Rivers that start with the letter P show up on every inhabited continent, from short tidal channels to major waterways that cross several national borders. This list covers 58 of them, running from “Padma” to “Pasig,” and includes everything from seasonal streams that dry up in summer to year-round arteries that carry shipping traffic. People rely on these rivers for drinking water, irrigation, fishing, hydroelectric power, and transport, and many have shaped the cities and farmland that grew up along their banks.
Rivers are natural channels of flowing water that move from higher ground toward lakes, seas, or other rivers, gathering rain and snowmelt along the way. Some, like the Paraná, rank among the longest rivers on their continent, while others, like the Piscataqua, are short but powerful due to strong tidal currents. Along the way, several have played a real role in history, from powering early American mills to marking the site of the abandoned city of Pripyat near Chernobyl.
Below you’ll find the table with river, countries, length, type, and description.
River: the name of each river, so you can quickly find the one you’re looking for or spot one you haven’t heard of before.
Countries: the country or countries each river flows through, useful if you’re researching a specific region or border.
Length (km): how long each river runs in kilometers, giving you a quick way to compare their size.
Type: the kind of river it is, such as a tributary, border river, or tidal river, so you know how it fits into a larger water system.
Description: a short summary of what makes each river notable, from its history to the communities and landscapes it supports.
Rivers
| River | Countries | Length (km) | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Padma | Bangladesh | 120 | Distributary |
| Pahang | Malaysia | 459 | Major river |
| Palar | India | 348 | Seasonal river |
| Pamlico | United States | 45 | Tidal river |
| Panjnad | Pakistan | 68 | Confluence river |
| Pangani | Tanzania | 500 | Major river |
| Paraguay | Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina | 2,549 | Major transboundary river |
| Paraíba do Sul | Brazil | 1,120 | Major river |
| Paraná | Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina | 4,880 | Major river |
| Parnaíba | Brazil | 1,485 | Border river |
| Pärnu | Estonia | 144 | River |
| Passaic | United States | 130 | River |
| Pastaza | Ecuador, Peru | 710 | Tributary |
| Patuca | Honduras | 500 | Major river |
| Payette | United States | 24 | Tributary |
| Paz | Guatemala, El Salvador | 133 | Border river |
| Peace | Canada | 1,923 | Major river |
| Pearl | China | 2,400 | Major river |
| Pechora | Russia | 1,809 | Major river |
| Pecos | United States | 1,490 | Tributary |
| Pee Dee | United States | 379 | River |
| Peel | Canada | 682 | Tributary |
| Pemigewasset | United States | 105 | River |
| Pennar | India | 597 | River |
| Periyar | India | 244 | River |
| Piave | Italy | 220 | River |
| Pigeon | United States, Canada | 200 | Border river |
| Pilcomayo | Bolivia, Paraguay, Argentina | 1,000 | Tributary |
| Pilica | Poland | 319 | Tributary |
| Ping | Thailand | 590 | Tributary |
| Piscataqua | United States | 19 | Tidal river |
| Pisco | Peru | 150 | River |
| Pit | United States | 320 | Tributary |
| Piura | Peru | 200 | River |
| Pite | Sweden | 330 | River |
| Po | Italy | 652 | Major river |
| Podkamennaya Tunguska | Russia | 1,865 | Tributary |
| Pánuco | Mexico | 512 | River |
| Papaloapan | Mexico | 354 | River |
| Powder | United States | 605 | Tributary |
| Pra | Ghana | 240 | River |
| Pregolya | Russia | 123 | River |
| Presumpscot | United States | 88 | River |
| Pripyat | Ukraine, Belarus | 761 | Tributary |
| Provo | United States | 116 | River |
| Prum | Germany, Luxembourg | 90 | Tributary |
| Prut | Ukraine, Romania, Moldova | 953 | Border river |
| Pasvik | Norway, Russia, Finland | 145 | Border river |
| Purari | Papua New Guinea | 600 | Major river |
| Purus | Peru, Brazil | 3,211 | Tributary |
| Putumayo | Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil | 1,575 | Tributary |
| Pyasina | Russia | 818 | Major river |
| Pyhäjoki | Finland | 130 | River |
| Pungwe | Mozambique, Zimbabwe | 400 | Major river |
| Potomac | United States | 665 | Major river |
| Penobscot | United States | 350 | Major river |
| Platte | United States | 310 | Tributary |
| Pasig | Philippines | 25 | Urban river |
Descriptions
Padma
The Padma is the main distributary of the Ganges in Bangladesh, carrying most of its flow before merging with the Meghna near the Bay of Bengal.
Pahang
The longest river in Peninsular Malaysia, the Pahang winds through rainforest and rubber plantations before emptying into the South China Sea.
Palar
A river of southern India that’s often dry for stretches in summer but swells dramatically during the monsoon, supporting farming along its banks.
Pamlico
Formed by the union of the Tar River in North Carolina, the short, wide Pamlico is more estuary than stream, teeming with fish and waterfowl.
Panjnad
Formed where five Punjabi rivers meet, the short but mighty Panjnad carries their combined flow into the Indus River.
Pangani
Flowing from Mount Kilimanjaro’s slopes to the Indian Ocean, the Pangani powers hydroelectric dams and irrigates farmland along its course.
Paraguay
A key South American waterway and major tributary of the Paraná, the Paraguay River gives its name to the country it runs through.
Paraíba do Sul
This river supplies drinking water to millions in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo despite flowing through some of Brazil’s most industrialized regions.
Paraná
South America’s second-longest river after the Amazon, the Paraná is a vital shipping route linking inland Brazil to the Atlantic Ocean.
Parnaíba
Forming the natural boundary between the Brazilian states of Maranhão and Piauí, the Parnaíba ends in a striking delta on the Atlantic coast.
Pärnu
A gentle river that flows through southwestern Estonia into the Gulf of Riga, popular for canoeing and passing near the resort town of Pärnu.
Passaic
This New Jersey river is famous for the dramatic Great Falls in Paterson, once the engine of America’s early industrial revolution.
Pastaza
Born from Andean glacial meltwater, the Pastaza plunges through cloud forest before joining the Marañón River in the Amazon basin.
Patuca
The longest river entirely within Honduras, the Patuca flows through dense rainforest, including the protected Patuca National Park.
Payette
An Idaho river prized by whitewater rafters, the Payette drains mountain snowmelt into the Snake River.
Paz
The Paz River marks part of the border between Guatemala and El Salvador as it flows toward the Pacific Ocean.
Peace
A major Canadian river that carved the dramatic Peace River Canyon, it flows from the Rockies to eventually join the Mackenzie River system.
Pearl
Also called the Zhu Jiang, this river system drains southern China and feeds one of the world’s busiest deltas around Guangzhou and Hong Kong.
Pechora
Flowing through the Russian Arctic, the Pechora is an important route for timber and fish, freezing solid for much of the year.
Pecos
Rising in the mountains of New Mexico, the Pecos flows through arid rangeland before joining the Rio Grande in Texas.
Pee Dee
Known as the Yadkin upstream, this river flows across the Carolinas and was historically used to float timber and cotton to market.
Peel
A remote northern river flowing through the Yukon and Northwest Territories, the Peel joins the Mackenzie River delta near the Arctic Ocean.
Pemigewasset
A scenic New Hampshire river that flows out of the White Mountains and helps form the Merrimack River.
Pennar
This seasonal river of southern India often runs low outside the monsoon but has long supported irrigation across Andhra Pradesh.
Periyar
Kerala’s longest river, the Periyar winds through tea plantations and wildlife sanctuaries before reaching the Arabian Sea.
Piave
A fast-flowing river in northeastern Italy, the Piave was the site of major World War I battles and is sometimes called the “River of Silence.”
Pigeon
This river forms part of the border between Minnesota and Ontario, tumbling over the dramatic High Falls along the way.
Pilcomayo
Descending from the Bolivian Andes into the Gran Chaco lowlands, the Pilcomayo eventually joins the Paraguay River after crossing vast wetlands.
Pilica
A central Polish river that winds through forests and farmland before joining the Vistula River.
Ping
One of the main rivers forming the Chao Phraya, the Ping flows past the historic city of Chiang Mai in northern Thailand.
Piscataqua
A short but powerful tidal river between Maine and New Hampshire, the Piscataqua has some of the fastest tidal currents on the U.S. East Coast.
Pisco
This coastal Peruvian river gives its name to the port city of Pisco and the famous Peruvian grape brandy.
Pit
A rugged Northern California river known for whitewater and volcanic canyons, the Pit feeds into the Sacramento River system.
Piura
Flowing through Peru’s arid northern coast, the Piura River can swell dramatically during El Niño years, causing major flooding.
Pite
One of Sweden’s last major undammed rivers, the Pite älv flows freely from Lapland’s mountains to the Gulf of Bothnia.
Po
Italy’s longest river, the Po flows across the fertile Po Valley, supporting the country’s most productive farmland before reaching the Adriatic Sea.
Podkamennaya Tunguska
A remote Siberian river famous as the site of the 1908 Tunguska explosion, it flows into the mighty Yenisei River.
Pánuco
Formed by several converging rivers, the Pánuco flows past historic Huastec sites before reaching the Gulf of Mexico near Tampico.
Papaloapan
Nicknamed the “River of Butterflies,” this Veracruz river drains a large basin known for its rich, humid farmland.
Powder
This wide, shallow river of Wyoming and Montana flows through ranch country before joining the Yellowstone River.
Pra
A significant river of southern Ghana, the Pra has long been used for fishing, transport, and historically, gold panning.
Pregolya
Flowing through the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, the Pregolya passes through the historic city once known as Königsberg before reaching the Baltic Sea.
Presumpscot
A Maine river that drops steadily from Sebago Lake to Casco Bay, historically powering mills along its length.
Pripyat
This river gave its name to the abandoned city near the Chernobyl nuclear plant and flows through vast wetlands before joining the Dnieper.
Provo
A Utah river fed by mountain snowmelt, the Provo flows into Utah Lake and is popular for fly fishing.
Prum
A small river crossing the German-Luxembourg border region, the Prum joins the Sauer River amid rolling countryside.
Prut
The Prut forms part of the border between Romania and Moldova as it winds toward the Danube River.
Pasvik
Also called the Paatsjoki, this river forms part of the border between Norway and Russia and flows through a chain of lakes to the Barents Sea.
Purari
One of Papua New Guinea’s largest rivers, the Purari drains rugged highland terrain before spreading into a broad delta.
Purus
Famous for its extreme, looping meanders, the Purus is one of the longest tributaries of the Amazon River.
Putumayo
Also known as the Içá in Brazil, the Putumayo winds through dense Amazon rainforest and forms part of several international borders.
Pyasina
An Arctic river draining Siberia’s Taymyr Peninsula, the Pyasina flows from Lake Pyasino to the Kara Sea and is frozen most of the year.
Pyhäjoki
A river in western Finland whose name literally means “Holy River,” historically important for salmon fishing.
Pungwe
Flowing from Zimbabwe’s eastern highlands to the Mozambique coast, the Pungwe supports fishing communities and the port city of Beira.
Potomac
Flowing past Washington, D.C., the Potomac is one of America’s most historically significant rivers and a key Chesapeake Bay tributary.
Penobscot
Maine’s largest river, the Penobscot was central to the state’s logging industry and has seen major dam removals to restore salmon runs.
Platte
Formed by the union of the North and South Platte rivers, this wide, shallow Nebraska river was a key landmark for wagon trains heading west.
Pasig
A short but historically vital river connecting Laguna de Bay to Manila Bay, running straight through the heart of Metro Manila.