The Amazon is without a doubt one of the most important bodies of water in the world. Aside from being the largest in the world, there are many other facts about this vast body of water that are both fascinating and surprising. For starters, here are some amazing facts about Amazon that we bet you didn’t know.
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The richest rainforest in the world
The Amazon rainforest inhabits the Amazon basin, which is why this vast rainforest is the richest in the world in terms of biodiversity. According to records, this rainforest is home to millions of species of insects, 2,000 species of mammals and birds, and 40,000 species of plants, as well as approximately 390 billion individual trees.
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its beginnings
This river has long been debated about its origin and its length. It is so complicated that there are various sources to consolidate their records, and it is claimed to come from Mismi Peak in the Andes of Peru, and even from the Maranon River for the Ucayali River. With several sources suggesting its claim of origin, it should be noted that they are all in Peru.
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The world’s largest river in terms of volume of water
There have long been debates about which is the longest river in the world between the Amazon and the Nile. However, the Amazon has no competition in terms of size or volume. The Amazon River is undoubtedly the largest river in the world with an average flow of 209,000 m3/s. This vast outflow of freshwater from the Amazon River empties directly into the Atlantic Ocean, which helps to dilute the salinity of the sea over an area of approximately 2,500,000 km2.
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No bridges
Well, it might be hard to understand how this mighty river doesn’t have a bridge over it! It is only the river, the lush forests surrounding it, and the endless views of the sky that beautify your view. Thus, 10 million people living on the banks of this river can only cross this river by boat, while the lack of infrastructure has allowed the region to retain its natural charm. Additionally, the lack of bridges is due to seasonal changes in the bed of the Amazon River.
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The second-longest river in the world
While the Nile often manages to get away with the title of the longest river in the world with a length of 6695 km, the Amazon also often disputes this claim. There have been many expeditions led by famous explorers who set out to measure its length, and many have found that its total length is greater than that of the Nile. However, there are others who have said that the distance of the Amazon River is less than that of the Nile, which leads to more confusion and remains open for future debate.
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It crosses several countries.
The Amazon flows through Colombia, Brazil, a South American country, and Peru, with Brazil having by far the most important share. Additionally, areas of the Amazon River watershed receive water from even additional countries. Additionally, rain in Colombia, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, and Venezuela provides the Amazon with a lot of its contemporary water.
The Amazon river crosses through Columbia, Brazil, Venezuela, and Peru, with Brazil holding the largest portion by far. Also, the areas or the Amazon river’s watershed receives freshwater from even more countries. Plus, rainfall in Columbia, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, and Venezuela supplies the Amazon with much of its freshwater.
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It once flowed in the opposite direction.
This mighty river at that time flowed into the Atlantic Ocean, which was not always the case. According to records, the river flowed west several million years ago, which changed its course when a tilt of the land caused the river to flow back east. If we go by the records, this change due to erosion occurred along with a series of geological events.
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