<P> A river begins at a source (or more often several sources), follows a path called a course, and ends at a mouth or mouths . The water in a river is usually confined to a channel, made up of a stream bed between banks . In larger rivers there is often also a wider floodplain shaped by flood - waters over-topping the channel . Floodplains may be very wide in relation to the size of the river channel . This distinction between river channel and floodplain can be blurred, especially in urban areas where the floodplain of a river channel can become greatly developed by housing and industry . </P> <P> Rivers can flow down mountains, through valleys (depressions) or along plains, and can create canyons or gorges . </P> <P> The term upriver (or upstream) refers to the direction towards the source of the river, i.e. against the direction of flow . Likewise, the term downriver (or downstream) describes the direction towards the mouth of the river, in which the current flows . </P> <P> The term left bank refers to the left bank in the direction of flow, right bank to the right . </P>

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