Amazon River

The Amazon River, located in South America, is the world's largest river by discharge volume of water and is regarded as the second-longest river system after the Nile. The river travels through tropical woods, primarily in Brazil, before emptying into the Atlantic Ocean near the equator. 

---

Source of Amazon River

The Mantaro and Apurímac rivers unite to form the Ucayali River, which then meets the Marañón River upstream of Iquitos, Peru, forming the main stem of the Amazon. Till 2014 For nearly a century, the Apurímac River's headwaters on Nevado Mismi were thought to be the Amazon basin's closest source.

Amazon River headwaters map

Source: Wikipedia

---

How did the Amazon River get its name?

After meeting the native Pira-tapuya people, Francisco de Orellana, the first European explorer to visit the region, dubbed the Amazon River. Men and women from the Pira-tapuya tribe fought alongside one another in the struggle against de Orellana and his soldiers. Greek mythology describes the "Amazons" as a group of female warrior nomads that roamed the Black Sea. The tale of the Amazons is partly imaginary, but it is based on the Scythians, a people group renowned for their skill at archery and mounted combat. Based on this mythology, it is believed that de Orellana called the river "the Amazon" in remembrance of his encounter with the Pira-tapuyas, drawing comparisons between the women of the Pira-tapuya and the Greek mythological Amazons.

---

Amazon River Dolphin (Pink River Dolphin)

The Amazon river dolphin (Inia geoffrensis), also known as the boto or pink river dolphin, is a toothed whale species native to South America, classified in the family Iniidae.

Amazon River Dolphin

Source: Wikipedia

• The Amazon river dolphin is the largest species of river dolphin.
• Adult male dolphins (prominently) acquire a pink color, giving it its nickname "pink river dolphin". 
• The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) designated this species as endangered in 2018 due to a decreasing population.

---

Amazon River Basin

Amazon River Basin

Image Source: Wikipedia

• The Amazon River Basin extends from the Andes Mountains in Peru to the northeastern coast of Brazil
• It Covers about 7,000,000 km², making it the largest drainage basin globally.
• Accounts for approximately 35.5% of the South American continent.
• Spans countries: Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, Venezuela, and French Guiana.
• Predominantly covered by the Amazon rainforest, the largest rainforest in the world (5.5 million km²).
• Known for immense biodiversity:
• Over 30,000 plant species.
• Nearly 2,500 fish species.
• 60 reptile species.
• Faces environmental challenges: deforestation, soil erosion, biodiversity loss, and water pollution, threatening ecological richness and sustainability.

---

Facts

• The Amazon River is the world's largest by discharge volume, discharging 209,000 m³/s of water into the Atlantic Ocean. It accounts for approximately 20% of the global river discharge.
• The Amazon is the second-longest river in the world after the Nile, with a length of around 6,400 km
• The Amazon rainforest, which covers much of the Amazon basin, is the largest rainforest on Earth
• A wide variety of fauna can be found in the Amazon, including jaguars, piranhas, electric eels, poison dart frogs, pink river dolphins, and more than 2,000 different types of fish.
• The Amazon is crucial in regulating the planet's climate, absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen. It is sometimes called the "lungs of the Earth"

---

Amazon Rain Forest

• The Amazon rainforest is a moist broadleaf tropical rainforest found in the Amazon biome. It is often referred to as the Amazon jungle or Amazonia.
• includes the majority of South America's Amazon basin, which is 7,500,000 km² in size, of which 5,500,000 km² is covered with rainforest.
• Brazil accounts for the majority of the forest (60%), followed by Peru (13%), and Colombia (10%), with a smaller share in Bolivia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, and Venezuela.
• Represents over half of Earth's remaining rainforests and is the largest, most biodiverse tropical rainforest with 390 billion trees in about 16,000 species.
• Home to more than 30 million people from 350 ethnic groups, including 9% indigenous peoples, with 60 groups remaining largely isolated.
• Faces widespread deforestation, resulting in substantial economic and environmental consequences.