Interesting facts about the Amazon

Interesting facts about the Amazon Is a great opportunity to learn more about the world's largest rivers. In some places, the Amazon is so wide that it looks more like a sea than a river. Its coasts are home to many different peoples, along with many animals and birds.

So, here are the most interesting facts about the Amazon.

1. As of today, the Amazon is considered the longest river on the planet - 6992 km!
2. The Amazon is the deepest river on earth.
3. Curiously, a number of scientists believe that the longest river in the world is still the Nile, not the Amazon. Nevertheless, it is the last river that officially holds the palm in this indicator.
4. The area of ​​the Amazon basin is over 7 million km³.
5. In one day, the river carries up to 19 km³ into the ocean. By the way, this amount of water would be enough for an average large city to meet the needs of the population for 15 years.
6. An interesting fact is that in 2011 the Amazon was declared one of the seven natural wonders of the world.
7. The main part of the river basin is located in the territories of Bolivia, Brazil, Peru, Colombia and Ecuador.
8. The first European to visit the Amazon was the Spanish conquistador Francisco de Orellana. It was he who decided to name the river after the legendary Amazons.
9. More than 800 varieties of palm trees grow on the shores of the Amazon.
10. Scientists are still discovering new species of plants and insects in the local jungle.
11. Despite the huge length of the Amazon, only 1 bridge built in Brazil is thrown across it.
12. At a depth of about 4000 m under the Amazon River, the largest underground river on the planet, the Hamza, flows (see interesting facts about rivers).
13. Portuguese explorer Pedro Teixeira was the first European to swim in the entire Amazon - from mouth to source. This happened in 1639.
14. The Amazon has a huge number of tributaries, with 20 of them being over 1,500 km long.
15. With the onset of the full moon, a powerful wave appears on the Amazon. It is curious that some surfers can overcome up to 10 km on the crest of such a wave.
16. Slovenian Martin Strel swam along the entire river, swimming 80 km every day. The whole "journey" took him more than 2 months.
17. The trees and vegetation surrounding the Amazon produce up to 20% of the world's oxygen.
18. Scientists argue that the Amazon once flowed not into the Atlantic, but into the Pacific Ocean.
19. An interesting fact is that, according to experts, about 2.5 million species of insects live in the coastal zones of the river.
20. If you add up all the tributaries of the Amazon along with its length, you get a line of 25,000 km.
21. The local jungle is home to many tribes that have never been in contact with the civilized world.
22. The Amazon brings so much fresh water into the Atlantic Ocean that it desalinates it at a distance of up to 150 km from the coast.
23. More than 50% of all animals on the planet live on the shores of the Amazon.

Watch the video: Interesting facts about Amazon Rainforest - history of amazon rainforest, in English. (November 2024).