On the South American continent there is a real champion in the world of inanimate nature. The length of the Amazonian lowland is 3200 km. It covers an area of more than 5 million square meters. km. This region is officially recognized as the largest lowland in the world. It is located along the largest of all the rivers of the planet - the Amazon. By and large, we can say that it is she who largely determines the climate, flora and fauna in the area. Amazonian lowland coordinates: between 49° and 78° W. d., and 5 ° N. sh. and 19°S sh.
Brazilian and Guiana Plateau
This lowland abuts the Brazilian and Guiana highlands from the southeast. And the Amazon River itself originates in the Andes and flows into the Atlantic Ocean.
The Brazilian Highlands occupies almost the entire territory of Brazil. Almost the entire population of this country (95%) lives on the very highlands or innarrow coastal zone. This region is divided into the Atlantic, Central and Southern Plateaus. The total area is about 4 million square kilometers.
The Guiana Plateau reaches a length of almost 2 thousand km, and the height varies from 300 m to one kilometer. It is here that you can admire the highest waterfall in the world - Angel, whose height is 979 m. Mount Pacaraima is located on this territory. Its highest peak is Mount Roraima (2810 m).
Andes mountain system
The Amazon River (the largest water flow on the planet) and its tributaries originate in the longest mountain range - the Andes. They frame the entire western coast of South America, stretching for 9,000 kilometers. These mountains play an important climatic role, separating the territories from the influence of the Pacific Ocean from the west and the Atlantic from the east.
Western Amazon
The Amazon lowland is divided into Western and Eastern. The western part extends for a width of about 1600 kilometers. A very humid equatorial climate prevails in these places. The rivers flowing in the western part carry their waters very slowly. The water is usually cloudy, the channel is winding.
In river valleys, high and low floodplains separate. The high ones sometimes flood, but not every year. And low ones can be under water annually for more than one month. Palms and cocoa trees grow in the high floodplains, while the number of plants in the low ones is much less. Due to constant flooding, the Western Plain (Amazonian lowland) inmainly inhabited by those species of animals that are adapted to life on trees. Of the terrestrial representatives, you can meet the armadillo, tapir. There are also many birds, insects and, of course, fish in the Western Amazon.
Eastern Amazon
Eastern Amazon is very different in characteristics from the western part. This is influenced by the absolute height of the Amazonian lowland, which is no more than 200 m, and the highest point is about 350 m. Here, due to the relatively recent subsidence of the relief, the rivers cut into the ground more strongly, and their channels are more straightforward. Many rapids are formed in water streams. The water here, unlike the western part, is clear, but has a dark color due to the fact that plants decompose in it.
Subequatorial climate prevails. All summer and the beginning of autumn, the trade wind brings drought from the Brazilian plateau. Because of this, trees appeared in the middle of the forest, shedding their leaves. Armadillos and anteaters are found in the eastern forests, and, what is most interesting, even small Mazama deer appear here.
Animal world
The Amazon Lowland is distinguished by its unique wildlife. In many ways, the species diversity of representatives determines the location of the Amazon River in this area. Thanks to this, you can meet unique animals, fish, birds and insects here. An elegant predator of the cat family, the jaguar, lives among the tropical thickets. This huge cat has adapted perfectly tolife in such a humid climate. Can not only swim in the waters of the river, but even dive.
On the coast there is a 50-kilogram capybara rodent. A huge anaconda is waiting for him and other animals that come to the river to drink. This snake of the boa subfamily is capable of attacking and killing even a caiman.
The underwater world here is also interesting and varied. Guppies and angelfish live in the river, which the average person is used to seeing only in aquariums. The Aravan fish also lives here, capable of emerging from the water to grab a beetle they like from an overhanging branch. There are also so-called singing fish in these muddy waters. Flathead catfish and haraki are capable of making sounds so loud that they reach above the surface of the water. These representatives live here precisely because of the muddy water.
The Amazonian lowland, or rather the river, has become the "home" for the Amazonian river dolphins. This species of mammals is considered the largest. In Amazonian dolphins, males are much larger than females, which is not found in other freshwater species.
Unique piranhas
The most famous inhabitants of the Amazon waters are, of course, piranhas. Many films have been made about them and no less terrible stories and legends have been told. Some of them are true. These fish are not very huge in appearance, reaching a length of 10 to 40 centimeters. But they are predators and surprisingly voracious. Large flocks can attack even a large animal. They also pose a danger to humans. Piranhas, like sharks, are attracted to the smell of blood. When they smell it, they attackthe victim and gnawed to the bone.
Civilization
The Amazon lowland is not considered a sufficiently developed region. The main mode of transportation here is along the river. Along it there are several small settlements. There are two fairly large cities: Manaus and Belen. An asph alt road has even been laid from the city of Brasilia to Belém. In 1945, deposits of manganese, iron ores and oil were discovered in these parts, which are being developed to this day.
Environmental Issues
Even though very few people live on the territory of the Amazonian lowland, there are constant deforestation. Over the past 50 years, huge tracts of the Amazon have been destroyed and reduced by 70%. In addition to the risk of turning a centuries-old forest into an arid savannah, decomposition and burning of trees leads to the fact that the greenhouse effect is enhanced due to increased carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere.
Due to the destruction of a large number of trees, the flora and fauna of the Amazon suffered. Previously, it was believed that a third of all life on Earth lived in these places, while now it is no longer possible to say so.
Unique discovery
Description of the Amazonian lowland would be incomplete without telling about a unique discovery. In 2011, almost under the bed of the Amazon, the largest underground river in the world was discovered. Its length was 6 thousand km. This unique stream originates from the foothills of the Andes and flows all the way to the Atlantic Ocean. The underground river is movingat a speed of 3.5 meters per hour. The depth of this watercourse is about 4 thousand meters, and the width reaches 400 km.
