Where does the Amazon flow? River delta and other features

Amazon is the longest river in the whole world. Its waters carry one-fifth of the entire fresh water reserve on earth. This majestic river is formed from the confluence of two shallow waterways - the Marañón and the Ucayali. Their sources are in the territory of the Andes mountains.

Where does the Amazon flow? General characteristics of the river

The length of the river varies according to various estimates from 6,259 to 6,800 km. It is believed that the river was named by the Spanish conquerors in honor of the brave warriors who fought on the banks of this river on a par with the Indian tribes. The Spaniards, seeing the fearless women, remembered the legend of the brave mythological Amazons, so the river got that name. The conquistadors did not know where the Amazon begins and where it falls, but even then the river impressed them with its power and grandeur, reminding of the legendary warlike women.

When the dry season comes, the width of the Amazon decreases to 11 km in width, and covers about 110,000 km ^{2 of} water with water. During the rainy season, the territory increases approximately three-fold. The mouth of the Amazon is the largest in the world. The width of its delta is 325 km. From the point where the Amazon flows into the Atlantic Ocean, and two-thirds the length of the riverbed (about 4300 km), the river is navigable.

The river is a ramified system of forests and rivers, which extends to Brazil. The Amazon has the deepest basin on the planet - 7.2 million km ² . The length of the Maranjon River, which gives rise to the Amazon, is about 1700 km, and the Ucayali - more than 1600 km.

For ordinary travelers, the question "Where does the beginning, where does the Amazon River flow?" Can be difficult. The depth of the river at Obidus reaches 135 m - approximately the same as that of the Baltic Sea. With all the numerous tributaries, the Amazon forms a gigantic water system, the total length of which is about 25,000 km.

Where does the Amazon originate and where does it go?

Researchers have not yet come to a consensus on what point to consider the beginning of the great Amazon. The river Ucayali, which generates a great river, is also formed by the fusion of two waterways - Tambo and Urubamba. Their origins are located in the Central Andes. The length of the river Ucayali is about 1900 km. It is navigable up to the small town of Kumaria. The main river port is in the separated from the civilization Peruvian city of Pucalpa.

Many scientists believe it is the Ucayali source of the Amazon. If we adhere to this point of view and include the length of Ucayali in the total length of the Amazon, then the length of the river will be about 7100 km. In other words, the Amazon will be longer than the Nile for 400 km. But the generally accepted answer to the question "Where does the Amazon start and where it falls into?" Is the following. The source of the river is the confluence of Ucayali and Maranion; The mouth is the Atlantic Ocean.

What is unusual is Ucayali - mother of the Amazon

In the river Ucayali there is an unusual pink dolphin. Its waters have become home to the giant otter and the Amazonian manatee. To date, the Ukyayali River Basin is home to Indian tribes that do not come into contact with the civilized world. In wooden barrels they prepare a heady drink of cassava, to taste like a beer - masata. Indians are well aware of the plant world of the Amazon basin, herbs are used for medicinal purposes.

The Amazon Delta

The river delta is about 100 000 km ² . In this place, a large number of freshwater sharks live. The presence of these predators is due to the fact that from the point where the Amazon flows into the ocean and another 300 km. From the mouth, the salt water of the Atlantic is diluted with fresh river waters. Dangerous fish rise along the river for 3,500 km.

The territory of the delta is dotted with straits and islands. The mouth itself does not protrude into the ocean, but, on the contrary, it goes deep into the continent, which is due to strong ocean tides. "River-Sea" is what locals call the mouth of the Amazon. So, where does the Amazon River flow? In its delta the full owner is the Atlantic Ocean. The researchers arbitrarily pitched the mouth of the Amazon into three main branches, but in fact its territory is covered with an innumerable number of branches.

What was the name of Amazon in the past?

On the shores of the Amazon Aborigines settled since ancient times. They knew well where the Amazon River flows, and used this advantage for navigation and trade. One of the first inhabitants of Europe who visited this territory is merchant and seafarer Amerigo Vespucci. In those days, the river bore a slightly different name - "Santa Maria fresh sea".

Pokoroka - the inexorable element of the river delta

We have already found out where the Amazon flows into the ocean. During the tides there is formed the so-called porochka, which in translation from the Indian language means "thundering water". This noise is born from the stormy meeting of the mighty waters of a huge river with ocean waters. As a result of the collision of water forms a giant shaft that rushes in the direction opposite the current of the Amazon, destroying in its path any obstacles.

The territory of the Atlantic, where the Amazon River flows, often forms huge tidal waves. The porch is so strong that it can turn upside down any small vessel. Waves reach more than 4 m in height and do not subside within thirty minutes. All the neighborhoods towards the top of the river turn out to be destroyed and devastated by powerful waves, which rush at a speed of 25 km / h. Aborigines of the banks of the Amazon consider Porengu a living and merciless spirit that protects the river.