Coursing through the most biologically diverse biomes in the world, the Amazon is a critically important river system. Here are some interesting geographical facts about the Amazon River.
rivers
Physical Geography
Earth from Above: Green River
An astronaut aboard the International Space Station captured a segment of the river around Boxknot Bend just north of Canyonlands National Park.
Maps and GIS, Physical Geography
How Many Lakes Does Switzerland Have?
Learn about how many lakes there are in Switzerland and which lake is the largest.
Physical Geography
Limnology
Limnology is the study of bodies of water located inland such as lakes, rivers, wetlands, streams, watersheds, and reservoirs. Limnologists study how the weather, climate, and physical geography interact to create and affect drainage basins. This field of study covers fresh and saltwater bodies. Limnology goes hand in hand with […]
Physical Geography
Rivers that Flow Backwards
Rivers don’t always flow in the same direction. Read about how the Amazon once flowed east to west and how the strength of Hurricane Isaac once change the course of the Mississippi river.
Physical Geography
Zayre River or Congo River
The Zayre River (also known as Congo River) is the largest river in Central Africa. Has a length of 2,920 miles, making it the second longest river in Africa (after the Nile). Its waters keep fertile than a tenth of the African surface. Its tributaries drain into Central African Republic, Zambia, Cameroon, Angola, Democratic Republic […]
Physical Geography
Paraná River
The Paraná River runs 3,030 miles through Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina. It originates at the junction of the Paranaiba and the Rio Grande rivers. The Paraná travels southward and merges with the Iguazú River before reaching the Atlantic Ocean. The geological characteristics of the environment of the Rio de la Plata are those of […]
Physical Geography
Huang He River or Yellow River
The Huan He, Huang Ho River, or Yellow River is the second largest river in China. It is named so due to its color characteristic of the silts carried downstream. It stretches for 3,395 miles cutting across nine provinces on its traverse through China to its destination in the Bohai […]
Physical Geography
Ob River and the Irtysh River
The Ob River is the sixth longest in the world and largest in Russia. It is located in the western region of Siberia. It originates in the Asian Altai Mountains and flows for 2,258 miles into the Artic Ocean (Maps of the World). Most of the Ob basin is in […]
Physical Geography
Yangtze River
The Yangtze River is the fourth largest in the world. It has a length of 3,988 miles initiating its long course from the glaciers on the Tibetan Plateau in China before reaching Shanghai and emptying into the East China Sea. Sediment studies suggest that the Yangtze River is 1 to […]
Physical Geography
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest in North America and for years the backbone of American economy. Bodies of water from 31 contiguous states drain into the Mississippi. Its birth is in Minnesota and ends in the Gulf of Mexico (Friends of the Miss.) The Mississippi originates in the area […]
Physical Geography
Amazon River
The Amazon is the second largest river in the world. It is in South America and from its origin in the Andes Mountains to its Delta traverses Peru, Bolivia, Colombia, and Ecuador before reaching its destination in Brazil. The Amazon River’s freshwater volume is one of the largest in the […]