The science of ecology deals with environments and the unique wildlife that inhabits them. My “Ecological Travels” series is a survey of different ecological habitats around the world. It’s amazing how similar, for example, rivers are on different continents, even though the actual creatures that inhabit the rivers may be separate species.  So this series will take a look at similar ecological zones in different tourist destinations.

                     Rivers are moving bodies of water, usually beginning in mountains and winding their way toward the sea. They are credited with fashioning some of the world’s greatest landscapes, since they erode their banks creating deep canyons.

         Rivers Around the World:

             Swift River, Kancamagus Highway, New Hampshire, USA  — This rapidly flowing river is particularly spectacular during the autumn when the leaves are changing.

               Chena River, Fairbanks, Alaska, USA — This river has allowed the city of Fairbanks to prosper in the Alaskan interior.

                      Gunnison River, Colorado, USA — The canyons cut by this river are some of the deepest in the USA.

                    Yellowstone River, Wyoming, USA — This spectacular river has produced the dramatic Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone and tumbles into this canyon via Yellowstone Falls.

                     Aare River, Bern, Switzerland — This river’s blue-green color contrasts nicely with the buildings of Bern.

                     Tiber River, Rome, Italy — Once a cesspool of pollution, the river is being cleaned up and utilized as another attraction in this dynamic city.

              Hudson River, New York, USA — This river is named after one of the regions great explorers, Henry Hudson.

                       Mississippi River, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA — America’s largest river, the Mississippi cuts across the middle of the country, draining much of America’s interior and depositing its load in the Gulf of Mexico.

                     Tagus River, Toledo, Spain — This river is famous due to the many paintings of the city by its favorite son, El Greco.

                      Colorado River, Colorado, USA — One of America’s most famous and most important rivers, the Colorado has created much of the grandeur of the West and provides much of the water for Southern California.

                    Chicago River, Illinois — Another example of urban renewal, this river was horribly polluted, but has been cleaned and now contributes to the overall attractiveness of Chicago.

                    Danube River, Budapest, Hungary — This is one of Europe’s longest rivers. It passes through several of Europe’s great cities.

                   Li River, Guilin, China — This amazing river traverses some of the loveliest and most dramatic glacial landscape in the world.

                 Arno River, Florence, Italy — This is one of central Italy’s most important rivers.

                  Dunn’s River, Ocho Rios, Jamaica — The series of cascading waterfalls created by this river have become one of the country’s most popular tourist attractions.

                    Seine River, Paris, France — The Seine divides the city into a west bank and an east bank. It forms a convenient separation for the tourist as well, since there are a significant number of attractions on each side. The popular Bateau Mouche boats take tourists on a pleasant sightseeing sojourn and make a great orientation.

                     San Antonio River, San Antonio, Texas, USA — This river is the focal point of one of America’s greatest urban renewal projects. San Antonio’s Paseo del Rio (Riverwalk) has revitalized the urban area and has become a destination in and of itself.

                   The Everglades, Florida, USA — Not a classic river in the usual sense, the Everglades are considered a river of grass, a wide expanse of surface water which flows slowly toward the Gulf of Mexico. Everglades National Park preserves much of this area.

                    Green River, Utah, USA — The Green River, along with the Colorado, has fashioned the incredible landscape of Canyonlands National Park.

                              Jordan River, Israel — Here is one of history’s most significant rivers. It was here that John the Baptist preached and here that he baptized Jesus Christ. Today the river has a more political significance. The West Bank (of the Jordan) defines the disputed Palestinian territories, a major bone of contention in the explosive Middle East.           

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