The Yenisei
Facts
| Continent | Asia |
| Countries it flows through | Mongolia and Russia |
| Length | 5540 kilometres |
| Number of tributaries | 2 |
| Source | Russian-Mongolian border |
| Mouth | Russia, into the Kara Sea and Arctic Ocean |
Location
The Yenisei starts as the Selenga River near the border of Russia and Mongolia. There are 336 streams in total which make up the sources of the Yenisei. These streams flow into Lake Baikal. They come out the other side as the Angara river. The Angara is the main tributary of the Yenisei.
The Yenisei flows north through the Siberian part of Russia. Its course takes it through a taiga forest, full of evergreen trees. The Yenisei flows through a tundra landscape about 300 kilometres from its mouth. The tundra is a type of cold desert where the ground is always frozen and there are no trees.
The frozen Yenisei River
Oil and minerals
There are many dams on the Yenisei. The dams are used to make hydroelectric power for steel factories and people's homes. Oil and gas have also been found near the river. These are also used to make electricity, and some is sold to other countries. Gold, silver and other precious metals are also mined along the banks of the Yenisei. There was a bad oil spill in 1994. Much of the Yenisei and surrounding countryside was damaged by pollution.