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The Ganges River travels through two countries - India and Bangladesh.
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The Ganges River flows through several states including Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, and West Bengal.
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The Ganges River's main tributaries include Ramganga, Gomti, Ghaghara, Gandaki, Burhi Gandak, Koshi, Mahananda, Yamuna, Tamsa, Son, and Punpun.
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The Ganges River passes through many cities including Rishikesh, Hardiwar, Farrukhabad, Kanpur, Jajmau, Allahabad, Mirzapur, Varanasi, Ghazipur, Buxar, Ballia, Patna, Munger, and Bhagalpur.
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The Ganges River watershed (area of land drained by the river) is 416,990 square miles in size.
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By 2007 the Ganges River had become the 5th most polluted river in the world, but attempts to improve its water quality have failed for the most part.
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The pollution in the Ganges River threatens more than 90 amphibian species, more than 140 fish species, and humans who rely on the river for water.
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The Ganges river dolphin and the Ganges river shark are both endangered because of the massive pollution.
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There are many species of birds that live in India and cannot be found anywhere else in the world. Many of these species rely on the Ganges River for survival.
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The soil in the Ganges River watershed is extremely fertile. Crops commonly grown in the region include potatoes, wheat, lentils, oil seeds, rice, and sugarcane.
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The Ganges River is becoming shallower in some area. Some attribute this water level change to climate change and global warming.
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The Ganges River system is fed from a variety of sources including the Gangotri Glacier in the Himalayas, the July to September monsoon rains, and cyclones.
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Throughout history the Ganges River has been important to many provincial and imperial capital cities including Kolkata, Kampilya, Baharampur, Murshidabad, Munger, Patna, Kashi, Kara, Pataliputra, and Kannauj.
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Studies have shown that the Ganges River is capable of decomposing organic waste faster than any other rivers in the world - as much as 25 times faster.
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Something in the Ganges Rivers' water prevents mosquitos from breeding, and when it is added to other water it prevents them from breeding in it as well.
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A test in the late 1800s found that the Cholera bacterium could not survive in the Ganges River for more than three hours.
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The Ganges River is actually shifting its course. It has shifted 2.5 KM in Bihar since 1990.
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