world map without rivers with matplotlib / Basemap?

Question

Would there be a way to plot the borders of the continents with Basemap (or without Basemap, if there is some other way), without those annoying rivers coming along? Especially

Answer 1

As per my comment to @sampo-smolander

from mpl_toolkits.basemap import Basemap
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt

fig = plt.figure(figsize=(8, 4.5))
plt.subplots_adjust(left=0.02, right=0.98, top=0.98, bottom=0.00)
m = Basemap(resolution='c',projection='robin',lon_0=0)
m.fillcontinents(color='gray',lake_color='white',zorder=2)
coasts = m.drawcoastlines(zorder=1,color='white',linewidth=0)
coasts_paths = coasts.get_paths()

ipolygons = range(83) + [84]
for ipoly in xrange(len(coasts_paths)):
    r = coasts_paths[ipoly]
    # Convert into lon/lat vertices
    polygon_vertices = [(vertex[0],vertex[1]) for (vertex,code) in
                        r.iter_segments(simplify=False)]
    px = [polygon_vertices[i][0] for i in xrange(len(polygon_vertices))]
    py = [polygon_vertices[i][1] for i in xrange(len(polygon_vertices))]
    if ipoly in ipolygons:
        m.plot(px,py,linewidth=0.5,zorder=3,color='black')
    else:
        m.plot(px,py,linewidth=0.5,zorder=4,color='grey')
plt.savefig('world2.png',dpi=100)