[3] Often it is said to be "about" 6,650 kilometres (4,130 mi) long. For most of its course, the river flows through the Amazon Rainforest, where there are very few roads and cities. After 170 kilometres (106 mi), the Coca River joined the Napo River (at a point now known as Puerto Francisco de Orellana); the party stopped for a few weeks to build a boat just upriver from this confluence. The Tucano cruise boat is a unique motor yacht. Fifteen million years ago, the main tectonic uplift phase of the Andean chain started. However, the Amazon has been reported as being anywhere between 6,275 and 7,025 kilometres (3,899 and 4,365 mi) long. He organised the "Companhia de Navegação e Comércio do Amazonas" in Rio de Janeiro in 1852; in the following year it commenced operations with four small steamers, the Monarca ('Monarch'), the Cametá, the Marajó and the Rio Negro.[31][32]. The resulting undular tidal bore is called the pororoca, with a leading wave that can be up to 8 m (25 ft) high and travel up to 800 km (500 mi) inland.[57][58]. The Amazon River begins in the Andes in South America. The Sao Francisco is the longest river completely within Brazil's borders. Hidden in the dense jungle of the Peruvian Amazon is a percolating, roiling river. Since colonial times, the Portuguese portion of the Amazon basin has remained a land largely undeveloped by agriculture and occupied by indigenous people who survived the arrival of European diseases. It flows through the countries of Brazil, Colombia, and Peru. The river system originates in the Andes Mountains of Peru and travels through Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Bolivia, and Brazil before emptying into the Atlantic Ocean. There are approximately 30 to 60 species of piranha. Cruising the Amazon River was fascinating. Title: The Amazon River and its surrounding lakes cuts through the South American country of Brazil. [72], The anaconda is found in shallow waters in the Amazon basin. Eventually the Andes Mountains formed, blocking its flow to the Pacific Ocean, and causing it to switch directions to its current mouth in the Atlantic Ocean.[21]. It is found throughout much of the Amazon and Orinoco river basins in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, and Venezuela. Amazon, Port. It harbors freshwater dolphins and piranha, and is one of nature's most fascinating natural phenomena where the dark waters of the Black River run side by side along the brown waters of the Amazon… It is a mammal and a herbivore. The main drivers of deforestation vary from country to country, according to the report, a collaborative effort by the Inter-American Dialogue and the Andes Amazon Fund. In that same period, the Amazonas Company was increasing its fleet. [3] If only the river's main channel is considered, between the islands of Curuá (state of Amapá) and Jurupari (state of Pará), the width falls to about 15 kilometres (9.3 mi). The Amazon River flows through five other countries — Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Venezuela — before emptying into the Atlantic, and boasts more than a thousand tributaries. Updates? The Amazon River is 4,000 miles long and is up to 6 miles wide in some areas. Roughly two-thirds of the Amazon’s main stream is within Brazil. Such studies continued to be published even recently, such as in 1996,[43] 2001,[44] 2007,[8] and 2008,[45] where various authors identified the snowcapped 5,597 m (18,363 ft) Nevado Mismi peak, located roughly 160 km (99 mi) west of Lake Titicaca and 700 km (430 mi) southeast of Lima, as the most distant source of the river. While there is some debate about its length, the river is generally believed to be at least 4,000 miles (6,400 km) long, which makes it the second longest river in the world after the Nile River in Africa. Another Spanish explorer, Francisco de Orellana, was the first European to travel from the origins of the upstream river basins, situated in the Andes, to the mouth of the river. Sun Zero Darren Distressed Woven Jacquard Blackout Grommet Curtain Panel, 50" x 84", Indigo $84.99 $31.69 in stock 2 new from $31.69 8 used from $23.35 Free shipping Buy Now Amazon.com as of Features Delicately woven distressed global pattern on midweight jacquard fabric Blackout technology blocks out most unwanted light while enhancing privacy Thermal properties […] Figurative mounds are the most recent types of occupation. For centuries ships have reported fresh water near the Amazon's mouth yet well out of sight of land in what otherwise seemed to be the open ocean. Interesting Facts About River Amazon: Interesting Tidbits. It is the world’s largest river by volume, carrying an average of about … It is a relatively abundant freshwater cetacean with an estimated population in the tens of thousands. Amazonas ämäzō´nəs , world's second longest river, c.3,900 mi (6,280 km) long, formed by the junction in N Peru's Andes Mts. [37], With a population of 1.9 million people in 2014, Manaus is the largest city on the Amazon. As to its end point, the Amazon has three outlets to the Atlantic Ocean: two on the northern side of Marajó Island in Brazil and one to the island’s south that joins the Pará River. The Amazon River is located in the northern portion of South America, flowing from west to east. [15], The Atlantic has sufficient wave and tidal energy to carry most of the Amazon's sediments out to sea, thus the Amazon does not form a true delta. [19], However, other scholars insist that the name is derived from the Native American word amassona, meaning “boat destroyer.”[20], Recent geological studies suggest that for millions of years the Amazon River used to flow in the opposite direction - from east to west. It drains from west to east, from Iquitos in Peru, across Brazil to the Atlantic. It is the greatest river of South America and the largest drainage system in the world in terms of the volume of its flow and the area of its basin. of two major headstreams, the Ucayali and the shorter Marañón. The mouth of the Amazon river is located in Northern Brazil. During rainy season, it can reach to 120 miles in width. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. The River Amazon in South America is the largest river by discharge of water in the world, and the second in length. One of the world's largest species of snake, the anaconda spends most of its time in the water with just its nostrils above the surface. The Amazon River begins with streams in the Andes Mountains in Peru and flows into the Atlantic Ocean about 4,000 miles (6,437 km) away. It runs through Ecuador, Venezuela, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia and Peru. Because of habitat destruction and hunting, its population has dramatically decreased. In the late 1600s, Czech Jesuit Father Samuel Fritz, an apostle of the Omagus established some forty mission villages. Amazon is the second largest river in this world in terms of length. The Amazon River is the second longest river in the world and is about 4,000 miles (6400 km) long. [7] There are several factors that can affect these measurements, such as the position of the geographical source and the mouth, the scale of measurement, and the length measuring techniques (for details see also List of rivers by length). 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