The amazing Amazon River holds the record in many ways. It is thanks to her that a fair share of South America is covered with impenetrable wet jungles, which, along with taiga forests, are one of the main sources of oxygen on Earth. Ancient civilizations were born and disappeared on the banks of the great river… But even today, the Amazon is still only superficially studied.
Interesting facts about the Amazon River
- There is only one bridge across the Amazon, and that is not through the main channel.
- Amazon — the longest river in the world (interesting facts about rivers).
- Under the Amazon, scientists have discovered an underground river, which is approximately equal in length to it, but exceeds a hundred times in width.
- In terms of full flow, it also ranks first among all the rivers in the world.
- Martin Strel from Slovenia he sailed the entire Amazon along the length, overcoming eighty kilometers every day. It took him about two months to implement his plan.
- During the full moon, a powerful wave goes against the current in the Amazon.
- The jungle surrounding the river produces about 1/5 of all the oxygen on Earth.
- The Amazon Basin is home to more than two and a half million different species of insects.
- The Amazon brings so much fresh water to the ocean that ocean waters are desalinated 150-160 kilometers from the mouth (interesting facts about the oceans).
- The volume of water in the Amazon is more than in the next seven largest rivers of the Earth after it combined.
- The Amazon drains more water into the ocean in a day than New York consumes in ten years.
- More than three thousand kinds of fruits grow in the surrounding jungle.
- Of the approximately 10 million species of living creatures that live on Earth, about half live there, in the Amazonian jungle.
- Swimming here is dangerous, especially in shallow water — the river is teeming with predators. Piranhas and giant anacondas are also found here.
- About 20% of all fresh water on Earth flows through the Amazon.
- During the rainy season, the width of the Amazon in places increases to 45-48 kilometers.
- The width of the mouth of the Amazon — 325 kilometers.
- The basin area of this river exceeds 7 million square kilometers.
- The largest river island in the world, Marajo, is located in the Amazon. The area of Marajo is approximately equal to the area of the whole of Switzerland.
- About fifty primitive tribes that do not have contact with the outside world live in the Amazon jungle.
- The age of the forests surrounding this river is estimated at 100 million years, which makes it the oldest forested area on the planet.