This is an independent information page about the Amazon River (geography).
It is not affiliated with Amazon.com.
🌎 The Amazon River
The pulse of South America · Earth's green artery
🗺️ The Amazon River is the world's largest river by discharge and basin area. It flows across northern South America, supporting the most biodiverse rainforest on the planet. Its basin is critical for global climate and freshwater cycles.
📍 Geography
- Source: Andes Mountains, Peru
- Mouth: Atlantic Ocean, Brazil
- Countries: Peru, Colombia, Brazil
- Basin area: ~7.05 million km²
- Discharge: 209,000 m³/s
6,400+ km length
1,100+ tributaries
20% of global freshwater
🌿 Biodiversity
- Fish: 3,000+ species (piranha, arapaima)
- Mammals: jaguar, sloth, river dolphin
- Birds: macaws, toucans, harpy eagles
- Plants: Victoria lilies, rubber trees
- Insects: countless butterflies, beetles
🌱 Most biodiverse region on Earth
🧑🌾 People & History
The Amazon basin has been home to indigenous peoples for millennia. European explorers navigated the river in the 16th century. Today, it remains vital for transport, fisheries, and hydropower. The rainforest faces threats from deforestation and climate change – protecting the Amazon is a global responsibility.
🏹 Indigenous heritage
⚓ Navigation routes
💧 Freshwater source
🌍 Lungs of the Earth
The Amazon rainforest absorbs billions of tons of CO₂ and produces oxygen, playing a crucial role in global climate stability. The river and forest drive a unique water cycle that influences rainfall across South America and beyond.
Did you know? The Amazon discharges more freshwater into the Atlantic than the next 7 largest rivers combined – about one-fifth of all global river water entering oceans.
🐬 River dolphin · 🐊 Caiman · 🐠 Arapaima · 🦋 Blue morpho · 🌺 Victoria lily
🔗 External resource: For the commercial Amazon.com website (shopping & services), visit the official site.