Overview
The Amazon is the largest river in the world by discharge volume, and the second longest after the Nile, with a length of approximately 6,400 kilometers. It originates in the Andes Mountains of Peru and flows eastward across northern Brazil, emptying into the Atlantic Ocean. Its drainage basin covers roughly 7 million square kilometers.
Geography and Physical Features
The Amazon has more than 1,100 tributaries, including the Rio Negro, Madeira, and Tapajos. At its widest during the rainy season, the river can stretch 50 kilometers across in places. Its discharge averages 209,000 cubic meters per second, accounting for roughly one-fifth of the freshwater entering the world's oceans.
Significance
The Amazon River and its surrounding rainforest form one of the most biodiverse ecosystems on Earth, containing roughly 10 percent of all known species. The river is critical to global climate regulation through the rainforest it sustains, and it has supported indigenous peoples for thousands of years.
Notable Facts
The Amazon has no bridges across its main stem along its entire length, due to the river's width and the surrounding wetlands. It is home to the pink river dolphin, piranha, anaconda, and electric eel. The Amazon's discharge is so massive that it freshens the Atlantic Ocean up to 160 kilometers offshore.