The amazon river It is considered the largest in the world and represents a fifth of fresh water on the planet. It is 7062 kilometers long and goes from the Andes mountain range in Arequipa, Peru, reaching Brazil, this in turn converges with other rivers until it empties into the Atlantic Ocean. This river has a great economic benefit for the communities that are in the Amazonian cities and it is believed that it was discovered at the end of the 16th century by a Spanish explorer. If you want to know in greater depth which countries cross the Amazon river, we invite you to read this OneHowTo article.
History of the Amazon River
The amazon river is located in the American continent, specifically in South America and its discovery is due to a Spanish explorer named Francisco de Orellana in the 16th century. It is said that the name Amazonas is derived from a mispronunciation of an indigenous term by the conquerors.
Amazonas means “boat breaker” because of the tide that it can have when it comes into contact with the ocean. Before the conquest it is believed that the river did not have a single name, in the year 1500 Vicente Yañez Pinzón discovered that the waters of the Amazon River They were navigable and could even be drunk, which was a great find that produces economic rewards today such as the export of rubber and wood, as well as that of fish and the agriculture of foods such as bananas, cassava, tropical fruits and corn.
Which countries the Amazon River crosses
The Amazon River can have several names depending on the country where it passes, it is born on the slopes of Nevado Mismi and crosses South America passing through Colombia and Brazil and ending in the Atlantic Ocean. The countries that cross the Amazon river are:
But additionally, the basin or hydrographic territory that really encompasses the Amazon River, consists of 9 countries:
- Brazil
- Bolivia
- Peru
- Ecuador
- Colombia
- Venezuela
- Guyana
- French Guiana
- Surinan
Amazon, more than a river
It should be noted that the Amazon is more than a river, since to the east of the Andes is the Amazon, the largest jungle in the world, since constitutes a tenth of the planet’s forestsThis humid and warm forest is surrounded by the Amazon River which runs through a large area of the Brazilian Amazon rainforest.
This jungle has a great ecological value, since it absorbs large amounts of carbon dioxide, so part of the air we breathe is purified in this area thanks to its more than 75,000 types of trees and an incredible diversity of flora and fauna. it houses 20% of the world’s primates. The equatorial rainforest hides a lot of fauna that is not yet fully classified. There are around 4,000 species of butterfly, 3,000 freshwater fish, in fact it is believed that there are more marine species in the Amazon River than in the Atlantic Ocean itself.
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