A secret of the Amazon less

2001/02/06 Elhuyar Zientzia

• Ekologia
• Hidrologia

Doubts have been resolved about the location of the largest river waterfront in the world. The Amazon fountain is located 160 kilometers from the Pacific, although after a long journey of 6,400 kilometers, it is poured into the Atlantic Ocean. Thanks to a long two-year research, it has been discovered that Amazonas begins its journey in the Nevado del Mismis of Peru at 5.600 meters altitude.

The Amazon River has won the place of the largest river in the world. This is the river with the highest flow (200,000 km3/s) and the most extensive basin (7,050,000 km2). In some areas it has a width of 6 km and a depth of 20-25 to 800 m.

The amount of water that is poured into the Atlantic Ocean is four times higher than that of the Zaire River and ten times higher than that of Mississippi. In addition, it has been calculated that a fifth or a quarter of the terrestrial waters pass through the bed of the Amazon River. The basin covers the states of Brazil, Guyana, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia. With such an extensive basin it is not surprising that it is formed by more than 1,100 branches. The most important are Black, Branco and Japura to the north and Marañón, Madeira, Tapajos and Xingu to the south. Amazonas receives water throughout the year.

Like many of the praises that the Amazon River deserves for its greatness and richness, we cannot forget the importance that the whole region has for biologists. There are two million species of insects, 100,000 plant species, 600 types of mammals and 2,000 species of fish, many of which are not found anywhere else in the world.