| Waterways Country profile category: Transportation |
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y Z

Afghanistan: | 1,200 km note: chiefly Amu Darya, which handles vessels with DWT up to about 500 (2001)
Albania: | 43 km note: includes Albanian sections of Lake Scutari, Lake Ohrid, and Lake Prespa (1990)
Algeria: | none
American Samoa: | none
Andorra: | none
Angola: | 1,295 km
Anguilla: | none
Antigua and Barbuda: | none
Argentina: | 10,950 km
Armenia: | NA km
Aruba: | none
Ashmore and Cartier Islands: | none
Australia: | 8,368 km (mainly used by small, shallow-draft craft)
Austria: | 358 km (1999)
Azerbaijan: | none
Bahamas, The: | none
Bahrain: | none
Baker Island: | none
Bangladesh: | up to 8,046 km depending on season note: includes 3,058 km main cargo routes
Barbados: | none
Bassas da India: | none
Belarus: | NA km; note - Belarus has extensive and widely used canal and river systems
Belgium: | 2,043 km (1,528 km in regular commercial use)
Belize: | 825 km (river network used by shallow-draft craft; seasonally navigable)
Benin: | streams navigable along small sections, important only locally
Bermuda: | none
Bhutan: | none
Bolivia: | 10,000 km (commercially navigable)
Bosnia and Herzegovina: | NA km; large sections of the Sava blocked by downed bridges, silt, and debris
Botswana: | none
Bouvet Island: | none
Brazil: | 50,000 km
British Indian Ocean Territory: | none
British Virgin Islands: | none
Brunei: | 209 km; navigable by craft drawing less than 1.2 m
Bulgaria: | 470 km (1987)
Burkina Faso: | none
Burma: | 12,800 km note: 3,200 km navigable by large commercial vessels
Burundi: | Lake Tanganyika
Cambodia: | 3,700 km note: navigable all year to craft drawing 0.6 m or less; 282 km navigable to craft drawing as much as 1.8 m
Cameroon: | 2,090 km (of decreasing importance)
Canada: | 3,000 km (including Saint Lawrence Seaway)
Cape Verde: | none
Cayman Islands: | none
Central African Republic: | 900 km note: traditional trade carried on by means of shallow-draft dugouts; Oubangui is the most important river, navigable all year to craft drawing 0.6 m or less; 282 km navigable to craft drawing as much as 1.8 m
Chad: | 2,000 km
Chile: | 725 km
China: | 110,000 km (1999)
Christmas Island: | none
Clipperton Island: | none
Cocos (Keeling) Islands: | none
Colombia: | 18,140 km (navigable by river boats) (April 1996)
Comoros: | none
Congo, Democratic Republic of the: | 15,000 km (including the Congo and its tributaries, and unconnected lakes)
Congo, Republic of the: | 1,120 km note: the Congo and Ubangi (Oubangui) rivers provide 1,120 km of commercially navigable water transport; other rivers are used for local traffic only
Cook Islands: | none
Coral Sea Islands: | none
Costa Rica: | 730 km (seasonally navigable)
Cote d'Ivoire: | 980 km (navigable rivers, canals, and numerous coastal lagoons)
Croatia: | 785 km note: (perennially navigable; large sections of Sava blocked by downed bridges, silt, and debris)
Cuba: | 240 km
Cyprus: | none
Czech Republic: | 303 km note: (the Labe (Elbe) is the principal river) (2000)
Denmark: | 417 km
Djibouti: | none
Dominica: | none
Dominican Republic: | none
Ecuador: | 1,500 km
Egypt: | 3,500 km note: including the Nile, Lake Nasser, Alexandria-Cairo Waterway, and numerous smaller canals in the delta; Suez Canal (193.5 km including approaches), used by oceangoing vessels drawing up to 16.1 m of water
El Salvador: | Rio Lempa partially navigable
Equatorial Guinea: | none
Eritrea: | none
Estonia: | 320 km (perennially navigable)
Ethiopia: | none
Europa Island: | none
Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas): | none
Faroe Islands: | none
Fiji: | 203 km note: 122 km navigable by motorized craft and 200-metric-ton barges
Finland: | 6,675 km note: includes Saimaa Canal; 3,700 km suitable for large ships
France: | 14,932 km (6,969 km heavily traveled)
French Guiana: | 3,300 km navigable by native craft note: 460 km navigable by small oceangoing vessels and coastal and river steamers
French Polynesia: | none
French Southern and Antarctic Lands: | none
Gabon: | 1,600 km (perennially navigable)
Gambia, The: | 400 km
Gaza Strip: | none
Georgia: | none
Germany: | 7,500 km note: major rivers include the Rhine and Elbe; Kiel Canal is an important connection between the Baltic Sea and North Sea (1999)
Ghana: | 1,293 km note: Volta, Ankobra, and Tano Rivers provide 168 km of perennial navigation for launches and lighters; Lake Volta provides 1,125 km of arterial and feeder waterways
Gibraltar: | none
Glorioso Islands: | none
Greece: | 80 km note: system consists of three coastal canals including the Corinth Canal (6 km) which crosses the Isthmus of Corinth connecting the Gulf of Corinth with the Saronic Gulf and shortens the sea voyage from the Adriatic to Peiraiefs (Piraeus) by 325 km; there are also three unconnected rivers
Greenland: | none
Grenada: | none
Guadeloupe: | none
Guam: | none
Guatemala: | 990 km note: 260 km navigable year round; additional 730 km navigable during highwater season
Guernsey: | none
Guinea: | 1,295 km (navigable by shallow-draft native craft)
Guinea-Bissau: | several rivers are accessible to coastal shipping
Guyana: | 5,900 km (total length of navigable waterways) note: Berbice, Demerara, and Essequibo rivers are navigable by oceangoing vessels for 150 km, 100 km, and 80 km, respectively
Haiti: | NEGL; less than 100 km navigable
Heard Island and McDonald Islands: | none
Holy See (Vatican City): | none
Honduras: | 465 km (navigable by small craft)
Hong Kong: | none
Howland Island: | none
Hungary: | 1,373 km (permanently navigable) (1997)
Iceland: | none
India: | 16,180 km note: 3,631 km navigable by large vessels
Indonesia: | 21,579 km total note: Sumatra 5,471 km, Java and Madura 820 km, Kalimantan 10,460 km, Sulawesi (Celebes) 241 km, Irian Jaya 4,587 km
Iran: | 904 km note: the Shatt al Arab is usually navigable by maritime traffic for about 130 km; channel has been dredged to 3 m and is in use
Iraq: | 1,015 km note: Shatt al Arab is usually navigable by maritime traffic for about 130 km; channel has been dredged to 3 m and is in use; Tigris and Euphrates Rivers have navigable sections for shallow-draft boats; Shatt al Basrah canal was navigable by shallow-draft craft before closing in 1991 because of the Gulf war
Ireland: | 700 km (limited facilities for commercial traffic) (1998)
Israel: | none
Italy: | 2,400 km note: for various types of commercial traffic, although of limited overall value
Jamaica: | none
Jan Mayen: | none
Japan: | 1,770 km approximately note: seagoing craft ply all coastal inland seas
Jarvis Island: | none
Jersey: | none
Johnston Atoll: | none
Jordan: | none
Juan de Nova Island: | none
Kazakhstan: | 3,900 km note: on the Syrdariya (Syr Darya) and Ertis (Irtysh) rivers
Kenya: | NA note: part of the Lake Victoria system is within the boundaries of Kenya
Kingman Reef: | none
Kiribati: | 5 km (small network of canals in Line Islands)
Korea, North: | 2,253 km note: mostly navigable by small craft only
Korea, South: | 1,609 km note: restricted to small native craft
Kuwait: | none
Kyrgyzstan: | 600 km (1990)
Laos: | 4,587 km approximately note: primarily Mekong and tributaries; 2,897 additional km are intermittently navigable by craft drawing less than 0.5 m
Latvia: | 300 km (perennially navigable)
Lebanon: | none
Lesotho: | none
Liberia: | none
Libya: | none
Liechtenstein: | none
Lithuania: | 600 km (perennially navigable)
Luxembourg: | 37 km (on the Moselle)
Macau: | none
Macedonia, The Former Yugoslav Republic of: | note: lake transport only, on the Greek and Albanian borders
Madagascar: | note: of local importance only
Malawi: | 144 km note: on Lake Nyasa (Lake Malawi) and Shire Riverall
Malaysia: | 7,296 km note: Peninsular Malaysia 3,209 km, Sabah 1,569 km, Sarawak 2,518 km
Maldives: | none
Mali: | 1,815 km
Malta: | none
Man, Isle of: | none
Marshall Islands: | none
Martinique: | none
Mauritania: | note: ferry traffic on the Senegal River
Mauritius: | none
Mayotte: | none
Mexico: | 2,900 km note: navigable rivers and coastal canals
Micronesia, Federated States of: | none
Midway Islands: | none
Moldova: | 424 km (1994)
Monaco: | none
Mongolia: | 400 km (1999)
Montserrat: | none
Morocco: | none
Mozambique: | 3,750 km (navigable routes)
Namibia: | none
Nauru: | none
Navassa Island: | none
Nepal: | none
Netherlands: | 5,046 km note: 47% of total route length is usable by craft of 1,000 metric ton capacity or larger
Netherlands Antilles: | none
New Caledonia: | none
New Zealand: | 1,609 km note: of little importance in satisfying total transportation requirements
Nicaragua: | 2,220 km (including 2 large lakes)
Niger: | 300 km note: the Niger River is navigable from Niamey to Gaya on the Benin frontier from mid-December through March
Nigeria: | 8,575 km note: consisting of the Niger and Benue rivers and smaller rivers and creeks
Niue: | none
Norfolk Island: | none
Northern Mariana Islands: | none
Norway: | 1,577 km (along west coast) note: navigable by 2.4 m maximum draft vessels
Oman: | none
Pakistan: | none
Palau: | none
Palmyra Atoll: | none
Panama: | 882 km note: 800 km navigable by shallow draft vessels; 82 km Panama Canal
Papua New Guinea: | 10,940 km
Paracel Islands: | none
Paraguay: | 3,100 km
Peru: | 8,808 km note: 8,600 km of navigable tributaries of Amazon system and 208 km of Lago Titicaca
Philippines: | 3,219 km note: limited to vessels with a draft of less than 1.5 m
Pitcairn Islands: | none
Poland: | 3,812 km (navigable rivers and canals) (1996)
Portugal: | 820 km note: relatively unimportant to national economy, used by shallow-draft craft limited to 300 metric-ton or less cargo capacity
Puerto Rico: | none
Qatar: | none
Reunion: | none
Romania: | 1,724 km (1984)
Russia: | 95,900 km (total routes in general use) note: routes with navigation guides serving the Russian River Fleet-95,900 km; routes with night navigational aids-60,400 km; man-made navigable routes-16,900 km (Jan 1994)
Rwanda: | note: Lac Kivu navigable by shallow-draft barges and native craft
Saint Helena: | none
Saint Kitts and Nevis: | none
Saint Lucia: | none
Saint Pierre and Miquelon: | none
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines: | none
Samoa: | none
San Marino: | none
Sao Tome and Principe: | none
Saudi Arabia: | none
Senegal: | 897 km note: 785 km on the Senegal river, and 112 km on the Saloum river
Seychelles: | none
Sierra Leone: | 800 km (of which 600 km navigable year round)
Singapore: | none
Slovakia: | 172 km (all on the Danube)
Slovenia: | NA
Solomon Islands: | none
Somalia: | none
South Africa: | NA
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands: | none
Spain: | 1,045 km (of minor economic importance)
Spratly Islands: | none
Sri Lanka: | 430 km (navigable by shallow-draft craft)
Sudan: | 5,310 km
Suriname: | 1,200 km note: most important means of transport; oceangoing vessels with drafts ranging up to 7 m can navigate many of the principal waterways
Svalbard: | none
Swaziland: | none
Sweden: | 2,052 km note: navigable for small steamers and barges
Switzerland: | 65 km note: The Rhine carries heavy traffic on the Basel-Rheinfelden and Schaffhausen-Bodensee stretches; there are also 12 navigable lakes
Syria: | 870 km (minimal economic importance)
Tajikistan: | none
Tanzania: | note: Lake Tanganyika, Lake Victoria, and Lake Nyasa are principal avenues of commerce between Tanzania and its neighbors on those lakes
Thailand: | 4,000 km note: 3,701 km are navigable throughout the year by boats with drafts up to 0.9 meters; numerous minor waterways serve shallow-draft native craft
Togo: | 50 km (Mono river)
Tokelau: | none
Tonga: | none
Trinidad and Tobago: | none
Tromelin Island: | none
Tunisia: | none
Turkey: | 1,200 km (approximately)
Turkmenistan: | the Amu Darya is an important inland waterway for Turkmenistan
Turks and Caicos Islands: | none
Tuvalu: | none
Uganda: | Lake Victoria, Lake Albert, Lake Kyoga, Lake George, Lake Edward, Victoria Nile, Albert Nile
Ukraine: | 4,499 km note: (1,672 km are on the Pryp'yat' and Dnistr) (1990)
United Arab Emirates: | none
United Kingdom: | 3,200 km
United States: | 41,009 km note: navigable inland channels, exclusive of the Great Lakes
Uruguay: | 1,600 km ( used by coastal and shallow-draft river craft)
Uzbekistan: | 1,100 km (1990)
Vanuatu: | none
Venezuela: | 7,100 km note: Rio Orinoco and Lago de Maracaibo accept oceangoing vessels
Vietnam: | 17,702 km note: more than 5,149 km are navigable at all times by vessels up to 1.8 m draft
Virgin Islands: | none
Wake Island: | none
Wallis and Futuna: | none
West Bank: | none
Western Sahara: | none
Yemen: | none
Yugoslavia: | 587 km note: The Danube River, which connects Europe with the Black Sea, runs through Serbia; since early 2000, a pontoon bridge, replacing a destroyed conventional bridge, has obstructed river traffic at Novi Sad; the obstruction can be bypassed by a canal system but inadequate lock size limits the size of vessels which may pass (2001)
Zambia: | 2,250 km note: includes Lake Tanganyika and the Zambezi and Luapula rivers
Zimbabwe: | the Mazoe and Zambezi rivers are used for transporting chrome ore from Harare to Mozambique
Taiwan: | NA