Source: World Bank, Ports, Maritime & Logistics: Inland Water Transportation (IWT) Development.

Length of the Major Inland Waterway Systems, 2000

Russia has the most extensive inland waterway system in the world. Although the Chinese waterway system is extensive, only a small portion of it, 5,000 km, is deep enough to accommodate fluvial ships of more 500 tons requiring a draught of more than 2.75 meters. Although the fluvial waterway systems of the United States and Western Europe are of lower extent, they are able to support larger fluvial ships on the majority of their waterways.