Longest River, Mackenzie

Dene name: Deh Cho, meaning 'big river'
Current official name: Mackenzie, after explorer Alexander Mackenzie
Source: Great Slave Lake, Northwest Territories
Mouth: Arctic Ocean
Direction of flow: north
Length : 1,730 kilometres
Main Characteristic: transportation route to the western Arctic.

More than just a pretty stretch of water in an otherwise rugged region, the mighty Mackenzie River is also a vital supply route for the isolated communities that dot its almost 1,800-kilometre-long shores. Named for polar explorer Alexander Mackenzie, the river is only navigable for about five months of the year. To the native Dene peoples, it’s known as Deh Cho (“big river”), more appropriate than its first English name, the River of Disappointment.

Mackenzie Rover is the 12th longest river in the world.