The Amazon is a river with the largest basin in the world, it flows through South America. In this article we will consider the regime and nutrition of the Amazon River. It was discovered by the European Francisco de Orellana, who in 1542 crossed the mainland in its widest part. Here, according to Francisco, he, along with his detachment, fought with the tribe of the Amazons, which is why the river got its name. Modern historians believe that these were most likely Indian women or Indians themselves with long hair.
River tributaries
By right, the Amazon is considered the most full-flowing river in the world and carries 20% of the total volume of fresh water into the ocean. The water flow is so powerful that, pouring into the Atlantic Ocean, it changes its color and s alt composition for another 320 km. The main sources of food for the Amazon River are its northern tributaries (Havari, Guallaga, Tocantin, Ucayali, Xingu, Hutagi, Rio Preto, Teffe, Madeira, Aofi and Purus) and southern (Maroña, Trombetas, Santiogo, Huatuma, Pastaza, Rio- Negro, Nalo, Yapura andPutumayo). Their total number is about 200, half of which are navigable. The location of the tributaries in different hemispheres explains the full flow of the river, since floods occur at different times of the year: on the northern tributaries - during the summer season in the Southern Hemisphere (this is approximately October-April), on the southern - during the summer season in the Northern Hemisphere (April-October). Thus, it turns out that the food sources of the Amazon River fill it with water all year round.
Rainy season
The rains start in early March and last for three months (until the end of May). In fact, rainfall is an important secondary source of food for the Amazon River after its tributaries. Under the influence of heavy rainfall, the river overflows and overflows its banks. At this time, the water level can rise by 20 meters, which leads to many kilometers of flooding of the surrounding area. Sometimes the flood lasts 120 days, after which the river recedes, and the banks return to their former borders.
Amazon Estuary
The mouth of this tropical river forms the largest delta in the world, and its width reaches 325 km. It is interesting to note that its delta does not protrude into the ocean, as in other rivers, but on the contrary, as if “pressed” into the depths. Most likely, this happens under the pressure of powerful ocean tides. According to eyewitnesses, during the high tide, a water shaft is formed at the mouth, the height of which sometimes reaches 4 meters. Its strength is felt even at a distance of 1000 km from the delta. The mixing of sea water with river water attracts sharks to the mouth, which rise along the river andare found even at a distance of 3500 km from the ocean.
Flora and fauna of the Amazon
Rain as a source of nutrition for the Amazon River is also very important for the adjacent tropical forests, because water is the basis of life not only for plants, but also for animals. The climate here is always warm and stable (the temperature is 25-28ºС, at night it is not lower than 20ºС), thanks to which there is a huge variety of plants and animals. It should be noted that only 30% of the fauna has been studied to date - these are more than 1800 species of birds, 1500 fish, more than 250 species of mammals. Such rare animals as anaconda, jaguar, boa, tapir, freshwater dolphin, spider monkey, Cayman crocodile, sloth, armadillo live here. Among the birds, the most famous are hummingbirds, toucan, numerous species of parrots. As for insects, they simply cannot be counted here: there are more than 1800 species of butterflies alone, more than 200 mosquitoes. Fish are represented by piranhas, tucunare, piraruku, piraiba and others.
Thus, we can conclude that the Amazon River is fed in two ways: through its many tributaries, and also due to the rainy season. This huge river carries a significant supply of fresh water, which is of great importance for South America.
