drains a huge stretch of the southeast before flowing into the Skagerrak strait near Fredrikstad.
Green River
A key tributary of the Colorado River, famed for carving deep, scenic canyons through Wyoming, Utah, and Colorado.
Grand River
Michigan’s longest river, flowing from the south-central part of the state into Lake Michigan at Grand Haven.
Genesee River
Flowing north from Pennsylvania into Lake Ontario, it’s best known for the dramatic gorges at Letchworth State Park.
Guaporé River
Forming part of the Brazil-Bolivia border, this remote Amazon tributary feeds into the Mamoré and eventually the Madeira River.
Guaviare River
A major Orinoco tributary, historically marking a cultural boundary between the Colombian Andes and the Amazon lowlands.
Gunnison River
Carves the dramatic Black Canyon in Colorado before joining the larger Colorado River near Grand Junction.
Great Ouse
One of England’s longest rivers, meandering through Cambridgeshire and Norfolk before draining into the Wash.
Goulburn River
A major Victorian river and key tributary of the Murray, central to the state’s irrigation and fruit-growing industries.
Gascoyne River
Usually a dry riverbed in Western Australia, it floods dramatically and briefly after seasonal cyclones and heavy rains.
Georgina River
An outback river that flows only intermittently, feeding into the Channel Country wetlands of central Australia.
Great Zab
Rising in the mountains of Turkey, it joins the Tigris in Iraq as one of that river’s largest tributaries.
George River
Flows through northern Quebec into Ungava Bay and is famous for the massive caribou herd that crosses it each year.
Gatineau River
Flows south through Quebec into the Ottawa River, popular today for canoeing and whitewater near the national capital region.
Grand River
Southern Ontario’s longest river and a designated Canadian Heritage River, flowing into Lake Erie.
Gandak River
A Himalayan river considered sacred in Hindu tradition, joining the Ganges after crossing the northern Indian plains.
Gomti River
Flows through Lucknow before joining the Ganges, and has shaped the history and culture of that city for centuries.
Geum River
One of South Korea’s major rivers, winding past several cities that were once capitals of the ancient Baekje kingdom.
Grijalva River
One of Mexico’s highest-volume rivers, important for hydroelectric power as it crosses Chiapas and Tabasco.
Gudenå
Denmark’s longest river, winding gently through the country’s scenic Lake District in central Jutland.
Genil
The main tributary of the Guadalquivir, rising in the Sierra Nevada mountains near Granada.
Gash River
A seasonal river that rages during the rainy season before vanishing into the sands of eastern Sudan.
Ganjiang
Flows through Jiangxi province into Poyang Lake, forming an important part of the wider Yangtze River system.
Grand River
Flows through Iowa and northern Missouri before joining the Missouri River near Brunswick.
Guyandotte River
Winds through the coalfields of southern West Virginia before joining the Ohio River.
Grande Ronde River
Flows through northeastern Oregon and southeastern Washington, prized by anglers for its salmon and steelhead runs.
Gallatin River
Flows out of Yellowstone National Park through Montana’s Gallatin Valley, a favorite among fly fishers.
Gaula
A renowned salmon river in Trøndelag that draws anglers from around the world each summer.
Ghatprabha
A tributary of the Krishna River flowing through the state of Karnataka in southern India.
Göta älv
Sweden’s largest river by water volume, connecting Lake Vänern to the sea at the port city of Gothenburg.
Guadalete
Flows through Cádiz province and was the legendary site of the battle that ended the Visigothic kingdom in 711.