Great Amazon River. The great Amazon river In which countries does the Amazon river flow?
The Amazon is one of the natural wonders of the planet, familiar to everyone from school. In terms of fame, this river can compete with the Egyptian Nile and the Indian Ganges. The unique ecosystem of the longest waterway on earth (more than 7 thousand km from the source of the Apachete) attracts thrill-seekers, exotics, South American flora and fauna, and just ordinary tourists who want to expand the boundaries of their travels.
Flowing into the Atlantic Ocean, the Amazon forms the largest delta in the world. The largest river island of Marajo, located just in the delta, the giant water lily Victoria regia, huge palm trees, the largest freshwater fish on the planet and river dolphin included in the list of Amazon "rarities".
It is believed that the Spanish conquistador Francisco de Orellana discovered the Amazon in the 16th century. Initially, the conqueror of the New World wanted to give the river his name, but eventually changed his mind. The name of the river is due to the mysterious tribe of female warriors who attacked Orellana's detachment. The real existence of the Amazons is currently being questioned. Their role could well be played by men with long hair.
Sources and tributaries
The main question that arises in disputes about Parana Tingo or the “Queen of the Rivers”, as the locals call the Amazon, is whether its waters are the longest on the planet, and, if so, where is the source of the river located. 15 years ago, in the mid 90s. In the 20th century, an international expedition, having gone to the Peruvian mountains, was able to give an exact answer, which is currently the official version included in geography textbooks.
The source of the Amazon is the Apachete Creek, which, having passed enough long haul, merging with other streams and rivers, turns into Apurimac, and then through Ucayali - into the Amazon. It is noteworthy that the Ucayali River is located in Peru, as well as the Marañon River, which for a long time was considered as the main source.
Before the expedition to the Andes, which put an end to the Amazon controversy, the Nile occupied the first place among the longest rivers on the planet, but stubborn South American explorers were able to prove that the Amazon is longer. The difference is literally a few hundred meters.
The number of tributaries that make the Queen of Rivers the most full-flowing on the planet is huge. Over five hundred rivers and rivulets flow into the Amazon. 9 are considered the largest, among them about 20 - more than 1.5 thousand km long. An interesting effect is associated with one of the tributaries: at the confluence of the Rio Negro, near the Brazilian city of Manaus, the Amazon is two-colored. Part of the water is white, part is dark. The light shade is due to the fact that the Amazon carries a large amount of silt.
Before the confluence with the Rio Negro, the Amazon has a completely different name - Solimões (this is the name of the river in Brazil) or Rio de Janeiro Marañon (the Peruvian name).
Amazon Hotels
The main means of accommodation on the Amazon are lodges, and the lodges are very diverse in terms of service and quality of services - from modest 3 * to chic 5 *.
Flora and fauna of the Amazon
The navigable Amazon is the habitat of so many animals. Species diversity freshwater fish makes up one third of the total on the whole earth. The most famous among the river inhabitants are the giant arapaima, the maximum known weight is 200 kg, the length is up to 3 m, and the piranhas, dangerous to people, from 13 cm to 40 cm in length. circumstances can cause harm to a person. Generally speaking, the local nature is extremely dangerous for bipeds, and stories about bloodthirsty caimans are not fiction, but harsh truth, although, as the natives testify, in order to get into their teeth, you must at least get out of the big water and go deep into rain forests.
One of the main tourist attractions for travelers in the Amazon is catching piranhas for raw meat. Day and night canoe trips are also popular, during which you can get acquainted with the animal and plant world.
Almost the entire Amazon basin is framed by jungles covering the territory of nine South American states - Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Bolivia, Ecuador, Venezuela, etc. The abundance of vegetation, in addition to the river itself, is responsible for the rains, which are huge here.
Amazon nature
Amazon cities
Most of the river flows through Brazil. The largest Brazilian port is Manaus, which is also the capital of the state of Amozanas. It is good to come here in order to see the natives, the jungle, watch how the Rio Negro flows into the Amazon and feel like a pioneer.
In Peru, the largest city on the Amazon is Iquitos, a city in the middle of the selva, connected to civilization only by air and water. Houses on stilts, an Indian village, high humidity can be a real test for a city dweller accustomed to comfort.
Amazon River Delta
Flowing into the Atlantic Ocean, it brings twenty percent of all fresh water entering the oceans. The length from the main source of Maranyon is 6437 km, from Apachet - 7000 km, from Ucayali more than 7000 km. In the last century, the Amazon and the Nile fought for the title of "longest". Now the length of the Nile, according to various estimates, ranges from 5499 km to 6690 km. But there is no doubt that the Amazon is more full-flowing.
During the driest time of the year, its width is 11 km, and total area water spaces reaches 110 thousand square kilometers. During the rainy season, the total area of water cover fluctuates around 350 thousand square kilometers, the average width of the river reaches 40 km, and the mouth of the river spills up to 325 km wide and 135 m deep. About 40% of all water in South America flows into the Amazon, including heavy tropical rains. The width and depth of the mouth of the river are so great that huge ocean-going ships can enter it for two-thirds of the entire length of the river.
Arapaima
But the Amazon is known for more than just its size. For example, catfish live in it, which in their usual habitats, slow rivers, lakes, rarely reach a length of more than one and a half meters and 30 kg of weight. Here they grow as much as nature allows, sometimes specimens weighing more than 90 kilograms come across. Round-faced, with a curved beak and small eyes, Amazonian dolphins are 2.5 meters long and weigh up to 200 kg. Also in the Amazon lives one of the largest freshwater fish - Arapaima, reaching 4 meters in length and weighing 200 kg. Due to the great commercial value, this species of fish is currently actively caught with harpoons and nets, and now it is difficult to meet Arapaima longer than 2 meters. living in the Amazon, like catfish, also reach enormous sizes: up to 11 m in length and more than 500 kg in weight.
Amazon River (map)
What makes the Amazon the largest in the world?
The river is located in the tropical zone at the equator, where an average of 1016 cm of precipitation falls annually, this is 3 cm daily. The river basin can be thought of as a large saucer into which all rainwater and small streams and rivers flow.
Extending into neighboring countries. Amazon is the world's largest river in terms of basin area (7.2 million km²) and full flow.
The Amazon originates in the south, in a mountainous area, at an altitude of almost 5,000 m. , in fact, the famous Amazon begins. The river here is navigable, it is suitable for moving ships of medium size, in some places the width reaches 30 km, and the depth is 30 m. The Amazon is replenished with water from an area equal in area to Australia. Covering a distance of 3,700 km from west to east in the northern regions of Brazil, the river, flowing into the Atlantic Ocean, forms the largest inland delta on the planet (more than 100 thousand km²) and estuaries, covering a large one (port. Ilha do Marajó).
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Excursion into history
As the legends say, the river got its name more than 500 years ago from the Spanish conquistadors, who made an expedition to the dense forests of the great river, from where they returned under the great impression of the naked warlike Indian girls, who fought on an equal footing next to men and armed with bows and arrows. The brave and fearless warriors who struck the Spaniards resembled the mythical Amazons from Greek legends, thanks to them the river got its name.
The longest river on the planet
The Amazon, until now officially considered the world's most full-flowing river, but recognized as the second longest after the Egyptian Nile, according to the Brazilian INPE (National Center for Space Research), it is the longest river on the planet!
The Center's experts studied the waterway of the South American continent using satellite data. Researchers have solved one of the outstanding geographic mysteries by uncovering the place where the river flows through Peru and Brazil before flowing into the Atlantic Ocean: this point is located in the Andes mountain region in southern Peru, at an altitude of 5 thousand meters.
According to today's data, the length of the Amazon is 6992.06 km. (compare: the length of the African Nile is 6852.15 km). That is, the South American Amazon is the deepest and longest river in the world!
The Amazon River with all its tributaries is 20% of all fresh water on Earth. Of the twenty longest rivers on the planet, 10 rivers flow in the Amazon basin.
The Amazon is a special, unique ecosystem, the second similar to the globe No. A huge variety of the most diverse and the Amazons form a real "underwater jungle": there are more than 3,000 species of fish alone (this is 10 times more than in all of Europe).
Photo of the Amazon from the International Space Station (ISS)
Other Amazon records
- During the dry season, the river reaches a width of up to 11 km, covering 110 thousand km² with water, and during the rainy season it swells 3 times, covering 350 thousand km² and overflowing to a width of more than 40 kilometers.
- The mouth of the river is also one of the achievements of the Amazon: it is the largest delta on the globe, up to 325 km wide. For 2/3 of its entire length, the river is navigable.
- With all its tributaries, the river forms a grandiose water system with a length of more than 25 thousand kilometers! The main channel of the greatest river is navigable for 4300 km, and ocean liners from the mouth can rise almost 1700 km - up to.
- The territory of the Amazon basin, stretching from the Andes to the Atlantic coast, from which the river is replenished with water, reaches 7.2 million km², which is only slightly less than the area of Australia. Considering all the tributaries, the Amazon owns 1/4 of all the running water of our planet!
- According to the observations of the astronauts, the river continues its course in the waters of the Atlantic Ocean, which differs from the coast at a distance of about 400 km. In its lower reaches, the Amazon in some places spills over 150 km, and in a funnel-shaped mouth - about 230 km. If you climb 4 thousand km up the river, then the width of its main channel ranges from 2 to 4 km, the depth reaches 150 m, and the speed of the current is 10-15 km/h.
- Only in the Amazon can one observe the most unique phenomenon of nature - sharp rises in water in the river under the influence of the ocean tide, when a huge water shaft 4-5 m high ("") with a terrifying roar rushes upstream along the river, sometimes reaching places located 1400 km from the ocean.
- Some tributaries of the river carry the purest water from the majestic, snow-capped peaks of the Andes, others - muddy moisture from the slopes of the hills, and still others - transparent, the color of strong tea, water from numerous swamps.
South America is a continent bordered by the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. Caribbean seas. The area of the continent ranks 4th in the world, and South America is also ranked 4th in terms of population.
South America, where the Amazon flows, is famous for the wealth of rivers and lakes. In South America, in the Amazon region, a tropical and subtropical climate prevails. The mainland is considered the wettest on the planet.
Parana, Orinoco flow here - one of largest rivers peace. But the longest river in the world is the Amazon River. The source of the Amazon is the confluence of the Ucayali and Marañon rivers. Its area, according to rough estimates, is equal to the area of Australia.
The Amazon, which flows into the Atlantic Ocean, is numbered one thousand the best places world according to many experts.
The largest tributaries: Isa, Tarapua.
The regime of the river depends on the season of the year. The river is mainly fed by rain. IN winter time becomes a less full-flowing river, in the summer - the mouth is full-flowing.
The main ports of the Amazon: Belen, Obilus, Manaus, Santarem.
The depth of the Amazon River is 100 meters on average.
The Amazon is considered one of the main attractions of South America.
At the head of the Amazon
The Amazon begins its journey at the confluence of 2 rivers: Marañon and Ucayali. Marañon is a Peruvian river with a length of more than 2,000 kilometers. It is named after the captain who first opened navigation in this place. It begins its course in Patkoch Lake. Ucayali is a tributary of the Amazon, reaching a length of 1771 kilometers. Flows into Peru. The source of the Ucayali is the confluence of the Apurimac and Urubamba rivers.
Amazon River on the map
On the map, the Amazon River is clearly visible, it is impossible not to notice it.
The river flows mainly in Brazil, but small parts flow in areas of Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador and Colombia. The Amazon River flows through the Amazonian Plain, a huge lowland, the largest on planet Earth.
The source of the Amazon begins in the Andes in the region of Peru. During the day, the hot sun melts the snow, and melt water runs down from the mountains down to the tropical forests. The mouth of the Amazon is located at the latitude of the Equator, and therefore nature is changing.
The river delta is located in the northern part of South America.
History of the discovery of the Amazon
Building on the course world history, it can be argued that the first observations of the Amazon in South America were recorded in the reports of Juan de San Martin and Antonio de Lebrija, on travels to the shores of the continent, together with Jimenez de Quesada. The latter believed that the Amazons lived in South America - a matriarchal tribe, and the main one was called Harativa.
Francisco de Orellana is considered to be the discoverer of the Amazon. This happened in the summer of 1542, when he, mistaking men with long hair for Amazons, entered into battle with them. Initially, he wanted to name the river after himself, but after changing his mind, he decided to give a different name. According to legend, the river was named after brave warriors, fearless women who fought alongside men.
Amazon River Delta
The Atlantic Ocean behaves like a master, entering the Amazon, and therefore it was nicknamed the "river-sea". It ranks first in the world in length among all the rivers of the world. Previously long river considered the Nile River.
The Amazon delta can reach a width of 325,000 meters. Some geographers argue about the size of the river.
The oldest settlement of peoples, registered by scientists, was formed in the Amazon delta about 10,000 years ago. The University of Bern worked on the research, conducting a chemical analysis of the remains of human life.
The territory of the delta is cut by islands and straits. The mouth enters deep into South America due to strong ocean tides.
Animal world of the Amazon
The fauna of the Amazon River is famous for its diversity and heterogeneity. There are so many types of underwater inhabitants here that it is safe to say that there are much more of them than in some oceans and seas.
Here lives one of the most aggressive fish, whose behavior is noted in many horror films - piranha.
A day is not enough to list all the inhabitants of this region. More than several thousand species of reptiles and exotic mammals (manatee, giant otter, crocodile caiman) live in the great Amazon River and its tributaries. Fish never cease to amaze with their dexterity and unusual way of survival, for example, arowana, reaching more than 100 centimeters, jumps out of the water after bugs that live on the branches of coastal trees.
The world of birds is striking in its extraordinary diversity. Craxes, simply called tree chickens, live in trees. Their nesting place is invariable: they build a nest and hatch chicks mainly on trees. Larvae, small size birds reaching 0.33 meters, black-blue hue with a purple tint. More than 10 birds build a nest together in trees at a height of 170-190 centimeters. Tanagra, a bird with colored plumage, lives on the tops of tropical trees. The structure of the beak allows the bird to eat only soft seeds, fruits and insects. The female lays about 5 eggs and incubates them for an average of 14 days. The male and female take care of the offspring.
Freshwater manatee - rare view mammals living in the Amazon and being a subtropical mammal. Despite its impressive size, it does not have a thick layer of fat, and therefore can only live in warm tropical waters. Their food is juicy algae, which they consume up to 18 kilograms per day. They are characterized by a solitary lifestyle, although sometimes they gather in packs, but only in mating season. The bond between mother and child is inseparable throughout life.
Not less than unusual view animals that live in the river - a pink dolphin or inii. Their young are bluish-gray, but as they mature, they turn pink. Inii are predators, and therefore do not mind eating dangerous piranhas and other fish. Pink dolphins are highly intelligent: they take care of each other, unite in flocks with each other, as well as with other species of mammals.
The capybara is the largest rodent in the world, reaching 70 kilograms in adulthood. It lives on the territory of South America, but the surroundings of the Amazon coast are most favorable. It feeds on succulent tropical vegetation, tree fruits, and aquatic plants. They live in groups. The enemies of capybaras in wildlife are crocodile caimans, anacondas, ocelots, jaguars, wild dogs. They escape from terrestrial predators by diving into the water.
Amazonian sloths are edentulous mammals that live in tropical forests. The length of their claws in some cases reaches 8 cm, when the body length is only 7-8 times longer. The most common of all subspecies of sloths ay-ay. Its neck consists of 9 cervical vertebrae and is used by the animal to comfortably eat succulent leaves. So, they have the ability to turn their head half a turn. Their color is gray-brown. All types of sloths have one thing in common - their cover grows from the bottom up, and not vice versa, as usual. 
Paki is a large rodent, mainly found in the tropics and subtropics of South America. Its average weight is 8 kilograms. Their legs are thick, with hooves. This representative of rodents lives close to water, they dig holes up to 200 centimeters deep. In case of danger, they are saved in the water. Also packs move well through the trees. Their diet consists of leaves and fruits, especially mangoes and avocados.
Marguay is a feline. It looks like a mini version of an ocelot. Their habitat is Central and South America east of the Andes. They live alone and are active only at night. Their diet consists of primates, small birds, rodents. Marga's lifestyle depends on the forest: they spend their whole lives on trees. Like a squirrel, they are able to climb branches due to the structure of their body.
Collared peccaries are ungulates 85 centimeters long and weighing up to 29 kilograms. They feed mainly on grass, fruits, roots, bulbs, sometimes lizards, insects, carrion, beans, eggs and small snakes. They are inherent in life in groups: they live in herds of up to 15 individuals. They prefer to live and sleep together, and old and sick animals leave the herd and die alone. Both females and males are very jealous of their territory. Outwardly, males do not differ from females in color and size. Despite the high mortality among individuals, they can live up to 24 years in captivity. Collared peccaries easily adapt to life with a person in an urban environment. Previously, they were destroyed in large numbers for the sake of the skin and meat. In different regions of their habitat, hunting rules are set differently. For example, in Peru, there is a ban on killing collared peccaries, and in Brazil, a limited number of animal skins are allowed to be sold.
In the waters of the Amazon lives the most major representative snake - anaconda. Its dimensions are impressive: an adult individual reaches a length of 5 meters, and weight - up to 70 kg. The anaconda is completely non-venomous, but its grip and teeth can cause serious injury to a person. As a habitat, they prefer the tropical climate of South America. Due to the inaccessibility of the place of life, it is not easy for scientists to calculate the number of individuals. In any case, the status of "Endangered" was not included. In captivity, they live from 4 to 6 years, although sometimes life expectancy was 25 years. Anacondas are inherent water environment. Here she gets fish and aquatic animals. Prefers to eat agouti, waterfowl, capybaras, turtles, tegus. In times of drought, the snake hibernates and wakes up only when the rains resume. Observed cases when the anaconda rubbed against the bottom of the river and thereby removed the old skin from itself.
Anaconda is an ovoviviparous snake. On average, one individual brings offspring up to 35 baby snakes. The largest snake on planet Earth has practically no enemies in its natural habitat. She can only sometimes become a victim of caimans, jaguars, cougars. As a rule, these are cubs, males weakened by mating and elderly individuals. Often the anaconda settles near human life and attacks dogs, cats and livestock. The only case of eating a person is the death of a small teenage Indian boy.
Features of the Amazonian fauna never cease to amaze with their beauty and diversity. The animals described above are only a small part of the abundance of all species that live in the vast territory of the Amazon.
Wildlife of the Amazon. Cradle of Life
The Amazon is one of the most famous rivers in the world. Everyone knows where the Amazon is - it practically crosses South America. The river got its name in 1542. It was then that the travelers were forced to engage in battle with the Indian warriors, led by women. The Spaniards were reminded of the female warriors - the Amazons. It is for this reason that the water artery has received the name "River of the Amazons" - Rio de las Amazonas. It is likely that in fact the warriors were not women, they simply braided their hair, which confused the Spanish travelers.
Another version claims that the name comes from the Indian expression "big water" - Amazonas. This version is similar to the truth, only the Indians do not use this expression in the names of other rivers. Some researchers believe that "amasunu" is the name of the destructive tidal wave that occurs at the mouth of the river. Confirmation of this version is that the Indians so call the river only in the lower reaches, in the middle it had the name Saolimoins.
The modern name of the river is Amazonas (in Russian - Amazon). Where this beautiful river is located, what are its main characteristics and what happens on its banks - all this is worth getting to know the river better.
Source
To find out where the Amazon River is, you should start by studying its source. For a long time it was not known exactly where the waters of the river come from, but now the answer to this question has been found. Apacheta Creek, flowing from the glacier of Mount Misimi, is where the river is born. It is difficult to say where the Amazon is located - in which country - it flows through the territory of several states. However, it begins in Peru, in the Andes, at an altitude of more than 5 thousand meters.
A little lower, Apacheta meets the Caruasantu stream, turning into a small river, the Loqueta. On its way, the rivulet is replenished with the waters of a huge number of different streams, gradually growing into the Hornillos River. Having taken in the waters of several more rivers, the one called Apurimac is born.
After going a long way, on the highlands, the stream connects with Mantaro, turning into Jene. After joining with Perene and Urubamba, the upper course of the river becomes calmer and gets the name Ucayali. Downstream, the larger and more powerful Marañon flows into the river, originating in Lake Llauricocha.
Having merged together, the rivers give birth to the one in question - the Amazon.
mouth
Answering the question of where the mouth of the Amazon is located is very simple - in Brazil. Despite the fact that the mouth of this all is located in one country. The area of the Amazon delta is more than 100 thousand kilometers. Two of the largest branches of the river form the largest island, which is surrounded by fresh water - Marajo. The mouth of the Amazon is one fifth of the fresh water of the entire planet.
When observing the river from space, the flow of water that the Amazon gives to the ocean can be discerned almost 400 kilometers from the coast.
River mode
The main reservoir of fresh water on the planet is the Amazon. Where is its source, where does the river take such a huge amount of water? The river receives food from a large number tributaries. In addition, the humid climate provides a large influx of water and precipitation. The upper course of the river is fed by snowmelt in the Andes.
The regime of the river is complex and interesting. Wherever the Amazon is located, you can observe a full-flowing river all year round. The tributaries from opposite sides of the river have different flood times. This is explained by the fact that the tributaries from the right bank are in the Southern Hemisphere, and from the left - in the Northern Hemisphere. For this reason, floods near the right-bank tributaries occur in October - March, near the left-bank - in April - October. The result of these floods is the smoothing of the runoff.
The lower reaches of the Amazon River, where its source is located, is largely dependent on the tides of the ocean. The tidal wave rises almost one and a half kilometers upstream. During the rise of water, huge areas along the banks of the river are flooded - this is the largest flood. The width of the floodplain can reach 100 kilometers.
Where does it flow
It has long been known where the Amazon River is located - it flows, for the most part, in Brazil, but some parts of the basin capture parts of Colombia, Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador.
In the middle reaches, at an altitude of 3.5 thousand meters above sea level, the river runs along the picturesque banks moist forests. In this area, waterfalls are not uncommon, the current is stormy, because the river has to make its way through an array of mountains. Descending from the mountain slopes, the Amazon spreads over the tropical jungle, across a wide
The river flows along the equator, practically without changing direction from west to east. It is curious that at a depth of 4 thousand meters, an underground river flows under, fed by groundwater - Khamza.
Navigability
The main channel retains navigability to the very foot of the Andes, which is more than 4 thousand kilometers from the source. Ocean-going ships can reach the city of Manaus, located just 1,690 kilometers from the mouth. The average length of all waterways is 25 thousand kilometers.
Closer to the source, the width of the Amazon reaches 15 kilometers - you can’t even see the opposite shore here.
Animal world
The Amazon, home to a vast array of plants, is home to a vast array of fish and animals. Due to strong water spills, aquatic inhabitants occupy far from the most last place in the huge list of animals of the Amazon. During major floods, a unique spectacle can be observed - entire islands are floating along the river with many species of plants and animals that did not have time to escape.
One of the most famous fish in the Amazon is the piranha. This fish can feel blood from a great distance. Having learned that there is prey, the flock rushes towards the goal with great speed. These predators in the process of chasing reach the point that they rush at each other. Even the largest animal that has fallen into the water has no chance of saving its life - piranhas cope with the task in minutes.
The Amazon is home to a large number of unique fish and animals that cannot be found anywhere else on the planet. Scientists around the world are studying the banks of the river, but it is still impossible to say what about the river, its animal and flora everything is known - the dense forests of the Amazon coast are very difficult to study.
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