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A River, or Minor River, is a terrain feature in Civilization VII and its expansions. They appear as small blue streams crossing over a tile and can occur on Rough, Flat, and even Wet tiles.
Mechanics[]
There are two kinds of rivers in Civilization VII:
- Minor Rivers are similar to the rivers seen in previous iterations of Civilization. However, unlike those entries, these Rivers run through the tiles rather than along the edges.
- Navigable Rivers are major rivers that connect large inland bodies of water (typically Lakes) to the Coast.
Naval Units can traverse them, while Land Units must embark to cross.
This article covers Minor Rivers — commonly referred to simply as "Rivers." They are a Feature that can appear on any Rough, Flat, or Wet tile and may branch or flow into Navigable Rivers.
Bonuses and restrictions[]
While Rivers do not provide any direct yield bonuses, they have the following gameplay properties:
- They provide fresh water to Settlements founded on their tile.
- They deplete all Movement of any Unit that enters the tile.
- Unlike Navigable Rivers, they do not count as an appealing feature.
- There is no dedicated Tile Improvement for Rivers, but they can serve as terrain prerequisites for certain Buildings and Wonders.
Strategy[]
The primary strategic value of Rivers lies in their ability to provide fresh water, which is essential for supporting growth in your 
Settlements. Additionally, Rivers serve as natural defensive barriers — units that cross them suffer full movement depletion, and very few unit types can bypass this penalty. This makes Rivers one of the most difficult terrain features to cross efficiently.
Additionally, units defending on river tiles take increased damage in combat, making them vulnerable when holding these positions. Yet this very mechanic can be leveraged to your advantage: since enemy units crossing a River are forced to end their movement and become more exposed, ranged units positioned on the other side can exploit this vulnerability with powerful ranged attacks.
Rivers can also flow over floodplain tiles, making them susceptible to flooding — a type of natural disaster that damages 
Tile Improvements and 
Buildings on affected tiles, while temporarily increasing 
Food and 
Production yields. While flooding may seem harmful, it is often a net positive: Improvements can be repaired cheaply with 
Gold, and the temporary yield boost can accelerate early and mid-game development substantially.
River names[]
Rivers can have different names based on the first civilization that finds them. Below is a list of river names and, where applicable, the civilization/s they are assigned to. (If a river is discovered by a civilization with no river names on the list, or the civilization's list of rivers is exhausted, then river names will be taken from civilizations from other Ages or from rivers names that aren't connected to a civilization.)
| River | Civilization | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Abukuma River | Meiji Japanese | |
| Achelous River | Greek | |
| Afulilo River | Tongan | Added in the Tonga Pack |
| Agno River | ||
| Aksu Deresi | Ottoman | Added in the Ottomans Pack |
| Aligide River | Aksumite | |
| Amazon River | ||
| Amnok River | ||
| Amu Darya River | ||
| Amur River | Qing, Russian | |
| Apurimaq Mayu | Incan | |
| Aras River | Qajar | |
| Arkansas River | American | |
| Arno River | Roman | |
| Atbarah River | Aksumite | |
| Atrek River | Qajar | Added in the Qajar Pack |
| Awash River | Aksumite | |
| Awriq Mayu | Incan | |
| Ayung River | Majapahit | |
| Ba River | Tongan | Added in the Tonga Pack |
| Bagmati River | Nepalese | Added in the Nepal Pack |
| Bahr Yussef | Egyptian | |
| Balikh River | Assyrian | Added in the Assyria Pack |
| Balsas River | Mexican | |
| Bani River | Songhai | |
| Barada River | Abbasid | |
| Barito River | Majapahit | |
| Barka River | Aksumite | |
| Bartın Çayı | Ottoman | Added in the Ottomans Pack |
| Bassac River | ||
| Batanghari River | Majapahit | |
| Batman River | Assyrian | Added in the Assyria Pack |
| Belize River | Maya | |
| Bengawan Solo River | Majapahit | |
| Bheri River | Nepalese | Added in the Nepal Pack |
| Bio-Bio River | ||
| Black Volta | Songhai | |
| Blue Nile River | Aksumite | |
| Brahmaputra River | Mauryan, Mughal | |
| Bug River | ||
| Cauto River | Pirate | Added in the Republic of Pirates Pack |
| Chao Phraya River | Siamese | |
| Chari River | ||
| Chi River | Siamese | |
| Chinchipe River | ||
| Chixoy River | Maya | |
| Colorado River | American, Mexican | |
| Columbia River | American | |
| Conchos River | Mexican | |
| Congo River | ||
| Culiacán River | Mexican | |
| Damas River | Aksumite | |
| Damietta River | Egyptian | |
| Danube River | Bulgarian, Prussian | |
| Daugava River | Russian | |
| Delaware River | American | |
| Dez River | Qajar | Added in the Qajar Pack |
| Diyala River | Assyrian | Added in the Assyria Pack |
| Dnieper River | Russian | |
| Dniester River | ||
| Don River | Russian | |
| Douro River | Spanish | |
| Dreketi River | Tongan | Added in the Tonga Pack |
| Drina River | Bulgarian | Added in the Bulgaria Pack |
| Ebro River | Spanish | |
| Elbe River | Prussian | |
| Essequibo River | ||
| Euphrates River | Assyrian, Abbasid | |
| Eurotas River | Greek | |
| Fly River | ||
| Gadilam River | Chola | |
| Gandaki River | Nepalese | Added in the Nepal Pack |
| Ganges River | Mauryan, Mughal | |
| Geumho River | Silla | Added in the Silla Pack |
| Ghaghara River | Nepalese | Added in the Nepal Pack |
| Godavari River | Chola | |
| Goose River | Pirate | Added in the Republic of Pirates Pack |
| Grijalva River | Maya, Mexican | |
| Groot River | ||
| Guadalquivir River | Spanish | |
| Guadiana River | Spanish | |
| Haddas River | Aksumite | |
| Hai River | Han, Ming, Qing | |
| Haliacmon River | Greek | |
| Han River | ||
| Hanalei River | Hawaiian | |
| Harşit Çayı | Ottoman | Added in the Ottomans Pack |
| Hondo River | Maya | |
| Hvítá | Icelandic | Added in the Iceland Pack |
| Hwang River | Silla | Added in the Silla Pack |
| Indus River | Mauryan, Mughal | |
| Irrawaddy River | ||
| Ishikari River | Meiji Japanese | |
| Iskar River | Bulgarian | Added in the Bulgaria Pack |
| Jājrūd River | Achaemenid Persian | |
| Jökulsá á Fjöllum | Icelandic | Added in the Iceland Pack |
| Jordan River | Abbasid | |
| Júcar River | Spanish | |
| K'tekani Fipi | Shawnee | Added in the Tecumseh and Shawnee Pack |
| Kapuas River | Majapahit | |
| Karkheh River | Achaemenid Persian, Qajar | |
| Karun River | Achaemenid Persian, Qajar | |
| Kasai River | ||
| Katonga River | Bugandan | |
| Kaukonahua Stream | Hawaiian | |
| Kaveri River | Chola | |
| Kerülen River | Mongolian | |
| Khabur River | Assyrian | Added in the Assyria Pack |
| Kilekinika Fipi | Shawnee | Added in the Tecumseh and Shawnee Pack |
| Kitakami River | Meiji Japanese | |
| Kızılırmak River | ||
| Kolekole Stream | Hawaiian | |
| Kosi River | Nepalese | Added in the Nepal Pack |
| Krishna River | Chola | |
| Kshipra River | Mauryan, Mughal | |
| Lata River | Tongan | Added in the Tonga Pack |
| Lena River | Russian | |
| Lerma River | Mexican | |
| Limpopo River | ||
| Loire River | French Imperial | |
| Lower Zab River | Qajar | Added in the Qajar Pack |
| Lugogo River | Bugandan | |
| M'sifipiwiki | Shawnee | Added in the Tecumseh and Shawnee Pack |
| Mackenzie River | ||
| Mahakam River | Majapahit | |
| Maipo River | Incan | |
| Mamberamo River | Majapahit | |
| Maritsa River | Greek, Bulgarian | |
| Markarfljót | Icelandic | Added in the Iceland Pack |
| Maule River | Incan | |
| Mayanja River | Bugandan | |
| Medjerda River | Carthaginian | Added in the Carthage Pack |
| Mekong River | Siamese | |
| Meuse River | French Imperial | |
| Miliane River | Carthaginian | Added in the Carthage Pack |
| Mississippi River | American | |
| Missouri River | American | |
| Mogami River | Meiji Japanese | |
| Morava River | Bulgarian | Added in the Bulgaria Pack |
| Motagua River | Maya | |
| Mun River | Siamese | |
| Murray River | ||
| Musi River | Majapahit | |
| Nakdong River | Silla | |
| Nam River | Silla | Added in the Silla Pack |
| Namhan River | Silla | Added in the Silla Pack |
| Nan River | Siamese | |
| Narmada River | Mauryan, Mughal | |
| Nazas River | Mexican | |
| Nestos River | Greek | |
| Niger River | Songhai | |
| Nile River | Egyptian, Abbasid | |
| Northern Dvina | Russian | |
| Ob River | Russian | |
| Oder River | Prussian | |
| Ofanto River | Roman | |
| Ohio River | American | |
| Okavango River | ||
| Orange River | ||
| Orinoco River | ||
| Orkhon River | Mongolian | |
| Öxará | Icelandic | Added in the Iceland Pack |
| Ozama River | Pirate | Added in the Republic of Pirates Pack |
| P'sikfi Fipi | Shawnee | Added in the Tecumseh and Shawnee Pack |
| Papenoʻo River | Tongan | Added in the Tonga Pack |
| Paraguay River | ||
| Paraná River | ||
| Pearl River | Han, Ming, Qing | |
| Pelewa Fipi | Shawnee | Added in the Tecumseh and Shawnee Pack |
| Pennar River | Chola | |
| Ping River | Siamese | |
| Po River | Roman | |
| Potomac River | American | |
| Prut River | Bulgarian | Added in the Bulgaria Pack |
| Purús River | ||
| Putumayu River | Incan | |
| Red River | American | |
| Rhine River | French Imperial, Prussian | |
| Rhone River | French Imperial | |
| Río Grande | American, Mexican | |
| Río Grande de Loíza | Pirate | Added in the Republic of Pirates Pack |
| Rio Madeira | ||
| Rio Negro | ||
| River Avon | Norman, British | |
| River Great Ouse | Norman, British | |
| River Kafu | Bugandan | |
| River Severn | Norman, British | |
| River Tay | British | Added in the Great Britain Pack |
| River Thames | British | Added in the Great Britain Pack |
| River Trent | Norman, British | |
| River Welland | Norman, British | |
| River Wye | British | Added in the Great Britain Pack |
| Rosetta River | Egyptian | |
| Rubicon River | Roman | |
| Saint Lawrence River | American | |
| Sajur River | Assyrian | Added in the Assyria Pack |
| Sakarya River | ||
| Salado River | ||
| Salt River | Pirate | Added in the Republic of Pirates Pack |
| Salween River | Qing, Siamese | |
| Samala River | Maya | |
| São Francisco River | ||
| Saraswati River | Mauryan, Mughal | |
| Sefīd River | Achaemenid Persian | |
| Seine River | Norman, French Imperial | |
| Sejenane River | Carthaginian | Added in the Carthage Pack |
| Senegal River | Songhai | |
| Seomjin River | Silla | Added in the Silla Pack |
| Sepik River | ||
| Sezibwa River | Bugandan | |
| Shinano River | Meiji Japanese | |
| Siliana River | Carthaginian | Added in the Carthage Pack |
| Sirwan River | Qajar | Added in the Qajar Pack |
| Sông Chu | Vietnamese | Added in the Dai Viet Pack |
| Sông Đuống | Vietnamese | Added in the Dai Viet Pack |
| Sông Gâm | Vietnamese | Added in the Dai Viet Pack |
| Sông Hong | Vietnamese | Added in the Dai Viet Pack |
| Sông Lam | Vietnamese | Added in the Dai Viet Pack |
| Songhua River | Qing | |
| Srepok River | ||
| Struma River | Greek, Bulgarian | |
| Susquehanna River | American | |
| Syr Darya River | ||
| Tagus River | Spanish | |
| Tarim River | Han, Ming, Qing | |
| Tenryu River | Meiji Japanese | |
| Teshio River | Meiji Japanese | |
| Tessa River | Carthaginian | Added in the Carthage Pack |
| Tha Chin River | Siamese | |
| Tiber River | Roman | |
| Tigris River | Assyrian, Abbasid | |
| Tocantins River | ||
| Tone River | Meiji Japanese | |
| Tonlé San River | ||
| Tonlé Sap River | ||
| Tuul River | Mongolian | |
| Ucayali River | ||
| Umfolozi River | ||
| Ural River | Russian | |
| Usumacinta River | Maya, Mexican | |
| Vardar River | Greek | |
| Vistula River | Prussian | |
| Volga River | Russian | |
| Wadi Al-Batin | Abbasid | |
| Wadi al-Rummah | Abbasid | |
| Wadi Feiran | Egyptian | |
| Wadi Hanifa | Abbasid | |
| Wailua River | Hawaiian | |
| Wailuku River | Hawaiian | |
| Waimea River | Hawaiian | |
| Wallaqa Mayu | Incan | |
| Wei River | Han, Ming, Qing | |
| Weser River | Prussian | |
| White Nile | Bugandan | |
| White Volta | Songhai | |
| Willka Mayu | Incan | |
| Yağlıdere | Ottoman | Added in the Ottomans Pack |
| Yamuna River | Mauryan, Mughal | |
| Yangtze River | Han, Ming, Qing | |
| Yantra River | Bulgarian | Added in the Bulgaria Pack |
| Yellow River | Han, Ming, Qing | |
| Yenisei River | Mongolian, Russian | |
| Yeşilırmak | Ottoman | Added in the Ottomans Pack |
| Yukon River | American | |
| Zambezi River | ||
| Zavkhan River | Mongolian | |
| Zāyandé River | Achaemenid Persian | |
| Zayanderud River | Qajar | Added in the Qajar Pack |
| Þjórsá | Icelandic | Added in the Iceland Pack |
Civilopedia entry[]
Water seeks its level. As snow melts in high elevations, and as rain-soaked ground slowly releases its moisture, it collects into small tributaries, which in turn run downhill, cutting channels and carving paths to the sea. Somewhere along the way, a stream becomes a river.
Rivers were the core of most ancient civilizations – we cannot dissociate Egypt from the Nile, or Mesopotamia from the Tigris and Euphrates (though the Maya relied upon an aquifer, not a particular river). They provided drinking water, irrigation, and transport. This latter is often disrupted along the way as the descending water cuts across a particularly insoluble escarpment of rock – a fall line, where the water becomes impassible to ships. We can see such fall lines in most major rivers – the Rheinfall of the Rhine, the Khone Falls of the Mekong, et cetera. Here, too, are where industrial cities such as Philadelphia or Trenton thrived – the power of the falls could be harnessed by mills, while at the same time trade from up the river could be collected.
Gallery[]
.png "River in-game (Civ7).png (777 KB)")
.png "Branching River (Civ7).png (775 KB)")
.png "River to Navigable River (Civ7).png (816 KB)")
See also[]
- Navigable River (Civ7)
- River in other games
| Civilization VII Terrains [edit] | |
|---|---|
| Biomes | |
| Terrains | |
| Feature Classes | |
| Features | |
| See also | |