77 Interesting Ob River Facts You Probably Didn't Know About!

Have you heard about the Ob River that flows through Russia?

Then we will help you gather some fun information about this amazing river of Russia. The Ob River is one of the most important rivers of Russia and is one of the longest rivers of the world.

At 3,460 mi (5,568 km), Ob-Ityrish River is the seventh-longest river in the world. This river starts its journey at the junction of Biya and Katun Rivers, which are located in the Altai Mountains, and then passes through Siberia and the Gulf of Ob.

Rivers are a really important element in countries' economies and also play a very crucial role in sustaining biodiversity.

Not only does a country get its water resource in the form of a river, but they also act as a route for trade, the banks form fertile cultivation ground, and a variety of professions depend on it. Even a river's water current is used to make hydroelectricity which lessens our dependence on polluting fossil fuels.

The Ob River is among some of the most important rivers as it is serves several regions with its river basin.

The Ob River (or, to give its its full name, Ob-Irtysh River), comprises the River Ob and its longest tributary river, the River Irtysh. The total length of this river is 3,460 mi (5,568 km), where the Irtysh stands for the white river. The word Ob means water or river.

There are many facts related to its geography, its tributary rivers, and even some fun things to know about. Thus, we will be covering all this and a lot more facts related to the river below.

Fun Facts About The Ob River

We will start with some fun facts abut the Ob River, after which we will dive into more details on its geography, ecology, and other details.

Here are some extremely important facts about the Ob-Irtysh River which will help you appreciate the importance of this river even more:

The Ob River estuary in the Gulf of Ob is the longest in the world.

The Ob river has many local names, like Kuay, Yag, Kolta, Yema, and many more, given by different communities and people.

While the main stream is restricted to Russia, the tributary rivers cross borders and travel into China, Kazakhstan, and Mongolia.

This river flows through a variety of terrains and encounters many lakes and small rivers on its way to its final destination, the Arctic Ocean.

From November to April, for half the year, the river is in a frozen state.

The major tributaries of the Ob-Irtysh River are Tom River, Aley River, and Inya River.

As the river is very long and covers several terrains from its origins in the Altai Mountains, so the river passes through different ecologies and weather systems.

The river is not only useful for transportation, but provides a good source of hydroelectricity. Many people also like to fish the river, with some fishing for occupation and some for hobbies, and it is also a source of water for drinking and irrigating the fields.

The largest hydroelectricity plant built on the Ob river is Novosibirskaya GES, which generates as much as 460 MW of power. The Kariba Dam is the most notable dam on the Ob-Irtysh River.

Geographical Facts About The Ob River

The geography of the Ob River is extremely interesting and important for Russia. It is therefore extremely important to understand the geographical importance of the Ob River. Now after reading so many fun facts, let us have a look at the geography of the Ob River.

Ob River, along with its Irtysh River tributary, forms the seventh-longest river system, with a length of 3,460 mi (5,568 km), finally meeting the Arctic Ocean at its north.

This river flows in western Siberia and covers the Russian subcontinent. It covers five regions and five cities in total before discharging into the Arctic Ocean.

The origin of this river is in the Belukha Mountain, in Katun, in the Altai Republic, at an elevation of about 7,590 ft (2,300 m).

Its tributaries pass through four countries - China, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, and Russia.

After flowing through much of Russia, the river empties into the Kara Sea.

The river through many different types of terrain, from desserts to ice tundra.

The mouth of the river is in the Gulf of Ob, in Yamalia, and discharges at Salekhard.

This river remains frozen for as much as half of the year while the rest of the year sees some intense water transportation.

Instead of the Ob River, it is often referred to as the Ob-Irtysh River due to its main and longest tributary.

The Irtysh River merges with Lake Zaysan, located in Kazakhstan, then with Ishim and Tobol river, before it finally meets Ob in western Siberia, Russia.

The Khanty and Mansi people are Western Siberians, living mainly in the Ob River basin of central Russia. They each speak an Ob-Ugric language of the Finno-Ugric branch of the Uralic languages. They are descended from people from the south Ural steppe who moved into this region about 500 AD.

The plateau on the east of this river is the Western Siberian Plateau.

The West Siberian Plain covers about 85 per cent of the Ob River basin. The rest of the river basin comprises the terraced plains of Turgay (Kazakhstan) and the small hills of northern Kazakhstan, and the Kuznetsk Alatau range, the Salair Ridge, as well as the Altai Mountains and their foothills in the south-east.

The Gulf of Ob is among the largest estuaries in the world in terms of area, watershed basin, and freshwater discharge.

Ob River Tributaries

The Ob is the fourth-longest river of Russia and the seventh-longest river in the world when it is joined with the Ob-Irtysh River system. The river is fed by some important tributary rivers. Here are some more interesting facts about the Ob River tributaries:

Most of the river has tributaries that flow in a different direction but merge with the main river at some point. These rivers are dependent on the main river and thus are considered tributaries.

Ob-Irtysh River has 33 tributaries of its own, with 16 on the right-hand side.

Irtysh is the major tributary and some other tributaries include:

Right side

Poluy

Biya

Kazym

Chumysh

Lyamin

Berd

Pim

Inya

Tromyogan

Tom

Vatinsky Yogan

Chulym

Vakh

Ket

Kievsky Yogan

Tym

Left Side

Katun

Synya

Peschanaya

Shchuchya

Anuy

Severbaya sosva

Charysh

Irtysh

Aley

Bolshoy Salym

Barnaulka

Bolshoy Yugan

Kasmala

Vasyugan

Shegarka

Parable

Chaya

Facts About The Ob River’s Ecosystem

Apart from being an extremely lengthy river, the Ob River also plays an extremely important role in the ecology of the regions that are present along the banks of the river. The river supports and promotes the ecosystem of a diverse variety of flora and fauna. Here are some extremely important aspects related to the Ob River ecosystem:

As we said earlier, ecology is a very integral aspect of a river. The river sustains life residing in and around it. But the tragedy is that, as humankind progresses, natural resources are getting affected.

The rivers have become dumping grounds, and the construction of dams is hindering the biodiversity of the river. Some of the native species are endangered as well. Thus, we need to be able to conserve them as well as our natural resources, and to find a way to bring them back to flourishing from the brink of extinction.

Now, let us have a look at some ecosystem facts of the Ob River.

The course of the river in the upper and middle parts is surrounded by trees like birches, firs, cedars, and pines along with some other taiga and steppe flora.

You can easily find willows, bird cherries, and wild roses on the course as well.

Coming to the aquatic wildlife, there is again a great level of diversity found.

As many as 50 types of species, like that of nelmas, sturgeons, peles, and carp, are found in abundance.

Next are the birds, which have as many as 150 species, including migratory birds.

Regarding mammals, there are wolves, mink, otters, ermine, beavers, and Siberian moles.

As we read earlier, the river remains in a frozen state for half of the year, so there are polar bears, snowy owls, hares, and foxes, and other species that are tolerant to low temperatures which can be found here.

Also, unicellular species, such as phytoplanktons and lichens, can also be found in and around this river.

Together with the Lena and the Jenissei, the Ob River it is one of the most important rivers of Siberia.

Some important cities on the banks of the river include Novosibirsk (Russia's third-largest city), Barnaul, Kolpashevo, Nizhnevartovsk, Surgut, Khanty-Mansiysk, Beryozovo, Labytnangi, and Salekhard. 

The Trans-Siberian Railaway cross the River Ob at Novosibirsk.