Question 1

True or false: The Ob River flows into the Arctic Ocean via the Gulf of Ob, a massive estuary.

Accepted Answer

True. The Ob empties into the Kara Sea, part of the Arctic Ocean, through the Gulf of Ob—one of the world's largest estuaries.

Question 2

True or false: The city of Novosibirsk, Russia's third-largest city, is located on the banks of the Ob River.

Accepted Answer

True. Novosibirsk sits on the Ob, and the river is wide enough there to host a major hydroelectric dam and reservoir.

Question 3

True or false: The Ob River is the only major river in the world that flows through a desert.

Accepted Answer

False. The Ob flows through taiga and tundra, not desert. The Nile and Colorado are examples of desert rivers.

Question 4

True or false: The Ob River is the longest river in Russia, surpassing the Lena and the Yenisei.

Accepted Answer

False. The Ob River is not the longest in Russia. The Lena River holds that title at approximately 4,400 km. The Ob measures about 3,650 km, making the statement false.

Question 5

True or false: The Ob River is completely frozen for less than three months each year.

Accepted Answer

False. In western Siberia, the Ob remains frozen for up to six months—from November to April—due to harsh winters.

Question 6

True or false: The Ob River is known for having the largest delta in the world by area.

Accepted Answer

False. The Ob River has a delta, but it is not the largest. The Ganges-Brahmaputra delta is the world's largest by area.

Question 7

True or false: The Ob-Irtysh river system is the seventh-longest river system in the world.

Accepted Answer

True. When combined with its main tributary, the Irtysh, the system stretches about 5,410 km, ranking it among Earth's top ten.

Question 8

True or false: The Ob River's headwaters, the Katun and Biya rivers, originate in the Altai Mountains.

Accepted Answer

True. The Katun and Biya rivers are the Ob's primary headwaters, both rising in the Altai Mountains; the Katun notably flows from glaciers on Mount Belukha.

Ob River Trivia Questions