Bramaputra River
The Bramaputra River, 2,900 kilometers long, is the world's tallest river over sea level. Its source is in the Himalayas, and it flows into the Indian Ocean. The river runs east for 1,800 kilometers through most of southern Tibet (Xizang Autonomous Region), where it is known as the Yarlung Zangbo River, before it suddenly turns south and crosses the Himalayas in 5,000-meter-deep gorges. Reaching India, the Bramaputra (son of Brahma) runs west and south through Assam and Bangladesh, where it merges with the Ganges and forms a huge delta. In Bangladesh, the river is also known as the Jamuna. The river is navigable for most of its length except for the passage through the Himalayas.
The middle reaches of the riverbed are the agricultural center of Tibet, but heavy flooding and mudslides caused by deforestation are frequent. In Bangladesh, the water level rises four to five meters during the rainy seasons, and almost every year the river breaks its banks or changes course. When onshore storms simultaneously push the seawater into the delta, it results in disastrous floods. At the same time, the inundation and irrigation leave large deposits of fertile soil, so fields in the river valleys are intensively cultivated.
Further Reading
Biswas, Asit K., and Tsuyoshi Hashimoto, eds. (1996) Asian International Waters: From Ganges-Brahmaputra to Mekong. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
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