Amazon River

The Amazon is a giant river.

It sits in South America. It is a very long river. It is also the largest river for water.

Many rivers flow into it. These are called tributaries. They join together to make the river bigger. The river flows to the Atlantic Ocean.

Long ago, the river flowed the other way. It went from east to west. Then, big mountains grew in the way. These mountains were the Andes.

The mountains blocked the water. This made the river change its path. Now it flows toward the ocean.

Many people live near the river. It is a very busy place. It is a truly amazing river.

The Amazon River is a giant river in South America.

It is a very long river. Some say it is the longest in the world. It is also the largest river for the amount of water it carries. It carries more water than the next seven big rivers combined!

Many smaller rivers flow into it. These are called tributaries. One major part of the river is the Ucayali River. Another is the Marañón River. In Brazil, people call parts of it the Solimões River. The river flows into the Atlantic Ocean.

Long ago, the river flowed a different way. It flowed from east to west. Then, the Andes Mountains formed. These big mountains blocked the water. This forced the river to change its path. Now it flows toward the ocean.

Many people lived near the river a long time ago. Some groups made dark, rich soil called terra preta. This helped them grow food in the forest. In 1542, explorers reached the mouth of the river. They found it was easy to sail on. Today, the city of Manaus sits on the river.

The map shows the huge area the river covers.

The Amazon River is a giant part of the Earth.

It sits in South America and is truly huge. It is the largest river in the world for the amount of water it moves. This river carries more water than the next seven largest rivers combined! It also makes up 20% of all river water that flows into the oceans. The area it drains is the biggest on Earth. This drainage basin covers about 7,000,000 square kilometers.

The map shows how much space the river system covers.

Water moves through the river in a very special way. Many smaller rivers, called tributaries, flow into the main river. For example, the Mantaro and Apurímac rivers join to form the Ucayali River. This meets the Marañón River near Iquitos, Peru. In Brazil, the river has different names for different parts. People call the section above Manaus the Solimões River. Finally, the water flows into the Atlantic Ocean. The river is very long, likely between 6,400 and 7,062 kilometers.

Long ago, the river worked very differently. Scientists think it once flowed from east to west. This was for millions of years. Then, the Andes Mountains began to form. These mountains blocked the path of the water. This forced the river to switch directions. Now, it flows toward the Atlantic Ocean instead. This change happened because the mountains stood in its way.

Many people lived along the river long before explorers arrived. Archaeologists believe over 3 million indigenous people lived there by 1541. These groups were very smart at farming. They made dark, rich soil called "terra preta" by using fire. This helped them grow food in the forest. Some groups even built large towns and cities. On the island of Marajó, 100,000 people may have lived together.

European explorers arrived in the 1500s. Vicente Yáñez Pinzón was the first to sail up the river. He called it "Mar Dulce" because the fresh water felt like a sweet sea. Later, Francisco de Orellana traveled from the Andes to the ocean. He named the river after female warriors from Greek myths. This happened after native women led an attack on his group. Today, the largest city on the river is Manaus. It sits where the Rio Negro meets the Amazon.

The Amazon River is a massive river system located in South America. It is the largest river in the world by discharge volume. This means it moves more water than any other river. It is also considered either the longest or second-longest river system on Earth. This title is still a subject of debate between scientists and the Nile River.

The map shows the massive drainage basin that the river covers.

The river's water moves through a complex series of connections. In Peru, the Mantaro and Apurímac rivers join together. These rivers help form the Ucayali River. The Ucayali then meets the Marañón River near Iquitos, Peru. This meeting point forms what many countries call the main stem of the Amazon. In Brazil, this section is known as the Solimões River. It eventually meets the Rio Negro at Manaus. This location is known as the Meeting of Waters. Manaus is the largest city located on the river.

The scale of the Amazon is truly immense. Its average discharge is between 215,000 and 230,000 cubic meters per second. This amount of water is greater than the next seven largest independent rivers combined. The Amazon represents 20% of the total riverine discharge into the world's oceans. The drainage basin covers approximately 7,000,000 square kilometers. The portion of this basin in Brazil is larger than any other river's basin. While its recognized length is 6,400 kilometers, some reports suggest it reaches 7,062 kilometers.

Geological history shows that the river has changed over millions of years. Scientists suggest the Amazon once flowed from east to west. This direction was the opposite of how it flows today. Eventually, the Andes Mountains began to form. These mountains acted as a massive barrier. They blocked the flow of the river toward the Pacific Ocean. This forced the water to change its course. The river eventually switched directions to flow toward the Atlantic Ocean.

Before European explorers arrived, complex indigenous societies lived along the river. Archaeologists estimate that over 3 million people lived in the area by 1541. These societies were deeply involved in early South American farming. They even developed ways to make the forest soil more fertile. By using fire, they created a dark, nutrient-rich soil called terra preta de índio. This "Indian black earth" allowed for large-scale agriculture. This supported large populations and complex social structures. Some groups, like those on Marajó island, may have supported 100,000 people.

European contact with the river began in the 1500s. In 1500, Vicente Yáñez Pinzón was the first documented European to sail up the river. He called it Mar Dulce, which means "sweet sea." This was because the fresh water pushed into the ocean. Later, Francisco de Orellana traveled from the Andes to the river's mouth. The name "Amazon" likely comes from this expedition. Native warriors led by women attacked Orellana's group. This reminded him of the female warriors in Greek mythology.

Many explorers and scientists have studied the river since then. In 1541, Gonzalo Pizarro searched for the "city of gold" called El Dorado. His second-in-command, Orellana, completed the first major descent. Later, Portuguese explorer Pedro Teixeira became the first European to travel the entire length. From the 18th to the 19th centuries, scientists began studying the river's biology. Explorers like Alexander von Humboldt and Henry Walter Bates studied its plants and animals. These studies helped the world understand the vast importance of the Amazon basin.