- Fact 2 - The Amazon is the major
South American river based in the Amazon basin. It surrounds the
Amazon
Rainforest and covers territory belonging to nine nations:
Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, Guyana,
Suriname and French Guiana
- Fact 3 - It arises in the Andes and
flows eastward into the South Atlantic
- Fact 4 - It is characterized by
extensive forested areas that become flooded every rainy season
- Fact 5 - It is the second longest
river in the World approximately 6400 kilometres (4000 miles) -
only the Nile, in Africa, is longer
- Fact 6 - Because it is so vast, it
is sometimes called The River Sea.
- Fact 7 - More than 33% of all
species in the world live in the Amazon
Rainforest
- Fact 8 - anaconda snake is
found in shallow waters in the Amazon Basin
- Fact 9 - Vicente Yanez Pinzon was
the first European to sail into the waters in 1500. The first
European to travel the length of the Amazon River was Francisco
de Orellana in 1542
- Fact 10 - It flows through Brazil,
Ecuador, Bolivia, Colombia, Peru, and Venezuela
- Fact 11 - It has over 1,100
tributaries, 17 of which are over 1,500 kilometres long. A
tributary is a stream, or smaller river, that flows into a main
river
- Fact 12 - No bridges cross the
River Amazon - there is no need because it runs through the
rainforest rather than cities
- Fact 13 - The Amazon River is home
to the piranha - a deadly meat eating fish
- Fact 14 - At its widest point the
Amazon River can be 11km/6.8 mi wide during the dry season
- Fact 15 - The source of the Amazon
River is Lago Villafro in the Andes Mountains, Peru.
- Fact 16 - The mouth of the Amazon
River is Brazil into the Atlantic Ocean (delta)
- Fact 17 - The Amazon River is the
principle path of transportation for people and produce with
transport ranging from balsa rafts and dugout canoes to
hand-built wooden rivercraft and modern steel hulled craft.
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