Xingu River

The Xingu River is a major waterway in northern Brazil. It is a southeast tributary of the Amazon River. This means it flows into the Amazon from the southeast side. The Xingu is one of the largest clearwater rivers in the Amazon basin. It provides about 5% of the total water found in that entire basin. Near the source of the river, the Culuene River flows into it as a tributary.

The river supports a massive amount of biological diversity. Scientists have documented more than 450 different fish species in the Xingu River Basin. Some estimates suggest the total number of species is around 600. Many of these are endemics, which means they live nowhere else on Earth. In the lower Xingu, at least 193 fish species live specifically in the rapids. Among these, at least 26 species are endemic to those rapids. Between 2008 and 2018, researchers described 24 new fish species from the river.

The river's ecosystem is shaped by its complex water movements. A specific stretch of the river is known as the Volta Grande, or "Big Bend." This area is characterized by major sections of rapids. These rapids create a highly complex flow of water. The river's health is closely tied to these natural movements. This complexity supports many of the unique fish species found in the region.

Human history in the Xingu region goes back many centuries. In the Upper Xingu region, people once created a self-organized anthropogenic landscape. This means the land was shaped by human activity before modern times. These ancient people left behind deposits of terra preta. Terra preta is a type of fertile agricultural black soil. They also built a network of roads and polities. Each of these political areas covered about 250 square kilometers.

In the early 1960s, the Brazilian government established the Xingu Indigenous Park. This was the first Indigenous Park created in Brazil. At the time of its creation, it was the largest indigenous preserve in the world. Today, fourteen different tribes live within the park. These groups survive by using the river and other natural resources. They extract most of what they need for food and water from the river.

Modern infrastructure has caused significant changes to the river. The Brazilian government built the Belo Monte Dam on the Lower Xingu. This dam began its operations in 2019. It is currently the fifth-largest hydroelectric dam in the world. The dam has faced legal challenges from indigenous and environmental groups. These groups argue the dam has negative social and environmental impacts. One major concern is that the dam could reduce the river flow by up to 80% in the Volta Grande stretch.

The Xingu River also holds a place in global culture. In 1911, Edith Wharton wrote a humorous short story with the river's name. The river is also mentioned in the 1999 album Waterfall Cities by Ozric Tentacles. A Brazilian movie released in 2011 is titled Xingu. This film tells the story of the Villas-Bôas brothers and their 1943 expedition. Finally, the name is used for a beer sold in international markets and a twin-engine airplane built by Embraer in the 1970s.