Relief and climate features South America predetermined its exceptional wealth of surface and groundwater, the huge amount of flow, the presence of the deepest river in the world - the Amazon. Occupying 12% of the land area of the Earth, South America receives about 2 times more (1643 mm) of the average amount of precipitation per unit of the entire area. The total river runoff is 27% of the total runoff of the Earth, the average runoff layer (58 cm) is also almost 2 times the average value for the entire land. But the amount of runoff fluctuates sharply across the mainland - from a few mm to hundreds of cm. The rivers between the ocean basins are also extremely unevenly distributed: the Pacific Ocean basin is 12 times smaller than the Atlantic basin (the watershed between them runs mainly along the Andes ridges); in addition, about 10% of the territory of South Africa belongs to the area of internal drainage, which crosses the mainland from the Gulf of Guayaquil through the Central Andean Highlands to the southern Pampa. Rain-fed rivers predominate, in the extreme south - also snow-glacial.

The largest layer of the average annual runoff of 150-400 cm (up to 90% of precipitation) reaches in southern Chile, which is explained not only by the abundance of precipitation, but also by the steepness of the slopes, low evaporation and ice reserves in the upper reaches of the rivers, which cause summer floods, including and at the "transit" rivers of Patagonia; the share of underground feeding of the rivers of the South Andes is no more than 20-25%. The runoff is just as great (for some rivers even up to 800 cm) in western Colombia, but rainfall and summer-autumn flash floods predominate there; underground runoff increases up to 40%. The runoff characteristics of the Amazon are similar, decreasing in its central and southern parts to 40-60 cm. The regime of large rivers, like the Amazon itself, depends on the rainy season in the upper and middle reaches of its tributaries. On the well and more or less evenly moistened outskirts of the Brazilian and Guiana plateaus, the average annual runoff is also 40-60 cm (in some places up to 150 cm) with a share of underground runoff up to 50%. In the interior regions of the Brazilian Plateau, the runoff decreases (up to 5 cm in the northeast) and becomes extremely uneven: violent summer floods are replaced by a sharp decrease in water discharge in winter, up to the drying up of small streams. The runoff regime is similar in the flat areas of the subequatorial and tropical belts with rain-fed rivers (Llanos-Orinoco, Beni Mamore, Gran Chaco plains). A pronounced seasonality in precipitation leads to variability in runoff (the average runoff decreases from 50–80 to 15–20 cm) and river regimes: in the winter of the corresponding hemisphere, runoff stops in places and even large watercourses (Rio Bermejo, Rio Salado, etc.) they break up into separate stretches with saline waters, while in summer floods flood vast areas; The flow regulators of the rivers of Paraguay and Parana are the swamp-lake lowlands of the Pantanal and the Laplat lowland. The smallest flow (3-5 mm) is confined to the desert tropical west of South Africa, where even melted snow water from the highlands accumulates in foothill plumes and tectonic depressions, increasing the share of underground feeding of episodic rivers to 50% (only the Loa River has a constant flow in ocean).

A large amount of precipitation brought from the Atlantic, vast plateaus that gently slope to the huge lowlands and plains that collect runoff from the adjacent slopes of the Andes, contributed to the formation of large river systems in the extra-Andean East of South Africa: the Amazon, Orinoco, Parana, and Paraguay. Uruguay; in the Andes, the largest is the river system. Magdalena, flowing in the longitudinal depression of the humid Northern Andes. Only lowland rivers are suitable for navigation. The mountain rivers of the Andes and plateaus, replete with rapids and waterfalls (Angel, 1054 m, Kaieteur, 226 m, Iguazu, 72 m, etc.), as well as full-flowing streams of constantly wet plains, have a huge hydropower potential (over 300 million kW).

Large lakes, mainly of glacial origin (end basins), are concentrated mainly in the Patagonian Andes (Lago Argentino, Buenos Aires, and others) and in southern Central Chile (Llanquihue, and others). In the Central Andes lies the highest of the large lakes of the Earth - Titpkaka, there are also many residual lakes (Poopo and others) and large solonchaks; the latter are also typical of the depressions between the Pampina sierras (Salinas Grandes and others). Large lagoon lakes are located in the north (Maracaibo) and in the southeast of South Asia (Patus and Lagoa Mirin).

Most big rivers South America

Name	Length in km	Basin area in thousand km
Amazon (with Ucayali)
Amazon (with Marañon)
Paraná (with Rio Grande and La Plata Estuary)
Madeira (with Mamore)


San Francisco
Japura (with Kaketa)

Tocantins

Paraguay, river
Rio Negro
Uruguay, river
Magdalena

Amazon river

The largest river in South America is the Amazon. Most of its basin lies south of the equator. The area of this most extensive river basin in the world is over 7 million km 2, the length of the river from the main source (the Marañon River) is 6400 km. If, however, Ucayali and Apurimac are taken as the source of the Amazon, then its length reaches 7194 km, which exceeds the length of the Nile. The water consumption of the Amazon is several times greater than the consumption of all largest rivers peace. It is equal to an average of 220 thousand m 3 / s (the maximum flow rate can exceed 300 thousand m 3 / s). The average annual flow of the Amazon in the lower reaches (7000 km 3) makes up most of the flow of all of South America and 15% of the flow of all the rivers of the Earth!

The main source of the Amazon - the Marañon River - begins in the Andes at an altitude of 4840 m. Only after confluence with the first major tributary - Ucayali - within the plain, the river receives the name Amazon.

The Amazon collects its numerous tributaries (more than 500) from the slopes of the Andes, the Brazilian and Guiana highlands. Many of them are over 1500 km long. The most numerous and largest tributaries of the Amazon are the rivers of the southern hemisphere. The largest left tributary is the Rio Negro (2300 km), the largest right and largest tributary of the Amazon is Madeira (3200 km).

Part of the tributaries, washing away clayey rocks, carry very muddy water (“white” rivers), others, with clear water, carry dark from dissolved organic substances (“black” rivers). After flowing into the Amazon Rio Negro (Black River), light and dark waters flow in parallel, without mixing, for about 20-30 km, which is clearly visible on satellite images.

The width of the Amazon channel after the confluence of Maranyon and Ucayali is 1-2 km, but downstream it increases rapidly. At Manaus (1690 km from the mouth) it already reaches 5 km, in the lower reaches it expands to 20 km, and at the mouth the width of the main channel of the Amazon, together with numerous islands, reaches 80 km during the flood. In the western part of the lowland, the Amazon flows almost at the level of the banks, in fact, without a formed valley. To the east, the river forms a deeply incised valley which contrasts sharply with the watershed.

Approximately 350 km from Atlantic Ocean the Amazon Delta begins. Despite its ancient age, it did not move into the ocean beyond the boundaries of the native shores. Although the river carries out huge masses of solid material (an average of 1 billion tons per year), the process of delta growth is hindered by the activity of the tides, the influence of currents, and the lowering of the coast.

In the lower reaches of the Amazon, tides have a great influence on its regime and the formation of its coasts. The tidal wave penetrates more than 1000 km upstream, in the lower reaches its wall reaches a height of 1.5-5 m. The wave rushes against the current at great speed, causing strong excitement on sandbanks and banks, destroying the coast. Among the local population, this phenomenon is known under the name of "pororoka" and "amazunu".

The Amazon is full of water throughout the year. Twice a year the water level in the river rises to a considerable height. These maxima are associated with rainy periods in the northern and southern hemispheres. The greatest flow in the Amazon occurs after the rainy season in the southern hemisphere (in May), when the bulk of the water is carried by its right tributaries. The river overflows its banks and in the middle reaches fills a huge territory, creating a kind of giant inland lake. The water level rises by 12-15m, and in the Manaus region, the width of the river can reach 35 km. Then comes a period of gradual decrease in water flow, the river enters the banks. The lowest water level in the river is in August and September, then there is a second maximum associated with the summer rains of the northern hemisphere. On the Amazon, it appears with some delay, around November. The November maximum is significantly inferior to the May one. In the lower reaches of the river, two maxima gradually merge into one.

From the mouth to the city of Manaus, the Amazon is accessible to large ships. Vessels with a fairly deep draft can penetrate even as far as Iquitos (Peru). But in the lower reaches, due to the tides, the abundance of sediment and islands, navigation is difficult. Deeper and accessible to ocean vessels is the southern branch - Para, which has a common mouth with the Tocantins River. On it stands a large ocean port of Brazil - Belen. But this branch of the Amazon is now connected with the main channel only by small channels. The Amazon with tributaries is a system of waterways with a total length of up to 25 thousand km. The transport value of the river is great. For a long time, it was the only way connecting the interior of the Amazonian lowland with the Atlantic coast.

The rivers of the Amazon basin have large reserves of water energy. Many tributaries of the Amazon, when entering the lowlands, cross the steep edges of the Brazilian and Guiana highlands, forming large waterfalls. But these water resources are still very poorly used.

Parana and Uruguay rivers

The second largest river system in South America includes the Parana River with Paraguay and Uruguay, which have a common mouth. The system got its name (La Platskaya) from the eponymous giant estuary of Parana and Uruguay, reaching 320 km in length and 220 km in width at the mouth. The basin area of the entire system is more than 4 million km 2, and the length of the Parana, according to various sources, ranges from 3300 to 4700 km. The sources of Parana - Rio Grande and Paranaiba - are located in the Brazilian Highlands. Many other rivers of the system also begin there. All of them in the upper reaches are full of rapids and form several large waterfalls. The largest waterfalls are Guaira 40 m high and 4800 m wide on the Paran and Iguazu 72 m high on its tributary of the same name. They have a network of hydroelectric stations.

In the lower reaches of the Parana - a typical lowland river. The main discharge maximum occurs in May due to summer rains in the Brazilian Highlands. The navigable value of the rivers of the La Plata system and La Plata itself is very high.

Orinoco river

The third largest river in South America is the Orinoco. Its length is 2730 km, the basin area is over 1 million km2. The Orinoco originates in the Guiana Highlands. Its source was discovered and investigated by a French expedition only in 1954. The Casiquiare Orinoco River connects with the Rio Negro, a tributary of the Amazon, where part of the water of the upper Orinoco flows. This is one of the most significant examples of river bifurcation on Earth. When it flows into the Atlantic Ocean, the river forms a large delta, the length of which reaches 200 km.

The water level in the Orinoco depends entirely on the rainfall that falls in the northern part of its basin in the summer (from May to September). The maximum for Orinoco, falling on September-October, is expressed very sharply. The difference between summer and winter water levels reaches 15 m.

lakes

There are few lakes in South America. The main genetic groups of lakes on the mainland are tectonic, glacial, volcanic, lagoonal. There are small glacial and volcanic lakes in different parts of the Andes. The largest glacial and glacial-tectonic lakes are concentrated in the west of the Southern Andes.

Most large lake mainland - Titicaca - located on the Andean plateau at an altitude of more than 3800 m, on the border between Peru and Bolivia. Its area is 8300 km 2, and the maximum depth is 281 m. Terraces are pronounced on the shores of the lake, indicating a repeated decrease in its level. The lake has a drain into another, shallower tectonic lake - Poopo. The water in Lake Titicaca is fresh, while in Poopó it is highly saline.

On the internal plateaus of the Andes and on the plain of the Gran Chaco, there are many lakes of tectonic origin, shallow, endorheic and saline. In addition, saline marshes and salt marshes (“salares”) are common.

Along the low-lying shores of the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea there are large lagoon lakes. The largest of these lagoons is located in the north, in a vast depression between the Andes ranges. It is called Maracaibo and is connected to the Gulf of Venezuela. The area of this lagoon is 16.3 thousand km 2, the length is 220 km. The water in the lagoon is almost fresh, but during high tides, its salinity increases markedly.

The lagoons, which have almost lost contact with the Atlantic Ocean, are located in the southeast of the mainland. The largest of them are Patus and Lagoa Mirin.

A significant part of the continent, especially the Out-Andean East, has large reserves of groundwater. In the sandy strata, syneclises are not only in the Amazon, but also in the Guiana lowland, Llanos-Orinoco, Gran Chaco, Pampas, and also in other areas, up to 40-50% of the runoff falls on groundwater.

waterfalls

Angel Falls (Angel) or Salto Angel (Salto Angel) - the world's highest free-falling waterfall with a height of 978 meters.

Angel Falls is located in the highlands of Guyana, one of the five topographic regions of Venezuela, in South America. It is located on the Carrao River. The Carrao River is a tributary of the Caroni River which eventually flows into the Orinoco. It is not easy to get to the waterfall, as it is located in a dense tropical forest. There are no roads leading to the falls.

Angel Falls falls from the top of a flat mountain, called "tepui" by the natives. A flat mountain called Auyan Tepuy (Devil's Mountain) is one of more than a hundred like it, scattered in the Guiana Highlands in southeastern Venezuela. These dormant giants are characterized by their massive heights soaring into the sky, with flat tops and completely vertical slopes. Tepui, also called "table mountains" (which accurately describes their shape), formed from sandstone billions of years ago. Their vertical slopes are continuously destroyed under the influence of heavy rains falling on the Guiana Highlands.

The natives of Venezuela have known about "Salto Angel" since time immemorial. The waterfall was originally discovered in 1910 by a Spanish explorer named Ernesto Sanchez La Cruz. However, it was not known to the world until the official discovery by the American pilot and gold digger James Crawford Engel, after whom he was named. Angel was born in Springfield, Missouri in 1899.

This enterprising experienced pilot flew over the area in 1935 and landed on the top of a lonely mountain in search of gold. His monoplane "Flamingo" got stuck in the swampy jungle at the top, and he noticed a rather impressive waterfall extending thousands of feet down. He didn't have much luck with the 11-mile hike back to civilization, and his plane was left chained to the mountain, a rusting monument to his discovery. Soon the whole world learned about the waterfall, which became known as Angel Falls, in honor of the pilot who discovered it.

Jimmy Angel's plane remained in the jungle for 33 years before being picked up by helicopter. It is currently housed in the Aviation Museum in Maracay. The one you can now see on top of the tepui is a replica of it.

The official height of the falls was determined by an expedition from the National Geographical Society in 1949. The waterfall is the main attraction of Venezuela.

Iguazu Falls is a wonder of the world, consisting of 275 different cascades of water, the total area of which is 2700 square meters, and the fall height reaches 82 meters! The width of the waterfall is about 3 km. The largest waterfall is Devil's Throat, a U-shaped cliff 150 meters wide and 700 meters long, marking the border between the countries of Argentina and Brazil. The name "Iguazu" comes from the Guarani words for "water" and "big".

Many islands separate the waterfalls from each other. Approximately 900 meters out of a total width of 3 km. not covered with water. About 2 km. bridges connecting the islands help to better see all the streams. Most of the waterfalls are located within the territory of Argentina, however, from the Brazilian side, good view on Devil's Throat.

Iguazu Falls are considered the largest in the world in terms of the number of falls. During the rainy season in November - March, the flow rate of water can reach 750 cubic meters per second. The roar from falling water creates an impressive roar that can be heard even several kilometers away.

Smaller waterfalls are formed by ledges of solid rock, turning the water falling on them into clouds of mist and spray. sunlight adds the finishing touch by creating iridescent rainbows. Below, in the midst of the water, miraculously rose an island covered with trees. On one side of the island, where the water flows calmly, there is a beach with yellowish sand.

June 4, 2015

South America is the richest continent in terms of water resources. Of course, there is not a single sea on the mainland, but the rivers of South America are very full-flowing and so wide that in a weak current they resemble huge lakes. According to statistics, there are about 20 large rivers here. Since the continent is washed by the waters of two oceans, the rivers also belong to the basins of the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. At the same time, the Andes mountain range is a natural watershed between them.

The largest river on the mainland of South America. The Amazon is one of the greatest rivers on the planet

From the school geography course, we all know that one of the largest rivers not only on the South American continent, but also in the world is the Amazon. It, together with its many tributaries, carries a quarter of the world's river water. The Amazon flows immediately through the territories of nine countries and is an important water artery for them, especially in terms of transport links. River navigation is one of the most developed sectors of the economy on the entire continent of South America. The Amazon River in some parts reaches 50 km in width (well, why not the sea?), And its depth in some areas is as much as 100 meters. It is not surprising that in terms of the diversity of flora and fauna, the Amazon also holds the palm. More than 2,000 species of fish live in its waters, including piranha, eel, stingray, etc. Actually on everything the globe there is no such rich nature as on the mainland of South America. The Amazon and its tributaries annually attract tourists from all over the world. There are many scientists among them (entomologists, ornithologists, zoologists, etc.)

Paraná

Like the rest of the largest rivers in South America, the Parana passes through the territory of several countries: Paraguay, Brazil and Argentina. It got its name from the Indian tribes living on its shores. "Parana" is translated from Indian as "big". This river has many tributaries. Some of them have beautiful waterfalls. Their formation is associated with the relief of the basin of these rivers, as well as their full flow, which is explained by the fact that they receive food from many small channels and streams. They carry their water streams resulting from the huge amount of precipitation. That is why almost all the full-flowing rivers of South America form waterfalls. Parana has four of them, with the most famous of them being Iguazu. But on the tributary of the La Plata is one of the most beautiful cities in South America - the capital of Uruguay, Montevideo.

Orinoco

In the list of “Largest rivers in South America”, the Orinoco takes third place. It flows through the territories of two South African countries, namely Venezuela and Colombia. This river differs not so much in width as in length, being one of the longest on the continent. The Orinoco coast is a favorite place for tourists from various countries. Here you can see beautiful natural landscapes.

Paraguay

Under this name in South America can be found several geographical objects. Translated from the Indian, this word means "horned." Paraguay flows through the territories of two major countries- Brazil and Paraguay, and in some areas it is a natural border between these states. And in other areas, it is a watershed between two parts of Paraguay - South, undeveloped, and North, where more than 90 percent of the country's total population lives. By the way, some rivers of South America also serve as natural boundaries separating the territories of two or even three neighboring countries.

Madeira

This river is also one of the largest. It is formed as a result of the confluence of many small rivers. Its name is Portuguese and means "forest". Isn't that a strange name for a river? However, the fact is that the bark of trees growing on the banks constantly floats along it. This river was first described in early XVIII century by the Portuguese Francisco de Melo Pallet. It was he who named her Madeira. Later, it was already well studied by Landrad Gibbon, a lieutenant in the US Navy. By the way, this river serves as the border between Brazil and Bolivia.

Tocantins

As noted above, the largest rivers in South America flow through several states at once. But the basin of this river is completely located on the territory of one country - Brazil. It is the central water artery of this state. The inhabitants of the states of Goias, Maranhao, Tocantins and Para use the water of this particular river. Its name translates as "toucan's beak".

Araguaia

Araguaia is a tributary of the Tocantins and also claims to be one of the largest Brazilian rivers. Depending on the season, it can be both calm and stormy. In the area of Bananal Island, Araguaia forms two branches and smoothly bends around it.

Uruguay

Uruguay merges with the Parana, and these two rather large rivers of South America form the bay-estuary of La Plata, the maximum width of which is 48 km. It stretches to the Atlantic coast for 290 km and has a funnel-shaped depression. When it flows into the Atlantic Ocean, the river forms many waterfalls. Its power is also used in energy.

Pair

“Big River” is what the local Indians call it. It is a right tributary of the Amazon. As already mentioned, the entire basin of the most powerful river is distinguished by a large variety of flora and fauna and is of considerable interest to biologists, zoologists, etc. The same can be said about the Para river.

Rio Negro

And the name of this river is translated as “black”. It originates in Colombia, but flows mainly through Brazil. In its upper reaches, it is very stormy and swift, but when it descends to the Amazonian lowland, it becomes a real "quiet". Its main tributary is the Rio Branco.

Iguazu

This river was named In a similar way due to its abundance. After all, from the Indian its name is translated as “big water”. This river forms a whole cascade of waterfalls, and such a beautiful sight is simply breathtaking. The banks of this magnificent river are considered reserved and are included in the territory national park Argentina and Brazil.

Conclusion

After reading this article, you have learned which rivers in South America are the largest and deepest. There are many such rivers on the mainland, but the largest are the legendary Amazon, named after the Greek warriors, as well as the Parana and Orinoco.

The most famous river in South America is definitely the Amazon. It is the most abundant source fresh water throughout our planet. The flow of water in it is so strong that another 300 kilometers of ocean water change their chemical composition. In this thickness, the salt balance of water and its color change. About the Amazon, the river, which in many respects is the most-most in the world, we hear at school. However, the information in the head needs to be refreshed periodically.

The river is located in South America on the northern side of the continent. A small spring originates in Peru, and near the Brazilian coast a wide delta flows into the Atlantic Ocean. The length is about 5 thousand km. The Amazon basin is huge, it includes fields, forests, other tributaries, valleys. The mouth of the river is formed from three branches that formed the islands of Cavian and Mexiana. The river has no deltas at its mouth, because the land washed off the banks does not linger in the strong current of a powerful river. But when it flows into the Atlantic Ocean, the river has the largest internal delta, the size of which exceeds 100 thousand square meters. km.

The name itself in translation means the Amazon - a river that destroys boats. It is named after the mythical tribe of warlike women who lived along the banks of a mighty spring. The name of the river was given by the Spanish conquistadors, who fought with the tribes that lived here in the XIV century. There is a legend that the fury of the locals so impressed the Spaniards that they remembered ancient myth. The fighters managed to notice echoes of ancient traditions in modern women. The unusual endurance and fearlessness of the population served as a prerequisite for the fact that the river was named after the mythical tribe of the Amazons.

The Amazon Basin covers an area of 7.2 million square kilometers. m. The river was formed as a result of the confluence of Maranyon and Ucayali. The waters of the river in South America own 20% of the world's fresh water. The 10 longest rivers in the world are in the Amazon. Most of the river flows in Brazil and in Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia. The waters rush along the Amazonian lowland along the equator.

Why is the river so powerful and deep? There is a simple geographical explanation for this. The northern and southern tributaries of the Amazon, the rivers Zhurua, Isa and some others, are located in different hemispheres. There are always different times of the year, therefore, floods do not form at the same time. The right tributaries supply the Amazon with water from October to April, and the left tributaries in the summer season in the Northern Hemisphere bestow it from April to October.

Even during dry periods, the width of the Amazon reaches a width of 11 km, distributing the volume over 110 thousand square kilometers. The rainy season increases the river at least three times, the Amazon basin expands by 40 or more kilometers. After seasonal floods, the river can even change course.

Powerful ocean tides moved the river delta in South America inland. The mighty streams of the river are in constant struggle with strong tides. Sea water begins to affect fresh water, driving it into the mouth. Thanks to the resistance of the Amazon, a four-meter shaft of water rushes to the shores of the mainland. The initial flow speed reaches 25 km / h, but then it decreases until the height of the waves is equal to the surface.

Due to the abundance of fresh water in the Amazon Delta, sharks are often found that love fresh water but live in oceanic conditions.

The flora and fauna here are extremely diverse. Representatives grow in the Amazon flora which have a unique chemical composition. A quarter of all medicines in the world are made using substances obtained by pressing from these plants.

More than one and a half thousand species of birds and 250 species of mammals densely inhabit the surrounding areas. One and a half thousand species of various fish live in the water. Pink dolphins and bullfish live here - a huge carcass of half a ton in weight. The Amazon is a river that has the notoriety of being a favorite habitat for dangerous piranhas. The pink dolphin is found in fresh water, but you will not find it in other rivers. Nature made sure that her child could survive in the forested Amazon basin. She provided the pink dolphin with the ability to bend its neck 90 degrees, making it convenient for the animal to hunt during the flooding of nearby forests.

The Amazon is mostly jungle and wetlands that run parallel to the equator. Consequently, climatic conditions are about the same throughout the river. The temperature here is stable at 25-28 degrees Celsius. At night, temperatures below 20 degrees were not recorded.

There are many surprises hidden in the forests of the Amazon Basin. Until now, thousands of birds, fish and animals have not been studied and classified. There are about 15 thousand species of animals in total, of which there are many rare individuals. Among the unique animals are the panther jaguar, tapir, sloth, the endangered Cayman crocodile, anaconda and others. Anaconda is an animal whose existence is surrounded by various legends. A powerful boa constrictor is indeed capable of killing a person in a matter of seconds, but most of the stories are still not confirmed. It has been scientifically proven that the anaconda is capable of suffocating a large caiman in just one jump.

There are many endangered bird species. These are parrots, macaws, hummingbirds and toucan. About 1500 species of insects, butterflies and mosquitoes are among the rare ones. The ant fauna is considered especially remarkable. Fish is found in abundance, and it is not always possible to identify its species characteristics even for experienced biologists. The manatee (sea cow) lives here. The Amazon forests need to be protected and studied.

Among the unusual plants of the exotic world, the world's largest water lily stands out. Victoria amazonica is named after the Queen of England. A small child weighing 30-40 kg can safely stand on the leaves of a surface plant. Beautiful flowers bloom only once a year for two or three days. You can only see them at night.

Fisheries in the Amazon are thriving. They also eat turtles, which are cooked very skillfully. Red fish, which reaches two and a half meters in length, is also often the main dish on the table of the natives. Together with the gifts of dense tropical forests, the table of real Amazons is varied and very unusual for a European resident.

The Amazon is a navigable river. From the mouth to the Andean slopes, ships, including the largest ones, can go along it. Sailing ships and boats are often rafted down the river in South America. The water artery has a depth of more than 13 meters, so it is ideal for the movement of civil and merchant ships. The development of maritime business began here in the era of the Great geographical discoveries and became especially popular in the 19th century. The mouth of the river was discovered in 1500 by Pinzon, and the Spaniards reached the source 37 years later to inform the local population that they were now in their power.

Together with the Amazon, a river called Hamza moves deep underground. This is an underground source with a flow rate of 3,000 cubic meters per second. Hamza is 4,000 meters below the Amazon. It also starts in the Andes and stretches to the Atlantic Ocean. In most sections, the Hamza flows under the Amazon. Scientific discovery was made in 2011 by an Indian scientist who has been exploring a river in South America for almost his entire life.

Other than the direction of the flow, the underground spring is nothing like its older sister. Hamza has a width of about 200 km, the Amazon is half that. But the flow rate near a land river is several times higher. Hamza flows slowly underground, overcoming porous soils, in much the same way as the Amazon. It is rather difficult to call it a river, since the speed of the flow does not even reach the speed of the glacier.

The Great River is the longest body of water on the planet. This discovery was confirmed thanks to images from space. From the photographs, it became clear that the river crosses the Brazilian, Peruvian forests and only then flows into the ocean. At the same time, it turned out that the total length of the Amazon River is 140 km longer than the Nile.

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The most famous and significant rivers of the region are the Amazon, Orinoco, Parana.

The Amazon is the main waterway of South America. It is also the first river on the planet that contains the largest volume of water. This is the most full-flowing river.

The area of the Amazon is more than 7 million square meters. km. Its source is located at the confluence of the Ucayali and Maranyon rivers. This reservoir flows from west to east and ends its journey, flowing into the Atlantic Ocean. The Maranion River is the main tributary of the Amazon. The total length of these two rivers is 6400 km. The Amazon flows through the plain, which has a slight slope. More than 500 tributaries flow into it along the entire path of its movement. In the northern hemisphere, the abundant period of precipitation occurs in April-October, and in the southern hemisphere - in October-April. The Amazon is replenished with water throughout the year. Therefore, it is the most full-flowing river on the planet. The largest amount of water in the river can be found in March-April. Its right tributaries bring large volumes of water. At this time, its level increases by 10-15 meters. Reservoirs are not kept in their banks, and flood the entire valley. The Amazon crosses half of Brazil, spreading to neighboring states. This river and its tributaries contain 20% of the fresh water of the entire planet.

The width of the river is 5 km - in the middle reaches, 20 km - in its lower reaches. This is where the ocean tides come in. At this time, a wave up to 4 m high can be observed on the river, which moves upstream for a long distance. This wave is called "pororoco". That's what they call her locals. Along the course of the river (in its delta) and in the lower reaches there are many islands. They were formed due to river sediments. There are several explanations for the origin of the name of the river:

In the local language, "amazunu" is noisy, thundering water.
But more true and common is the assumption that the river is named after the warlike Amazon women who attacked the Indian tribes. Ancient legends tell about these events.

The Orinoco River begins on the Guiana Plateau and ends its journey when it flows into the Atlantic Ocean. Its length is 2.74 thousand km. It is located in the subequatorial zone. In the region of the middle course of the river, a wide water branch departs from it, which carries its waters to the Amazon. This phenomenon is called bifurcation. Both the Orinoco and the Amazon have a wide delta at their mouths. In its lower reaches, the Orinoco is divided into many small rivers. During the flood, its width reaches more than 22 km, and the depth is 100 m. The water flow is replenished due to heavy rains. The river is navigable. Orinoco is called the "paradise river" - for its unique beauty and magnificence of local landscapes.

One of the tributaries of the Orinoco River became famous for the highest waterfall in the world. It's called Angel. Its height is 1054 m.

The Parana River begins in the Brazilian Plateau. She is the second great river of South America. It is located in the southeastern part of the mainland. The Parana River links the three countries, serves as a natural state border Brazil. The Iguazu Stream is a tributary of the Parana River. It is on it that there is a rather picturesque waterfall with the same name. In different seasons, both on the Orinoco and on the Parana, one can observe changes in the water level.

Rare animals live in local rivers - reptiles and fish. On the shores of lakes and rivers, you can see unique natural biocenoses.

Lakes of South America

There are few lakes on this continent. The largest lake is Titicaca. It can be found in the Central Andes at an altitude of 3812 m, it is located in a deep depression. There is a large area and the highest mountain lake in the world.

Lake-lagoon Maracaibo can be found in the north of the continent. Its location is a deep depression of ancient origin. The lake is different large area water mirror. The water in it is fresh. But sometimes the tides bring here salt water from the Caribbean.

Environmental problems

The rivers of South America are actively involved in economic activity person. They are a source of energy, transport routes for moving goods, and a habitat for fish species.

But exploit Natural resources follows rationally. The main thing is not to disturb the natural balance, not to harm the unique natural complexes rivers, forests that are located next to the rivers.

Name	Length in km	Basin area in thousand km
Amazon (with Ucayali)
Amazon (with Marañon)
Paraná (with Rio Grande and La Plata Estuary)
Madeira (with Mamore)


San Francisco
Japura (with Kaketa)

Tocantins

Paraguay, river
Rio Negro
Uruguay, river
Magdalena

Amazon river

The largest river in South America is the Amazon. Most of its basin lies south of the equator. The area of this most extensive river basin in the world is over 7 million km 2, the length of the river from the main source (the Marañon River) is 6400 km. If, however, Ucayali and Apurimac are taken as the source of the Amazon, then its length reaches 7194 km, which exceeds the length of the Nile. The flow of water in the Amazon is several times higher than the flow of all the largest rivers in the world. It is equal to an average of 220 thousand m 3 / s (the maximum flow rate can exceed 300 thousand m 3 / s). The average annual flow of the Amazon in the lower reaches (7000 km 3) makes up most of the flow of all of South America and 15% of the flow of all the rivers of the Earth!

Some of the tributaries, eroding the clayey rocks, carry very muddy water (“white” rivers), others, with clear water, are dark from dissolved organic matter("black" rivers). After flowing into the Amazon Rio Negro (Black River), light and dark waters flow in parallel, without mixing, for about 20-30 km, which is clearly visible on satellite images. south america river waterfall

The Amazon Delta begins about 350 km from the Atlantic Ocean. Despite its ancient age, it did not move into the ocean beyond the boundaries of the native shores. Although the river carries out huge masses of solid material (an average of 1 billion tons per year), the process of delta growth is hindered by the activity of the tides, the influence of currents, and the lowering of the coast.

In the lower reaches of the Amazon, tides have a great influence on its regime and the formation of its coasts. The tidal wave penetrates more than 1000 km upstream, in the lower reaches its wall reaches a height of 1.5-5 m. The wave rushes against the current at great speed, causing strong excitement on sandbars and banks, destroying the coast. Among the local population, this phenomenon is known under the name of "pororoka" and "amazunu".

From the mouth to the city of Manaus, the Amazon is accessible to large ships. Vessels with a fairly deep draft can penetrate even as far as Iquitos (Peru). But in the lower reaches, due to the tides, the abundance of sediment and islands, navigation is difficult. Deeper and more accessible to ocean-going ships is the southern arm, Para, which has a common mouth with the Tocantins River. On it stands a large ocean port of Brazil - Belen. But this branch of the Amazon is now connected with the main channel only by small channels. The Amazon with tributaries is a system of waterways with a total length of up to 25 thousand km. The transport value of the river is great. For a long time, it was the only way connecting the interior of the Amazonian lowland with the Atlantic coast.

The largest river on the mainland of South America. The Amazon is one of the greatest rivers on the planet

Paraná

Orinoco

Paraguay

Madeira

Tocantins

Araguaia

Uruguay

Pair

Rio Negro

Iguazu

Conclusion

Lakes of South America

Environmental problems

Amazon river

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