fbpx

KidsKonnect

Tigris River Facts & Worksheets

The Tigris River, along with Euphrates, is a river system crossing the borders of Mesopotamia (now the present-day Iraq, Kuwait, Syria, and Turkey) in the Fertile Crescent.

Search for Worksheets

Worksheets /Social Studies /Geography /Landmarks & Sights /Rivers /Tigris River Facts & Worksheets

Premium
Tigris River Worksheets
Not ready to purchase a subscription? Click to download the free sample version   Download sample

The Tigris River, along with Euphrates, is a river system crossing the borders of Mesopotamia (now the present-day Iraq, Kuwait, Syria, and Turkey) in the Fertile Crescent. The river is said to be a vital source of irrigation, as well as a waterway for transporting goods. Also, the Tigris river shares a rich history, tracing back from the Sumerian civilization – the earliest in the world.

See the fact file below for more information on the Tigris River or alternatively, you can download our 17-page Tigris River worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

ETYMOLOGY AND THE PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY OF TIGRIS

  • The word tigris is an Ancient Greek term, adapted from the Old Persian word Tigra and Sumerian word Idigna. Idigna means “running water.”
  • The Tigris River’s source comes from the mountainous area of Lake Hazer in Turkey, and it flows parallel to Euphrates. The entire river is 1,750 kilometers long. The river is the second largest in West Asia.
  • The river has different channels: Shatt al-Hayy, Shatt al-Muminah, Majar al-Kabir, Al-Musharrah, Al-Kahla, Al-Kassarah, and Shatt-al-Arab.
  • Iraq’s capital, Baghdad, is on the river banks of Tigris. During the time of the Sumerian civilization, many cities in Mesopotamia were located in Tigris so that it could provide irrigation to agricultural lands.
  • Mesopotamia receives a low amount of rainfall all year long, so irrigation is important to grow more crops in the region.
  • In addition to agriculture, local people also rely on the Tigris River for water supply.
  • On the left side of the river, there are eight (8) tributaries: Garzan, Botan, Khabur, Greater Zab, Lesser Zab, Adhaim, Cizre, and Diyala.

NAVIGATION ASPECTS AND ECONOMIC FUNCTIONS

  • In 1836, two steamers were hauled by General Francis Rawdon Chesney in an effort to explore whether it can be used to travel to India via the Tigris River.
  • However, a steamer named Tigris got destroyed during a storm that resulted in the death of 20 people.
  • In 1861, the Lynch Brothers company established the Euphrates and Tigris Navigation Company, which had two steamers to provide transport services.
  • At the time the company started, they only had two steamers. In 1908, 10 steamers were operating on the river. Travelers would visit to witness famous archaeological sites along Tigris, particularly Ur and Ctesiphon.
  • Archaeological tourism boomed later on.
  • The river also gained much importance during the First World War when it used vessels to bring river paddlers to be part of the army of General Townsend. However, the level of importance eventually declined during the 20th century since heavy investments went to the construction of various infrastructure projects such as railways and roads.
  • According to the National Geographic Society, the river is also a source of hydropower. In fact, more dams were constructed in the region to harness energy from the river flow.
  • Even if it has a hydropower potential, the river slowly began to dry up due to numerous dam projects in Turkey, Iraq, and Iran. Unregulated building of dams caused problems such as water shortage.

RELIGION AND MYTHOLOGY

  • According to the Sumerian mythology, the river was created by Enki, the god who filled the water on the river.
  • In the Bible’s Old Testament, the Tigris River appeared in the Book of Genesis which was described as one of the four rivers that flowed out of the Garden of Eden.
  • In Islam, it was mentioned that visitors were restricted from the river because of its flow.

OTHER FACTS ABOUT THE TIGRIS RIVER

  • Since the river is located in the desert region, irrigation is important to grow more crops. Also, dams were constructed to avert flooding since snow melts in the mountains of Turkey during April.
  • The unregulated construction of dams was opposed due its effects on the environment and the sudden loom of a water crisis in Iraq.
  • The Tigris River was also subjected to armed conflict since this became a tactical weapon of the Isis group, according to security experts.

Tigris River Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about the Tigris River across 17 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Tigris River worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about the Tigris River, along with Euphrates, which is a river system crossing the borders of Mesopotamia (now the present-day Iraq, Kuwait, Syria, and Turkey) in the Fertile Crescent. The river is said to be a vital source of irrigation, as well as a waterway for transporting goods. Also, the Tigris river shares a rich history, tracing back from the Sumerian civilization – the earliest in the world.

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

  • Tigris River Facts
  • Enki, Sumerian God of Creation
  • The Sumerian Civilization
  • Mapping the Tigris River
  • Mapping the Fertile Crescent
  • WWI and the Tigris River
  • Tigris River Channels
  • River Art
  • Tigris as a Subject of Conflict
  • Tigris River Drying Up?
  • Commitment to the Tigris

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is the Tigris River important?

The Tigris River has been a key source of irrigation, power, and travel for centuries. It is located in the Fertile Crescent and borders Mesopotamia.

Why is it called the Tigris River?

The word Tigris is derived from an Old Persian translation meaning “fast” or “arrow-like”. The ancient Sumerians referred to the river as Idigna, while in Akkadian, spoken in Babylonia and Assyria, it was called Idiqlat.

How fast does the Tigris River flow?

The Tigris River runs through three countries – Turkey, Syria, and Iraq. The river washes away an area of about 375,000 square kilometers every second with an average flow of 1,014 cubic meters per second. The most water that has ever flowed through the river at once is 2,779 cubic meters per second.

Link/cite this page

If you reference any of the content on this page on your own website, please use the code below to cite this page as the original source.

Link will appear as Tigris River Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, September 9, 2019

Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

Related Resources