Amazon River is the greatest river in South America and the largest drainage system in the world in terms of the volume of its flow and the area of its basin. The Amazon River is approximately 4,000 miles (6,400 kilometers) equivalent to the distance from New York City to Rome.
Amazon River is the 2nd longest river in the world, just slightly shorter than the River Nile, but the largest river by volume. The length of Amazon and the Nile Rivers has been in a tight battle for the title of the world’s longest river. The precise length of the two rivers differs over time and reputable sources disagree as to their actual length.
The River has more than 3,000 recognized species of fish and more new species are still being discovered. The Amazon Basin is covered by half of the planet’s remaining rainforests. Therefore a tenth of the world’s projected 10 million living species live in the Amazon rainforest, jungle tours are more about boating upriver into the damp, buzzing, oppressive ambiance than actually spotting animals.
The River’s westernmost source is high in the Andes Mountains, within 160 kilometers of the Pacific Ocean, and its mouth is in the Atlantic Ocean, on the northeastern coast of Brazil. As most of us know, the Amazon River is located in South America. And it runs through Guyana, Ecuador, Venezuela, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, and Peru. During the rainy season, the Amazon River can stretch to over 190 kilometers (120 miles) in width.
There’re no bridges that cross the Amazon because there is no need for bridges as the majority of the Amazon River runs through rainforests rather than roads or cities. The largest city along the Amazon River is Manaus. Located in Brazil it is home to over 1.7 million people.
One of the world’s largest snakes Anacondas lurks in the shallow waters of the Amazon Basin, they occasionally attack larger animals such as goats that get to close the water. The River is also home to the piranha, a meat-eating type of fish! Being carnivores, piranhas are famous to attack in groups, preying on livestock that strays into the water, and possibly appearing in one or two of your own nightmares!
The Amazon River is not only the greatest in the world but it is also home to several other “Extremes” A captured Arapaima: one of the largest freshwater fish species in the world of the natural world. Rapaima is locally famous as Pirarucu Arapaima gigas are one of the largest, freshwater fish in the world.
They’ve been found to reach a length of 15 ft/4m and can weigh up to 440lbs/200kg. Catfish normally found in warm & slow-moving waters of lakes and streams are pretty creepy-looking fish with big flat heads and “whiskers” on either side of their heads. Most catfish are anywhere from 8” in length to about 5 feet and weigh in at up to 60 pounds.
But the catfish that live in this part of the world is as big as nature will allow they’ve been captured weighing over 200 pounds! One of the largest freshwater fish in the world is found living in the waters of the Amazon River. Cool Factoid: Did you know that bull sharks have been found in the Amazon River? Researchers have captured live bull sharks as far as 2,300 miles inland from the sea thriving in freshwater in the foothills of the Peruvian Andes.
Amazon River drainage basin is the whole northern half of the continent of South America as a shallow dish or saucer. Whenever rain falls and lands anywhere in the river basin it all runs into the lowest place in the pan, which happens to be the Amazon River. The sheer volume of rain in the Amazon jungle and the slope of the surrounding land, combine to create the enormous river famous as the Amazon.
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Here’s photos of famous species around Amazon River.
Amazon River is the greatest river of South America and largest drainage system in the world in terms of the volume of its flow and the area of its basin.
