The Mother of Waters and Her Daughters

There is nothing that compares to the coordination of a mother with her daughters especially when they are working towards a common goal. No one wishes to let the other down, and if they do, knowingly or unknowingly, they will strive to uplift each other. If one of the daughters is weak, the mother will take up her roles to forge ahead and deliver. This analogy relates to a river and its streams. The main river is the mother of waters, and the streams are the daughters. Here, we will focus on Mekong River which sways its hips in some countries in South East Asia. It boasts being the longest river in that part of the continent and the 12th longest in the world.


“Mother” Mekong’s length

This beast in the name of the mother of waters; Mekong River, flows in six different countries in the Asian continent. You wonder why it wasn’t named a mini ocean but a river yet its length is as long as you can imagine a water body that traverses in six countries. 4,350km is how far this river covers which can be translated to 2700 miles.


The Route of the Mekong River

Details on how Mekong river flows can be illustrated using the following images that give a clear picture on the same. It coughs from the Tibetan Plateau in between two other rivers; the Salween and Yangtze Rivers. It then flows to Yunnan province which is in China proceeding to some place in Myanmar and Laos, therefore draining close to 21,000km. This mother keeps on with the flow through Thailand, Cambodia and lastly settles at Vietnam. River Mekong’s mouth and the source is the Mekong Delta and Lasagongma spring in that order. The Mekong has some tributaries including the Tha and the Ou rivers.


Usefulness of Mekong River to the People

What is a river that flows without meaning? A river is not just meant to make sounds and prove that there exists water in that area but it has to do more and it is the people who have to discover how they can benefit from the river. Evidently, those that border Mekong practice agriculture. In fact, we have the Mekong River Commission that majorly deals with such issues. This was not an initiative that was active from way back. It is only when Mekong River Commission sort of did some re-branding that called for a plan of action that will spearhead the adequate use of the river in the Lower Mekong Basin.


Fun facts about the Mekong River  

With the exception of it being the 12th longest river in the world, here are some of the fun facts about our Mother of Waters; Mekong.

  • It is the second most biologically sundry river in the world.
  • It is a dynamic force regarding it being a source of livelihood for over 60 million people
  • It has an immoderate seasonal random variable causing hitches when it comes to navigation
  • It has different names depending on the country it is flowing in
  • The river feeds on the melting snow waters of Tibetan in the Himalayas


The Mekong, our Mother of Waters, bears unique characteristics which according to what I have written before, sums up why it is a mother. A mother is one who cares no wonder it is has been a boost to the economy of the countries that it sits in because its residents use it for agricultural gains hence exporting their products which in turn boost the economy. Also, just by viewing such a long river, it makes you feel accomplished therefore making the Mekong a tourist attraction site that attracts people from all over the world. Undoubtedly, her daughters are proud to be associated with the Mekong.