Question

Which one of the following is the important Channel of navigation in Europe?
A. Volga waterway
B. St Lawrence waterway
C. Thames waterway
D. Rhine waterway

Answer 1

Hint:Since time immemorial rivers, canals, lakes, and coastal areas have been important waterways. Through the inland waterways, very heavy cargo like coal, cement, timber, and metallic ores can be transported.

Complete answer:The development of inland waterways is dependent on navigability width and depth of the channel, continuity in the water flow, and transport technology in use. Throughout the developed world, the significance of rivers as inland waterways for domestic and international transport and trade has been recognized. Despite inherent limitations, many rivers have been modified to enhance their navigability by dredging, stabilizing river banks, and building dams and barrages for regulating the flow of water. The Rhine flows through Germany and the Netherlands. It is safe and easily navigable for 700 km from Rotterdam, at its origin in the Netherlands to Basel in Switzerland. Ocean-going vessels can reach up to Cologne. From the east, the Ruhr River joins the Rhine. The whole basin has become a prosperous manufacturing area since it flows through a rich coalfield and Dusseldorf is the Rhine port for this region. The Rhine waterway is the world’s most heavily used waterway, many ocean-going ships and inland vessels exchange their cargoes each year. The modern zones of Switzerland, Germany, France, Belgium, and the Netherlands are associated with the North Atlantic Sea Route through this stream.

Thus, option (D) is correct.

Note:The Rhine waterway is the second-longest river in Central and Western Europe with a length of 1,230 Km. It has become a symbol of German Nationalism in the modern era.