Amazon River

The Amazon River

Location:

The Amazon starts in the Andes as a little river called the Apuríma River. The Amazon runs South through the middle of South America.

Size:
The Amazon is 4,000 miles long. (6,437Km) At many points of the Amazon you can stand on one side of the river and not see the other side.

Discovered By:
Francisco de Orellana, led the first exploration of the river by a European.
Vincente Pinzón, a Spanish explorer, that was probably the first European to see the Amazon.

Interesting Information:
Many kinds of fish live in the Amazon River, including the fierce, flesh-eating piranha. The basin area is home to such animals as alligators, anacondas, monkeys, parrots, sloths, and many species of insects.During the dry season the river flows at a speed of about 1* miles (2.4 kilometers) per hour; its flow increases to about 3 miles (5 kilometers) per hour during the rainy season.

Bibliography: About The Amazon, URL--MARGARITA TOURS, INC. Copyright- © 1999 PetsForum Group, Inc.


Created By: Andrew
Date Created: September 28, 2000
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