The name of the upper reaches of the Amazon 8 letters crossword. Amazon river

If the headwaters of the river are taken as the source of the Amazon. Apurimac (it is part of the Ucayali river network) and flows from the eastern slopes of the Koropuna peak (6425 m) in the Peruvian Andes, then the length of the greatest of the world's rivers is about 7000 km with a catchment area of ​​6915 thousand km 2. From the confluence of the Ucayali and Marañon rivers, the Amazon (until it flows into the Rio Negro) has the local name Solimois (Fig. 8.2).

The most complex river network of the Amazon with its 13 largest tributaries (their water flow has not been studied hydrometrically and is estimated approximately according to the MVB Atlas map) ends with an extensive

Rice. 8.2.

7 - Solimois-Manakapuru; 2 - Amazon-Itacoatiara; 3- Madeira Hacienda Vista Alegre

sleeve delta (Table 8.2). Between the Amazon and Orinoco basins there is water exchange along the river bed. Casichiari: during floods in the Orinoco, part of the flow of its upper reaches flows along the channel of this river into the Rio Negro river network, and during the high-water period in the Rio Negro basin, some of the flow from its upper reaches flows down the Casichiari into the Orinoco.

Table 8.2

Major tributaries of the Amazon, their catchment area F and contribution (%) into the watercourse of the river

Table data. 8.2 show that the water content of the Amazon exceeds 6.1 thousand km 3 / year (about 200 thousand m 3 / s), and characterize the following features of the formation of its runoff structure:

• 1. In the middle reaches, the water content of the Amazon triples (from 13 to 39%) and its river water mass (RWM) is a mixture of the Ucayali, Maranyon, Japura, Purus and other rivers formed mainly in the Andes and their foothills. Their waters are saturated with fine suspension, which is why the RWM of Solimois is called "white waters".
• 2. In the area of ​​the city of Manaus, the Rio Negro, the largest of the left tributaries, flows into the river. The source of its runoff formation is the equatorial flat part of the Amazonian lowland, which is characterized by a strong bogging of hylaean forests, a particularly intense local hydrological cycle and longest time residence of surface waters in the catchment area. As a result, the mineralization of water is minimal (with an electrical conductivity of 5 precipitation oceanic origin), it has a low pH and a high content of organic matter. RWM Rio Negro, consisting of such water, is called "black water" because of its high color. It increases the water content of the Amazon by 38%; transforms its runoff even more strongly, giving its water regime the features characteristic of equatorial lowland rivers.
• 3. In the lower reaches of the Amazon, for a large extent, it has a channel with two gradually mixing streams (a three times more powerful jet of "white water" near the right bank and a stream of "black water" along the left). It receives here the largest tributary - the river. Madeira (its water content is almost the same as that of the Yangtze, and the catchment area is the same as that of the Volga), which increases the flow of the main river to 66 % all its water content. In the hydrometric section near the city of Obidus, 870 km from the mouth (catchment area 4.92 million km 2, according to R. H. Meade et al., 1991), its runoff reaches 70%. According to episodically measured water discharges in 1963-1967, here the Amazon narrows to 2.2 km, has a small range of intra-annual level fluctuations (up to 6 m) for large and unregulated rivers (up to 6 m) and is very deep. In the cross section, the average depth of the river is 41 -48 m, average speed currents from 0.8 to 2.1 m/s at a water flow rate of 100-250 thousand m 3 /s. According to the observations of Robert Meade (R.H. Meade, 1994), in this section the water turbidity is 3-4 times higher near the right bank (more than 300 g/m sediments averages 1100-1300 million tons/year. Below the mouth of the Xingu tributary, which, together with the river. Tapajos for another 14% (like Madeira) increase water resources Amazon, the mouth area of ​​the river begins. The river Para flows into its largest duct. The Tocantins is the second tributary in terms of catchment area (after Madeira) and the fourth in terms of water flow, second only to Madeira, Rio Negro and Japura (see Table 8.2).

The smoothing of intra-annual fluctuations in the water content of the Amazon is facilitated by the anti-phase flow not only in the upper reaches (with a maximum in November-December due to rain and snow-glacial nutrition) and the lower reaches (on Tapajos it is in April), but also in the right-bank and left-bank tributaries - in Madeira a maximum runoff in January - March, and on Rio Negro it is in August - September. Due to the extremely low slopes in the river and its tributaries within the Amazonian lowland (in Solimois, the average annual slope decreases from 0.06 to 0.02 %6) and non-simultaneity of floods on main river and its tributaries there are extended backwater zones. So, in the flood on the river. Purus, whose peak occurs two months earlier than on the main river, a backwater zone with a length of more than 150 km is formed in the channel of the Solimois (this is evidenced by the loop-like shape of the curve Q(H) in this part of the Amazon). During the flood on the Solimois, a similar phenomenon was recorded in the channel of the Purus, 390 km from the mouth of this tributary. The backwater in Madeira extends upstream even higher - by 460 km, while the speed of the current in its channel decreases from 2 to 0.3 m/s.

Fluctuations in the level at the Rio Negro-Manaus gauge (17 km upstream of the confluence of this tributary into the Amazon) due to its backwater characterize changes in the flow of the Amazon, and not the Rio Negro. Analysis of fluctuations in the maximum annual water levels for the period 1903-1980. in the range of +2 m showed the absence of the Amazon runoff trend even in the last 40 years, when the deforestation of the Amazonian forests has increased (R. H. Meade et al., 1991).

The Amazon experiences a combined backwater mainly by the “white” RWMs of Madeira and the “transparent” RWMs of Tapages and Xingu, whose flood peak is about two months earlier than the maximum runoff in the main river (Fig. 8.3). Therefore, it is observed in Obidus earlier than in the

Rice. 8.3. The course of the daily water level from January to December in the average water year of 1977 above zero of the water gauges of the river. Madeira - hacienda Vista Alegre and r. Amazon-Itacoatiara below the mouth of Madeira

Rice. 8.4. Diamond-shaped relationship between the concentration of suspended solids, g/m 3 , and water consumption Q, thousand m 3 /s, in the Solimois - Manakapuru section (points indicate Q and SS, in Roman numerals - the months of 1982-1984, in which the measurements were made) (R. H. Meade et al., 1991)

re Solimois-Manakapuru, located 750 km upstream (above the mouth of the Rio Negro). Due to backwater in the high-water phase of runoff in many parts of the middle and lower reaches of the Amazon, the width of flooding of its floodplain, overgrown with hylaean forests, reaches 10-15 km, and in some places up to 100 km. As a result, the flow of the Amazon is characterized by a peculiar diamond-shaped relationship between water discharge and the concentration of suspended solids (Fig. 8.4). In the middle of the flood rise phase, due to the sedimentation of clay and silt particles on the overgrown floodplain at a rate of up to 8 mm/year, the suspension concentration decreases by half. In the first half of the flood recession phase, turbidity decreases by another 2 times, and in the second half it begins to increase again due to coastal erosion of ancient finely dispersed alluvial deposits, eroded by “transparent” water draining from the floodplain. The volume of this water mass in the channel increases due to the runoff clarified by sedimentation in the estuarine floodplain lakes of the RVM not only of Tapajos and Xingu, but also of many smaller tributaries.

Thus, in the Amazon, the share of transit sediment runoff, i.e. particles formed in the upper reaches of the basin and carried by water into the ocean in the same year is small. This is the reason for the low interannual variability of sediment runoff. The runoff of traction sediments, apparently, is significant, since sandy ridges 180 m long and up to 8 m high have arisen in the lower reaches of the river, which are constantly moving, preventing the development of benthic fauna. Small slopes in the lower reaches of the Amazon contribute to the spread up its channel of crashing sea tidal waves (the local name for bora pororoco), whose height near the city of Belen (see Fig. 8.2) reaches 4.6 m.

Robert Mead (1991) estimates that up to 30% of the Amazon's flow passes through the densely overgrown floodplain. Due to its large nano-retaining capacity, the concentration of suspended solids in the Amazon water mass decreases to 190 g/m 3 (J. D. Milliman et al., 1995).

However, due to its huge water content, the sediment runoff is about 360 million tons / year, yielding 4.5 times to the runoff of suspended sediments of the river. Huang He, Ganga with Brahmaputra and Yangtze. The average mineralization of the Amazon water mass is about 40 mg/l. The water is silica-bicarbonate-calcium with a relatively high content of chlorine. Table 8.3.

"Black waters" from dark olive to coffee color, judging by the values ​​of permanganate oxidizability (definitions by H. Sioli, 1951, cited by R. Keller, 1965), contain 3-13 times more

Table 8.3

The composition of the different types of water masses of the Amazon (O. A. Alekhin, 1970; K. Furch, 1984; J. E. Richey et al., 1986; A. S. Monin, V. V. Gordeev, 1988)

Note. The values ​​of the electrical conductivity of ultrapure water are approximately equal to the value of its mineralization?i, mg/l.

dissolved organic matter than the "clear waters" of a light green color.

The most biologically productive are "clear waters", the least - "black" ones (A. S. Monin, V. V. Gordeev, 1988). At the same time, the aquatic flora and fauna of the Amazon is very peculiar. For example, in "white" and "transparent" waters, extensive rafting is common ( floating meadows) which are especially rich in invertebrate fauna both in terms of biomass and diversity of species composition. They serve as the main food base for fish, which are more numerous in floodplain channels and lakes than in the riverbed. Among the fish, the total number of species of which exceeds 2000, the most famous piranha, fish up to 35-60 cm long with sawtooth, razor-sharp teeth. It forms large flocks and is very aggressive, which makes swimming in the river extremely dangerous. Macrophytes are famous for their size. For example, leaf load capacity victoria water lilies two-meter diameter reaches 35 kg. They are green above and bright purple below. Giant river turtles live in the river and its tributaries, as well as the largest freshwater animals: herbivorous mammals amazon, or hoofed manatees(water cows) from the detachment Sirens and two kinds freshwater dolphins (inia up to 2.5 m long and weighing up to 130 kg and smaller tukash), feeding on crustaceans, mollusks and fish. The inia disperse flocks of piranhas, and when long-billed tukas appear, crocodiles go under water. From the mouth of the river The banks of the Xingu channel in the world's largest mouth area of ​​the Amazon (about 100 thousand km 2) are framed by mangroves (I.V. Samoilov, 1952).

• Monin A. S., Gordeev V. V. Amazonia. - M.: Nauka, 1988.

The famous river, making its way throughout South America, haunts researchers around the world. The Amazon can be studied endlessly, but it is impossible to know it to the end.

Amazon at the origins of the legend

The Amazon is the most water-bearing and full-flowing river in the world. It gives a fifth of all water reserves to the world's oceans. The greatest river of all that exists on the planet originates in the Andes and ends its journey in the Atlantic Ocean from Brazil.

All South America is washed by the waters of the longest river.

Tribe Aparai, they come from the south coast of the Amazon.

History of the discovery of the Amazon

The confluence of the Ucayali and Marañon rivers forms the majestic Amazon, which continues its uninterrupted path for several millennia. There is information that the Amazon got its name thanks to the Spanish conquistadors, who once fought with the Indians on the banks of the mighty river.

Then the Spaniards were struck by the fearlessness with which warlike Indian women fought with them.

Unexplored Amazon.

So the river got its name, which has always been associated with the once existing female tribes of brave warriors. What is true here, and what is fiction? Historians are still guessing and conducting scientific disputes about this.

In 1553, the Amazon was first mentioned in the famous book Chronicle of Peru.

The Aboriginal tribe makes first contact with the outside world.

First news of the Amazons

The very first information about the Amazons dates back to 1539. Conquistador Gonzalo Jimenez de Quesada participated in a campaign through the territory of Colombia. He was accompanied by royal officials, whose subsequent report contains information about a halt in the Bogotá valley. It was there that they learned about an amazing tribe of women who lived on their own and used the stronger sex only for procreation. The locals called them Amazons.

Floating houses of Iquitos, Amazon river, Peru

It is mentioned that the Queen of the Amazons was called Harativa. Presumably, the conquistador Jimenez de Quesada sent his brother's warlike women to uncharted lands.

But no one has been able to confirm these data. And this information has little to do with the opening of the river itself.

Taxi on the Amazon River.

Discovery of the Francisco de Orellana River

Francisco de Orellana is a conquistador whose name is strongly associated with the name of the mighty South American Amazon. According to historical data, he was one of the first Europeans who managed to cross the country in its widest part. Naturally, the conqueror's clash with the Indian tribes was inevitable.

Route of the Orellana expedition 1541-1542.

In the summer of 1542, Orellana, along with his associates, ended up in a large village, which was located on the coast famous river. The royal subjects saw the local aborigines and entered into a fight with them. It was assumed that conquering the tribe would not be difficult. But the stubborn Indians did not want to recognize the authority of the Spanish ruler and fought desperately for their lands. Were they brave women or just long-haired men?

It is difficult to judge, but then the conquistador was delighted with such desperate resistance of the "Amazons" and decided to name the river in their honor. Although, according to the original idea, Francisco de Orellana was going to give her his name. Thus, the river of impenetrable jungle acquired its majestic name Amazon.

Tribal girls on the Amazon River.

Amazon River Delta

Approximately 350 kilometers from the Atlantic Ocean, the delta of the deepest river in the world begins. The ancient age did not prevent the impetuous Amazon from going beyond the native shores. This was due to active tides, low tides and the influence of currents.

The beauty of the Amazon: water lilies and lilies.

Incredible masses of debris are carried by the river into the world's oceans. But this interferes with the process of delta growth.

Initially, the main tributary of the Marañon was considered the source of the Amazon. But in 1934 it was decided that the Ukayali River should be considered a priority.

Colombian Amazon

The delta of the South American Amazon has an incredible area - up to one hundred thousand square kilometers, and a width of two hundred kilometers. A huge number of tributaries and straits - this is what is characteristic of this river.

But the Amazon Delta does not fall into the waters of the Atlantic Ocean.

Animal world by the river

Flora and fauna

Every biologist-researcher or a curious traveler who is interested in visiting the Amazon and marveling at the incredible flora and fauna will want to unknown world. Plants and animals that live along the Amazon coast, without exaggeration, make up the world's genetic fund.

The Jesus Lizard was named because it can run on the surface of the water.

More than 100 species of mammals, 400 species of birds, insects, invertebrates, flowers and trees - they surround the lands of the Amazon in a dense ring, ruling limitlessly. The entire basin of the mighty river is occupied by a tropical rainforest. Unique natural formation or equatorial forest Amazon surprises with its climatic conditions. Heat and high humidity are their main features.

It is noteworthy that even at night the temperature does not fall below 20 degrees.

Jaguar in tropical jungle river deltas.

Creepers are slender stems that quickly reach impressive lengths. To move through these dense thickets, you will obviously need to cut your own way, because through the lush vegetation it almost does not penetrate sunlight. The real miracle of the Amazonian flora is a huge water lily, which is able to withstand the human weight.

Up to 750 species of various trees will surely make even the most sophisticated explorer and traveler admire.

It is in the Amazon that you can see mahogany, hevea and cocoa, as well as unique ceiba, the fruits of which are surprisingly similar to cotton fibers.

Amazon rainforest

On the coast of the South American river there are giant dairy trees, the sweet juice of which appearance looks like milk. No less amazing fruit trees castañas, which can feed you with amazingly tasty and nutritious nuts that are somewhat reminiscent of curved dates.

The Amazon rainforests are "lungs" South America, so that the activities of ecologists are aimed at preserving the vegetation in its original form.

capybaras

On the coast you can often see capybaras. This is a South American rodent, which is distinguished by its impressive size and, in appearance, incredibly resembles guinea pig. The weight of such a "rodent" reaches 50 kilograms.

An unpretentious tapir lives near the shores of the Amazon. He swims superbly and reaches 200 kilograms of weight. The animal feeds on the fruits of some trees, leaves and other vegetation.

Water-loving member of the cat family dangerous predator the jaguar can easily move through the water column and even dive.

Giant Arowana

Animal world of the Amazon

Found in the Amazon great amount fish and other river dwellers. Especially dangerous are the bull shark, which weighs more than 300 kilograms and reaches three meters in length, as well as piranhas. These toothy fish in just a few seconds before the skeleton can gnaw a whole horse.

But they are not the bosses in the Amazon, because caimans are a danger to all living things. This is a special kind of alligator.

Dolphin of the Amazon

Among the friendly inhabitants of the dangerous turbulent river, one can single out dolphins and beautiful ornamental fish (guppies, angelfish, swordtails), of which there are countless - more than 2,500 thousand! One of the last on the planet lungfish protopters found their home in the waters of the Amazon.

Here you can see the rare arowan. This is a meter-long fish that can jump high above the water and swallow huge bugs on the fly.

Giant snake in the Amazon.

One of the scariest creatures on the planet lives in the restless waters of the Amazon. This is a river anaconda that is not afraid of either caimans or jaguars. The deadly and swift snake can instantly overcome the enemy and kill the victim. The length of this water boa reaches 10 meters.

Piranha caught on spinning.

Ecology

The dense forests of the Amazon are an irreplaceable ecosystem that is constantly under the threat of massive deforestation of trees. The banks of the river have been devastated for a long time.

Back in the second half of the twentieth century, most of the forests were turned into pastures. As a result, the soil has been severely affected by erosion.

felling rainforest

Unfortunately, there is little left of the pristine jungle on the Amazon coast. Scorched and partially cut down vegetation is practically beyond restoration, although ecologists around the world are trying hopelessly to remedy the situation.

Somewhere in the Amazon jungle.

The rarest species of animals and plants have become extinct due to the disruption of the Amazon ecosystem. Otters used to live here rare breed, but global changes natural environment led to the destruction of the population. Arapaima is a real living fossil. But giant fish also threatened by imminent extinction. Four hundred million years ago, these aquatic life. But now they prefer to breed fish on local farms to save their extinction. Despite all efforts, the oldest fish in the Amazon continue to die out due to catastrophic environmental disruption.

Endangered species include the famous mahogany and real rosewood with extremely valuable wood. It is from it that expensive environmentally friendly furniture is made all over the world. It should be emphasized that active deforestation along the coast of this South American river seriously threatens not only the ecology of nearby areas, but the whole world.

Amazon on the world map

Amazon nature video

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 highlands, at an altitude of almost 5000 m. The sources merge into, flowing with, changing its name and becoming already Ene, connects with Tambo, then with, the current, in turn, merges with, which is to the south, there, 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. Overcoming from west to east a distance of 3700 km along northern regions Brazil, river flowing into Atlantic Ocean, forms the largest inland delta on the planet (more than 100 thousand km²) and mouths, covering the 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!

Center experts studied water artery South American mainland 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 the total fresh water s 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.

The Amazon River is the deepest river in the world. Parana Ting - the Indians solemnly call this river, which means "Queen of all rivers" in translation. The mouth of the Amazon River was discovered by the Spaniard Vincent Yanes Pinson back in 1550, and he also recognized the true royal grandeur of this river.

The history of the discovery of the great river

The very first to enjoy the beauties of the shores of a beautiful pearl in 1541 was the Spaniard Francisco de Orellana. It was he who was the first to swim to find out which river the Amazon was, without being afraid of hostile Indians. During one of the hot battles with the natives, the conquistadors noticed that in the very first ranks of the warriors, half-dressed tall and strong women who skillfully hold a bow and arrow in their hands. Looking at them, the Spaniards remembered the Amazons, which is why Orellana decided to name this river in honor of them the Amazon. He made a journey starting from the foothills of the Andes, further along the bed of the Napo River and along the Amazon to the very Atlantic Ocean.

After this, notes on the great river were left by Condamine from France, Humboldt from Germany, and also an Englishman named Bates. The latter described thousands of insects that live in the river basin, and the botanist Spruce was able to collect samples of almost 7000 before. known to science plants.

The source of the Amazon River, its tributaries and channel

This river is truly unique. Almost one and a half thousand kilometers from the mouth, the tributaries and the Amazon River itself spill during high tides. The Amazon has over 500 tributaries of various lengths, seventeen of which are longer than 1,500 km. For example, these are Madeira and Tapajos, Xingu and Isa, Rio Negro and others.

Deep in the Andes is the source of the Amazon River, where it is born, and then flows mainly through the territory of Brazil, where this river is called Solimões. The total length of the entire river is 6.4 thousand km, this is together with the tributary of the Maranyon, and the tributary of the Ucayali is seven thousand kilometers.

FROM total area the Amazon collects its waters at 7190 thousand kilometers, and the main part of this basin belongs to the state of Brazil. Already before joining the Atlantic Ocean, the riverbed breaks up and flows between large islands into various branches, creating mouths in the form of funnels. The Amazon River is a navigable river and major ports are located on it.

River regime and seasons

The right tributaries of the river are in the Southern Hemisphere, and the left ones are in the Northern Hemisphere, so their water enters the basins at different times of the year. That is, they have floods at different periods of time. On the tributaries on the right, the flood begins in October and lasts until March; in the left tributaries, the flood passes just the opposite: from April to October, that is, in summer months northern hemisphere. It is this salient feature and causes the amazing fullness of the Amazon River. In a second, the Amazon River releases more than 55 million liters of water into the world ocean, which is created by tributaries, melting snow from the Andes and tropical rains.

The largest increase in its level begins in spring and ends at the end of July, that is, the flood continues in this place for more than 120 days. For three months the forests in the valley near the river are flooded, then the water gradually disappears. In September and August the water level is quite low.

Which river is longer?

The question is often asked: "Which river is longer: the Volga, the Amazon?" If we compare the Amazon with the great Russian river Volga, then the length of the first river is 6992 kilometers, and the Volga is only 3530 km long, which is also quite a significant indicator. However, it should be noted that the Amazon River is not the longest river in the world, as previously thought, but the most full-flowing.

True, the Volga is the longest river in Europe, and in Russia it has great importance not only as a highway, but also as a source of life in arid regions. In terms of importance in its region, it is no less important than the great Brazilian river.

seventh wonder of the world

The Amazon is included in the list of the seven most amazing natural wonders Sveta. Unique not only for its full flow, it is incomparable with anything else in terms of the exceptional richness of flora and fauna and its bright beauty. Together with its tributaries it links different countries. It is impossible to unequivocally determine where the Amazon River flows, as it runs in a blue ribbon through the territory of Peru, through Bolivia, crosses Brazil and Venezuela, as well as Ecuador and the territory of Colombia.

Of course, the longest river in the world is the Nile, but in fairness, the Amazon is very little inferior to the African pearl, sharing with it the palm of the most significant rivers on our planet.

Although last fact is now disputed. It was recently reported that scientists from Brazil came to the conclusion that the source of the Amazon River is not in the north of Peru, as previously thought, but on an ice-covered mountain called Mismi, at an altitude of five thousand meters. The change in the source makes it possible for the Amazon to “catch up” with the Nile in length. So, perhaps, there will be absolutely nothing to answer the question of which river is longer than the Amazon.

A quarter of all the water that flows from the rivers into the world's oceans is the waters of the Amazon. The mouth of the river placed another record holder - the largest river island on the planet, Marajo. The largest island could accommodate such a country as the Netherlands.

Rainforest and Amazon

All life on our planet depends on whether there will be wet forest tropics. It is he who regulates the climate on our planet, absorbs all the harmful gases that are contained in the air. Only due to the presence on earth of the taiga and the rainforest around the Amazon global warming we were not completely destroyed. That is, the Amazon River with its unique basin is the lungs of our planet.

The amazing thing is that when the rainy season comes, all the trees stand in the waters of the Amazon to the very crown, and do not die. They have long been fully adapted to such a change in water levels in this river. Almost the entire Amazon basin is occupied by the world's largest rainforest tract. Here you can constantly hear the sound of drops of water falling from the leaves, as it rains almost daily.

The jungles of Brazil near the Amazon River have not yet been fully explored, and now plants unknown to science are found there. It is in these forests that almost 50 percent of all plant species of our planet live. A lot of plants from the Amazon rainforest are a real panacea, they are used to make rare medicines for the treatment of various diseases.

Nourishes the entire planet with oxygen

The Amazon Basin is not only home to unique plants and animals. tropical rain forests supply oxygen to the atmosphere. However, every year people destroy more than one hundred thousand kilometers of unique flora. Moreover, forests are cut down not only in Brazil, but also in other countries. A perfectly functioning ecosystem can perish and push humanity towards disaster. The forest is the main supplier of oxygen, the conditioner of our common planet. If the wealth of the Amazon can be preserved, Brazil will continue to be one of the most beautiful countries in the world.

Home of hummingbirds and flamingos

The Amazon jungle is home to birds with surprisingly bright and rich plumage, such as colorful yellow and green parrots with bright red heads, the famous pink flamingos and the smallest birds in the world - tiny hummingbirds. Millions of colorful butterflies flutter in the air. Scientists say that 1.5 thousand species of various flowers grow here, 760 species large trees, about 125 mammals and about 400 bird species. There are about 800 species of palm trees alone near the Amazon.

Monkeys live in the crowns of huge trees. Very funny tapirs walk along the river, which look like a furry pig. There are also formidable jaguars, as well as anacondas.

The famous Victoria regia lily grows in the waters of the river, on the leaf of which a five-year-old child can stand and not drown.

The Amazon is home to 2,000 species of different fish. All European rivers taken together contain ten times fewer species. The Congo River, which is also famous for its diversity of species, contains three times less of them. Piranhas have become rather notorious, turning into a common noun, including in our country. By the way, you can see the famous toothy fish in the Sevastopol Aquarium. Naturally, there are in the Amazon and crocodiles, alligators, as well as electric eels, which are noticeably shocked.

aborigines

A very small village of native Indians still lives in the center of Brazil around the land flooded by the Amazon on a tiny hill. More than a hundred people settled in the simplest houses made of local wood. They grow cassava, similar to our potatoes, and fish. A small tribe has not left for centuries, as if guarding the most abundant and beautiful river on earth, thanks to which our entire planet can breathe freely.

The Amazon is a river that is familiar to every person almost from school. It annually receives thousands of tourists, scientists and ecologists, just nature lovers. None of them leave disappointed, taking home the brightest and most colorful impressions.

Amazon river broke many records. This is the most full-flowing river in the world, it collects 40% of the waters of South America. The volume of water thrown off by the river into the ocean is so large that it is equal to 1/5 of the total volume of river water on the planet. Many of its tributaries are themselves the greatest rivers peace. Recently, the Amazon is also the longest river in the world. It has the widest river mouth in the world, it is 10 times wider than the English Channel. Not surprisingly, at the mouth of the Amazon is the world's largest river island the size of Scotland.

During the rainy season, it floods forests with an area equal to the territory of England. During the dry season, millions of fish are trapped in its lagoons, a paradise for predators. Lives in the river more species fish than in the entire Atlantic Ocean. It takes 4 hours to cross its tropical forests by plane.

Characteristics of the Amazon River

Length of the Amazon River: 6992 km

Watershed area: 7,180,000 km?. For comparison, the area of ​​Australia is 7,692,024 km².

River mode, food: The Amazon is fed by numerous tributaries, also due to humid climate The river receives a lot of water from precipitation. In the upper reaches, snow nutrition plays an important role.

The Amazon mode is interesting and quite challenging. It is full of water all year round. The right and left tributaries of the river have different flood times. The fact is that the right tributaries are located in the Southern Hemisphere, and the left ones in the Northern Hemisphere. Therefore, floods are observed near the right tributaries from October to March (summer of the Southern Hemisphere), and near the left tributaries - from April to October (summer of the Northern Hemisphere). This leads to some smoothing of the runoff. Southern tributaries bring more water and in May-July lead to the maximum rise in water level. The minimum flow is observed in August - September. In the lower reaches, ocean tides also play an important role, spreading up the river for 1400 km. When the water rises, the river floods vast areas - this is the largest flood in the world. The width of the floodplain reaches 80-100 km.

Average water flow at the mouth: 220,000 m3/s. The maximum discharge during floods reaches 300,000 m3/s and even more. The minimum flow during the dry season is 70,000 m3/s. For comparison, the water flow in the Volga is 8060 m? / s i.e. almost 28 times less.

Where does it run: The Amazon flows mainly through Brazil, but small parts of the Amazon basin belong to Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador and Colombia.

The Amazon originates at an altitude of 5 thousand meters from the snow-capped peaks of the Peruvian Andes. Melt water, connecting with other streams, rushes down to the endless jungle. In addition to the great height of the mouth of the Amazon, one must also take into account the fact that it is located at the latitude of the Equator and therefore the climate is changeable here, during the day the hot sun weakens the ice grip and melt water descends. Connecting with each other tons of melted snow, form powerful streams and gain acceleration.

Soon descending to a height of 3.5 thousand meters, the Amazon falls into the kingdom moist forests. Here, waterfalls are often found on the river, and the current of the Amazon is still the same stormy, it has to make its way through mountain ranges. Descending from the Andes, the Amazon spills over a wide valley (the Amazonian lowland). Here it flows surrounded by tropical jungle.

The direction of the Amazon is predominantly from west to east, and it does not stray far from the equator. Interestingly, under the Amazon at a depth of 4 thousand meters, the underground river Hamza (Hamza) flows, it feeds on groundwater.

The main channel of the Amazon is navigable right up to the foot of the Andes, i.e. at a distance of 4300 km. Ocean-going ships can go up the river for a distance of 1690 km from the mouth, to the city of Manaus. The total length of all waterways in the Amazon Basin is 25,000 km.

After the confluence of the Xingu River, the Amazon is more like a sea. The width of the river reaches 15 km and it is no longer possible to see the opposite bank.

Here you can already feel the proximity of the Atlantic and you can observe the ebbs and flows. The riverbed is divided into many branches that flow into its huge delta. The mouth of the Amazon is the widest river mouth in the world. At the mouth of the Amazon, there are thousands of islands, the largest of which has an area equal to the area Scotland. In this gigantic estuary, there is a constant struggle between salt and fresh water. The tides of the Atlantic Ocean make their way deep into the river, sweeping away everything in its path. This phenomenon is called the Amazon tidal wave or vice wave.

Flowing into the Atlantic Ocean, the Amazon forms the world's largest delta with an area of ​​100,000 square kilometers. In this huge delta is the largest river island in the world, Marajo.

From its three hundred kilometer mouth, the river discharges more water into the ocean than all European rivers taken together. From space, the flow of its muddy waters is discernible in the ocean for a hundred kilometers. from the shore.

The Amazon River at its mouth.