NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Amazon River

The Amazon River or River Amazon (Portuguese: Rio Amazonas; Spanish: Río Amazonas) of South America is the largest river in the world by volume, with greater total river flow than the next eight largest rivers combined, and with the largest drainage basin in the world. Because of its vast dimensions it is sometimes called The River Sea (o rio-mar in Portuguese), and at no point is it crossed by bridges.^[1] Image File history File links Download high resolution version (992x653, 1435 KB) satellite image of mouths of amazon river in brazil File links The following pages link to this file: Amazon River ... â€œkmâ€ redirects here. ... â€œMilesâ€ redirects here. ... Square kilometre (U.S. spelling: square kilometer), symbol kmÂ², is a decimal multiple of SI unit of surface area square metre, one of the SI derived units. ... A square mile is an English unit of area equal to that of a square with sides each 1 statute mile (â‰ˆ1,609 m) in length. ... The cubic meter (symbol mÂ³) is the SI derived unit of volume. ... This article is about the unit of time. ... It has been suggested that Thousand Cubic Feet be merged into this article or section. ... This article is about the unit of time. ... Nevado Mismi 15Â°26. ... Arequipa is a region in southwestern Peru. ... This article is about the unit of length. ... A foot (plural: feet or foot;[1] symbol or abbreviation: ft or, sometimes, â€² â€“ a prime) is a unit of length, in a number of different systems, including English units, Imperial units, and United States customary units. ... This article is about the unit of length. ... A foot (plural: feet or foot;[1] symbol or abbreviation: ft or, sometimes, â€² â€“ a prime) is a unit of length, in a number of different systems, including English units, Imperial units, and United States customary units. ... The river MaraÃ±Ã³n rises about 100 miles to the north-east of Lima, Peru. ... The JapurÃ¡ River, also called the zhepoorÃ¤Â´ in Latin, river, c. ... The Negro (Spanish: black) River, the great northern tributary of the Amazon River and the largest blackwater river in the world, has its sources along the watershed between the Orinoco and the Amazon basins, and also connects with the Orinoco by way of the Casiquiare canal. ... The Purus, is a river in South America. ... The Madeira River is a major waterway in South America. ... The TapajÃ³s, a Brazilian river running through a humid and hot valley, pours into the Amazon River 500 miles above ParÃ¡ and is about 1200 miles long. ... The Xingu River in Brazil is a tributary of the Amazon River. ... The Tocantins is a river, the central fluvial artery of Brazil. ... Image File history File links Amazon_river_basin. ... Look up amazon in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... A drainage basin is the area within the drainage basin divide (blue outline), and drains the surface runoff and river discharge (green lines) of a contiguous area. ...

In 1500, Vicente Yañez Pinzón was the first European to sail into the river. Pinzón called the river flow "Río Santa María de la Mar Dulce", later shortened to "Mar Dulce" (sweet sea).

Debate as to whether the Amazon or the Nile is the world's longest river has gone on for many years. The Nile (Arabic: , transliteration: , Ancient Egyptian iteru, Coptic piaro or phiaro) is a major north-flowing river in Africa, generally regarded as the longest river in the world. ...

Drainage basin

The Amazon drains an area of some 6,915,000 square kilometres (2,670,000 sq mi), or some 40 percent of South America. It gathers its waters from 5 degrees north latitude to 20 degrees south latitude. Its most remote sources are found on the inter-Andean plateau, just a short distance from the Pacific Ocean. The area covered by the water of the River and its tributaries more than triples over the course of a year. In an average dry season 110,000 square kilometres (42,000 sq mi) of land are water-covered, while in the wet season the flooded area of the Amazon Basin rises to 350,000 square kilometres (135,000 sq mi).^{[citation needed]} At its widest point the Amazon River can be 11 kilometres (7 mi) wide during the dry season, but during the rainy season when the Amazon floods the surrounding plains it can be up to 45 kilometres (28 mi) wide. This article is about the geographical term. ... This article is about the mountain system in South America. ... Square kilometre (U.S. spelling: square kilometer), symbol kmÂ², is a decimal multiple of SI unit of surface area square metre, one of the SI derived units. ... A square mile is an English unit of area equal to that of a square with sides each 1 statute mile (â‰ˆ1,609 m) in length. ...

The quantity of fresh water released by the Amazon to the Atlantic Ocean is enormous: up to 300,000 m³ per second in the rainy season. The Amazon is responsible for a fifth of the total volume of fresh water entering the oceans worldwide. Offshore of the mouth of the Amazon, potable water can be drawn from the ocean while still out of sight of the coastline, and the salinity of the ocean is notably lower a hundred miles out to sea. A satellite image of the Amazon River. ... A satellite image of the Amazon River. ... For the village on the Isle of Wight, see Freshwater, Isle of Wight. ... Drinking water This article focuses on water as we experience it every day. ...

Origins of the river

The Amazon has changed its course several times. In early Cenozoic times, before the uplifting of the Andes, it flowed westward.^[2] The Cenozoic Era (IPA pronunciation: ); sometimes Caenozoic Era or Cainozoic Era (in the United Kingdom), meaning new life (Greek (kainos), new, and (zoe), life), is the most recent of the three classic geological eras. ... This article is about the mountain system in South America. ...

Today, the Upper Amazon has a series of major river systems in Peru (many of which are alike in Ecuador) that flow North and South into the Marañón and Amazon River. Among others, these include the following rivers: Morona, Pastaza, Nucuray, Urituyacu, Chambira, Tigre, Nanay, Napo, Huallaga, and Ucayali. The same as in the snow-crested Andes high above Lake Lauricocha in central Peru, the headstream of the Marañón River rises in the glaciers in what is known as the Nevado de Yarupa. Rushing through waterfalls and gorges in an area of the high jungle called the pongos, the Marañón River flows about 1,000 miles (1,600 km) from west-central to northeast Peru before it combines with the Ucayali River, just below the provincial town of Nauta, to form the mighty Amazon River. The primary tributaries of the Marañón River are--from south to north--the Crisnejas, Chamayo, Urtcubamba, Cenepa, Santiago, Moroña, Pastaza, Huallaga, and Tiger Rivers (Cavero-Egusquiza 1941:49-51).The most distant source of the Amazon was firmly established in 1996^[3], 2001 ^[4] and 2007^[5] as a glacial stream on a snowcapped 5,597 m (18,363 ft) peak called Nevado Mismi in the Peruvian Andes, roughly 160 km (100 mi) west of Lake Titicaca and 700 km (430 mi) southeast of Lima. The waters from Nevado Mismi flow into the Quebradas Carhuasanta and Apacheta, which flow into the Río Apurímac which is a tributary of the Ucayali which later joins the Marañón to form the Amazon proper. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (600x900, 213 KB) Summary The origin of the Amazon River at Nevado Mismi marked only by a wooden cross. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (600x900, 213 KB) Summary The origin of the Amazon River at Nevado Mismi marked only by a wooden cross. ... Nevado Mismi 15Â°26. ... The river MaraÃ±Ã³n rises about 100 miles to the north-east of Lima, Peru. ... The Morona is a tributary to the Amazon River, and flows parallel to the Pastaza and immediately to the west of it, and is the last stream of any importance on the northern side of the Amazon before reaching the Pongo de Manseriche. ... The Pastaza (the ancient river Sumatara) is a large tributary to the Amazon River. ... Amazonian River basin located in Loreto, Peru. ... Tigre may mean: Tiger in Spanish language. ... For the Nanay people of Siberia, see Nanais. ... The Napo is a tributary to the Amazon River that rises in Ecuador on the flanks of the volcanoes of Antisana, Sincholagua and Cotopaxi. ... The Huallaga River (also known as the Guallaga and Rio de los Motilones), which joins the Amazon River to the west of the RÃo Ucayali, rises high among the mountains, in about 10 degrees 40 minutes southern latitude, on the northern slopes of the celebrated Cerro de Pasco. ... Alternative use: Ucayali region The Ucayali, which rises about 70 miles north of Lake Titicaca, is the most interesting branch of the Amazon River next to the Madeira. ... This article is about the mountain system in South America. ... A pongo (corruption of the Quichua puncu and the Aymara ponco, meaning a door[1]) is a type of canyon or narrow gorge along rivers in Peru, especially on the MaraÃ±Ã³n River (Upper Amazon) and its affluents, in the Amazonas Region. ... The Ucayali, which rises about 70 miles north of Lake Titicaca, is the most interesting branch of the Amazon River next to the Madeira. ... Nauta is a small town situated in the North of Peru, in the Peruvian Amazon roughly 100km south of the Provinces capital, Iquitos. ... Nevado Mismi 15Â°26. ... This article is about the mountain system in South America. ... A boat made of reeds on Lake Titicaca. ... This article is about Lima, Peru. ... The quebrada Carhuasanta, located in the ApurÃmac Region of Peru, is known as the headwaters of the Amazon River. ... RÃo ApurÃmac (apoorÄ“Â´mÃ¤k) is the source of the worlds longest river, the Amazon River. ... Alternative use: Ucayali region The Ucayali, which rises about 70 miles north of Lake Titicaca, is the most interesting branch of the Amazon River next to the Madeira. ... The river MaraÃ±Ã³n rises about 100 miles to the north-east of Lima, Peru. ...

Formally, though, the union of the Ucayali and the Marañón form the Río Amazonas, which changes its name to Solimões on the triple frontier between Peru, Colombia and Brazil, and later changes its name back to the Amazon only after it meets the Rio Negro near Manaus. After the confluence of Río Apurímac and Ucayali, the river leaves Andean terrain and is instead surrounded by flood plain. From this point to the Marañón, some 1,600 km (990 mi), the forested banks are just out of water, and are inundated long before the river attains its maximum flood-line. The low river banks are interrupted by only a few hills, and the river enters the enormous Amazon Rainforest. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 451 Ã— 599 pixelsFull resolution (540 Ã— 717 pixel, file size: 167 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) from: http://earthobservatory. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 451 Ã— 599 pixelsFull resolution (540 Ã— 717 pixel, file size: 167 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) from: http://earthobservatory. ... SolimÃµes is the name often given to early stretches of the Amazon River from the border of Brazil and Peru to its confluence with the Negro River. ... The Negro (Spanish: black) River, the great northern tributary of the Amazon River and the largest blackwater river in the world, has its sources along the watershed between the Orinoco and the Amazon basins, and also connects with the Orinoco by way of the Casiquiare canal. ... Location in Brazil Country Region State Amazonas Founded 1669 Government - Mayor Serafim CorrÃªa (PSB) Area - City 11. ... RÃo ApurÃmac (apoorÄ“Â´mÃ¤k) is the source of the worlds longest river, the Amazon River. ... Alternative use: Ucayali region The Ucayali, which rises about 70 miles north of Lake Titicaca, is the most interesting branch of the Amazon River next to the Madeira. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Floodplain. ... The river MaraÃ±Ã³n rises about 100 miles to the north-east of Lima, Peru. ... Map of the Amazon rainforest ecoregions as delineated by the WWF. Yellow line encloses the Amazon rainforest. ...

The river systems and flood plains in Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia and Venezuela whose waters drain into the Solimões and its tributaries are called the "Upper Amazon".

Amazonian Rainforest

The Amazon Rainforest begins from the eastern edge of the Andes. It is the largest rainforest in the world and is of great ecological significance, as its biomass is capable of absorbing enormous amounts of carbon dioxide. Conservation of the Amazon Rainforest has been a major issue in recent years. Map of the Amazon rainforest ecoregions as delineated by the WWF. Yellow line encloses the Amazon rainforest. ... The Daintree Rainforest in Queensland, Australia. ... This article is about the mountain system in South America. ... Ecology is the branch of science that studies the distribution and abundance of living organisms, and the interactions between organisms and their environment. ... Carbon dioxide is a chemical compound composed of two oxygen atoms covalently bonded to a single carbon atom. ... The conservation ethic is an ethic of resource use, allocation, exploitation, and protection. ...

The rainforest is supported by the extremely wet climate of the Amazon basin. The Amazon, and its hundreds of tributaries, flow slowly across the landscape, with an extremely shallow gradient sending them towards the sea: Manaus, 1,600 km (1,000 mi) from the Atlantic, is only 44 m (144 ft) above sea level. Location in Brazil Country Region State Amazonas Founded 1669 Government - Mayor Serafim CorrÃªa (PSB) Area - City 11. ... The Atlantic Ocean is Earths second-largest ocean, covering approximately one_fifth of its surface. ...

The biodiversity within the rainforest is extraordinary: the region is home to at least 2.5 million insect species, tens of thousands of plants, and some 2,000 birds and mammals. One fifth of all the world's species of birds can be found in the Amazon rainforest. Rainforests are among the most biodiverse ecosystems on earth Biodiversity is the variation of taxonomic life forms within a given ecosystem, biome or for the entire Earth. ...

The diversity of plant species in the Amazon basin is the highest on Earth. Some experts estimate that one square kilometre may contain over 75,000 types of trees and 150,000 species of higher plants.^{[citation needed]} One square kilometre of Amazon rainforest can contain about 90,000 tons of living plants.

Flooding

The average depth of the river in the height of the rainy season is 40 m (131 ft) and the average width can be nearly 40 km (25 mi)^{[citation needed]}. It starts to rise in November, and increases in volume until June, then falls until the end of October. The rise of the Negro branch is not synchronous; the rainy season does not commence in its valley until February or March. By June it is full, and then it begins to fall with the Amazon. The Madeira rises and falls two months earlier than the Amazon. Download high resolution version (640x640, 376 KB)A satellite image of a part of the Amazon River. ... Download high resolution version (640x640, 376 KB)A satellite image of a part of the Amazon River. ... This article is about the American space agency. ...

The main river (which is between approximately one and six miles wide) is navigable for large ocean steamers to Manaus, 1,500 kilometres (930 mi) upriver from the mouth. Smaller ocean vessels of 3,000 tons^[6] and 5.5 metres (18 ft) draft can reach as far as Iquitos, Peru, 3,600 kilometres (2,240 mi) from the sea. Smaller riverboats can reach 780 kilometres (485 mi) higher as far as Achual Point. Beyond that, small boats frequently ascend to the Pongo de Manseriche, just above Achual Point. Location in Brazil Country Region State Amazonas Founded 1669 Government - Mayor Serafim CorrÃªa (PSB) Area - City 11. ... The draft of a ships hull is the vertical distance from the bottom of the hull to the waterline. ... Located in the Loreto region, Iquitos is the largest city in the jungle of Peru, with a population of about 400,000. ... The Pongo de Manseriche is a gorge in northwest Peru. ...

Towards the sea

The breadth of the Amazon in some places is as much as 6 km (4 mi) to 10 km (6 mi) from one bank to the other^{[citation needed]}. At some points, for long distances, the river divides into two main streams with inland and lateral channels, all connected by a complicated system of natural canals, cutting the low, flat igapo lands, which are never more than 5 m (16 ft) above low river, into many islands. In physical geography, a channel is the physical confine of a river, slough or ocean strait consisting of a bed and banks. ... For other uses, see Canal (disambiguation). ...

From the village of Canaria at the great bend of the Amazon to the Negro 1,000 km (600 mi) downstream, only very low land is found, resembling that at the mouth of the river. Vast areas of land in this region are submerged at high water, above which only the upper part of the trees of the sombre forests appear. Near the mouth of the Rio Negro to Serpa, nearly opposite the river Madeira, the banks of the Amazon are low, until approaching Manaus, they rise to become rolling hills. At Óbidos, a bluff 17 m (56 ft) above the river is backed by low hills. The lower Amazon seems to have once been a gulf of the Atlantic Ocean, the waters of which washed the cliffs near Óbidos. The bay at San SebastiÃ¡n, Spain A headland is an area of land adjacent to water on three sides. ...

Only about 10% of the water discharged by the Amazon enters the mighty stream downstream of Óbidos, very little of which is from the northern slope of the valley. The drainage area of the Amazon basin above Óbidos is about 5 million km² (2 million mile²), and, below, only about 1 million km² (400,000 mile²), or around 20%, exclusive of the 1.4 million km² (600,000 mile²) of the Tocantins basin.

In the lower reaches of the river, the north bank consists of a series of steep, table-topped hills extending for about 240 km (149 mi) from opposite the mouth of the Xingu as far as Monte Alegre. These hills are cut down to a kind of terrace which lies between them and the river yeah. There are places that have the name Monte Alegre in Brazil: Campina do Monte Alegre, São Paulo Monte Alegre, Pará Monte Alegre, Rio Grande do Norte Monte Alegre dos Campos, Rio Grande do Sul Monte Alegre de Goiás, Goiás Monte Alegre de Minas, Minas Gerais Monte Alegre... Terraced vineyards near Lausanne The Incan terraces at PÃsac are still used today. ...

Monte Alegre reaches an altitude of several hundred feet. On the south bank, above the Xingu, an almost-unbroken line of low bluffs bordering the flood-plain extends nearly to Santarem, in a series of gentle curves before they bend to the south-west, and, abutting upon the lower Tapajos, merge into the bluffs which form the terrace margin of the Tapajos river valley. The panoramic view from Connors Hill, near Swifts Creek, Victoria A hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain, in a limited area. ...

Mouth of the river

The Amazon estuary is some 330 kilometres (207 mi) wide: For other meanings, see Estuary (disambiguation) Rio de la Plata estuary An estuary is a semi-enclosed coastal body of water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. ...

The width of the mouth of the river is usually measured from Cabo do Norte to Punto Patijoca. But this includes the ocean outlet, 60 km (40 mi) wide, of the Para river, which should be deducted, as this stream is only the lower reach of the Tocantins. It also includes the ocean frontage of Marajó, an island lying in the mouth of the Amazon. This means that the Amazon is wider at its mouth than the entire length of the Thames in England. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (992x653, 1435 KB) satellite image of mouths of amazon river in brazil File links The following pages link to this file: Amazon River ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (992x653, 1435 KB) satellite image of mouths of amazon river in brazil File links The following pages link to this file: Amazon River ... A sattelite view of Marajo MarajÃ³ is an island located at the mouth of the Amazon River in Brazil. ... Several places exist with the name Thames, and the word is also used as part of several brand and company names Most famous is the River Thames in England, on which the city of London stands Other Thames Rivers There is a Thames River in Canada There is a Thames... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ...

Tidal bore

Following the coast, a little to the north of Cabo do Norte, and for 160 kilometres (99 mi) along its Guiana margin up the Amazon, is a belt of half-submerged islands and shallow sandbanks. Here the tidal phenomenon called the bore, or pororoca, occurs, where the depths are not over 7 metres (23 ft). The tidal bore starts with a roar, constantly increasing, and advances at the rate of from 15 km/h (9 mph) to 25 km/h (16 mph), with a breaking wall of water from 1.5 m (5 ft) to 4 m (13 ft) high. The bore is the reason the Amazon does not have a delta; the ocean rapidly carries away the vast volume of silt carried by the Amazon, making it impossible for a delta to grow. It also has a very large tide sometimes reaching 20 feet (6 m) and has become a popular spot for river surfing.[1] The tidal bore in Upper Cook Inlet, Alaska A tidal bore (or just bore, or eagre) is a tidal phenomenon in which the leading edge of the incoming tide forms a wave (or waves) of water that travel up a river or narrow bay against the direction of the current. ... The pororoca is a tidal bore up to 4 meters high that travels upstream the Amazon River. ... Nile River delta, as seen from Earth orbit. ... For other uses, see Silt (disambiguation). ... River surfing was pioneered by Jon Imhoff in 1989 on the Shotover River in Queenstown, New Zealand. ...

Image File history File linksMetadata Riverguama1. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Riverguama1. ...

Wildlife

More than one third of all species in the world live in the Amazon Rainforest, a giant tropical forest and river basin with an area that stretches more than 2.1 million square miles and is among the richest tropical forests in the world. Amazon river has over 3,000 recognized species of fish and that number is still growing. Some estimates go as high as 5,000. Map of the Amazon rainforest ecoregions as delineated by the WWF. Yellow line encloses the Amazon rainforest. ... For other uses, see Fish (disambiguation). ...

The waters of the Amazon support a diverse range of wildlife. Along with the Orinoco, the river is one of the main habitats of the Boto, also known as the Amazon River Dolphin. The largest species of river dolphin, it can grow to lengths of up to 2.6 metres (9 ft). The Orinoco is one of the longest rivers in South America at 2,410 km, (1,497. ... Binomial name Blainville, 1817 Boto range The Boto, Amazon River Dolphin or Pink River Dolphin[1] (Inia geoffrensis) is a freshwater river dolphin endemic to the Amazon River and Orinoco River systems. ...

Also present in large numbers are the notorious Piranha, carnivorous fish which congregate in large schools, and may attack livestock and even humans. Although many experts believe their reputation for ferocity is unwarranted, a school of piranha was apparently responsible for the deaths of up to 300 people when their boat capsized near Óbidos in 1981. ^{[citation needed]} However, only a few species attack humans, and many are solely fish-eaters, and do not school. For other uses, see Piranha (disambiguation). ... Ã“bidos is a town in Brazil located at the narrowest and swiftest part of the Amazon River. ...

The Bull Shark has been reported 2,220 miles (4000 km) up the Amazon River at Iquitos in Peru. The Arapaima, or pirarucu (Arapaima gigas) is a South American tropical freshwater fish. It is one of the largest freshwater fish in the world, reportedly with a maximum length in excess of 3 m (9.8 ft.) and weight up to 200 kg (440 lb.). Binomial name (MÃ¼ller and Henle, 1839) Range of bull shark The bull shark, Carcharhinus leucas, also known as the bull whaler, Zambezi shark or informally Zambi in Africa and Nicaragua shark in Nicaragua, is common worldwide in warm, shallow waters along coasts and in rivers. ... Iquitos is the largest city in the rainforest of Peru. ... Binomial name Arapaima gigas (Cuvier, 1829) Arapaima showing its full length. ... A vast number of species of fish have been successfully kept in the home aquarium. ...

The Anaconda snake is found in shallow waters in the Amazon basin. One of the world's largest species of snake, the Anaconda spends most of its time in the water, with just its nostrils above the surface. Anacondas have been known to occasionally attack fishermen ^{[citation needed]}. For other uses, see Anaconda (disambiguation). ...

The river supports thousands of species of fish, as well as crabs, algea, and turtles.

The Colonial Encounter and Amazonia

During what many archaeologists call the formative period, Amazonian societies were deeply implicated in the emergence of South America's highland agrarian systems, and possibly contributed directly to the social and religious fabric constitutive of the Andean civilizational orders[2]. Archaeology or sometimes in American English archeology (from the Greek words αρχαίος = ancient and λόγος = word/speech) is the study of human cultures through the recovery, documentation and analysis of material remains, including architecture, artefacts, biofacts, human remains, and landscapes. ... Agriculture (from Agri Latin for ager (a field), and culture, from the Latin cultura cultivation in the strict sense of tillage of the soil. A literal reading of the English word yields tillage of the soil of a field.) is the production of food, feed, fiber and other goods by... The word Andean refers to the geographic area in and around the Andes Mountains of South America, and to the indigenous peoples that inhabit the area, such as the Inca. ...

For 350 years after the European discovery of the mighty Amazon by Vicente Yáñez Pinzón, the Portuguese portion of the basin remained an untended former food gathering and planned agricultural landscape occupied by the Indigenous peoples who survived the arrival of European diseases. There is ample evidence for large-scale, pre-Columbian social formations, including chiefdoms, in many areas of Amazonia (particularly the inter-fluvial regions). Vicente YÃ¡Ã±ez PinzÃ³n (1460? - after 1523) was Spanish navigator, explorer, and conquistador. ... Indigenous peoples are: Peoples living in an area prior to colonization by a state Peoples living in an area within a nation-state, prior to the formation of a nation-state, but who do not identify with the dominant nation. ... A chiefdom is any community led by an individual known as a chief. ...

In what is currently Brazil, Ecuador, Bolivia, Colombia, Peru, and Venezuela a number of colonial and religious settlements were established along the banks of primary rivers and tributaries for the purpose of trade, slaving and evangelization among the putatively savage indigenous peoples of the vast rain forest. In general, the word colonial means of or relating to a colony. In United States history, the term Colonial is used to refer to the period before US independence. ... Religious is a term with both a technical definition and folk use. ... Look up savage in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Indigenous peoples are: Peoples living in an area prior to colonization by a state Peoples living in an area within a nation-state, prior to the formation of a nation-state, but who do not identify with the dominant nation. ...

The total population of the Brazilian portion of the Amazon basin in 1850 was perhaps 300,000, of whom about two-thirds comprised by Europeans and slaves, the slaves amounting to about 25,000. In Brazil, the principal commercial city, Para (now Belém), had from 10,000 to 12,000 inhabitants, including slaves. The town of Manáos, now Manaus, at the mouth of the Rio Negro, had from 1,000 to 1,500 population. All the remaining villages, as far up as Tabatinga, on the Brazilian frontier of Peru, were relatively small. Nickname: Local da cidade de BelÃ©m, no estado do ParÃ¡ State ParÃ¡ County BelÃ©m Government - Mayor Duciomar Gomes da Costa Area - City 1,070 kmÂ² (413. ... Location in Brazil Country Region State Amazonas Founded 1669 Government - Mayor Serafim CorrÃªa (PSB) Area - City 11. ... Tabatinga is a municipality in the Tres Fronteras area of Northwestern Brazil. ...

On September 6, 1850, the emperor, Dom Pedro II, sanctioned a law authorizing steam navigation on the Amazon, and gave Barão de Mauá (Irineu Evangilista de Sousa) the task of putting it into effect. He organized the "Compania de Navigacao e Commercio do Amazonas" at Rio de Janeiro in 1852; and in the following year it commenced operations with three small steamers, the Monarch, the Marajó and Rio Negro. is the 249th day of the year (250th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the game, see: 1850 (board game) 1850 (MDCCCL) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Sunday [1] of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Dom Pedro IIs family Dom Pedro II and President Ulysses S. Grant, Philadelphia Exposition, 1876 Dom Pedro II in his old age Dom Pedro II of Brazil Dom Pedro II, Emperor of Brazil was the second and final Brazilian Emperor. ...

At first, navigation was principally confined to the main river; and even in 1857 a modification of the government contract only obliged the company to a monthly service between Pará and Manaus, with steamers of 200 tons cargo capacity, a second line to make six round voyages a year between Manaus and Tabatinga, and a third, two trips a month between Para and Cameta. This was the first step in opening up the vast interior.

The success of the venture called attention to the opportunities for economic exploitation of the Amazon, and a second company soon opened commerce on the Madeira, Purus and Negro; a third established a line between Pará and Manaus; and a fourth found it profitable to navigate some of the smaller streams. In that same period, the Amazonas Company was increasing its fleet. Meanwhile, private individuals were building and running small steam craft of their own on the main river as well as on many of its tributaries.

On July 31 1867 the government of Brazil, constantly pressed by the maritime powers and by the countries encircling the upper Amazon basin, especially Peru, decreed the opening of the Amazon to all flags; but limited this to certain defined points: Tabatinga—on the Amazon; Cameta—on the Tocantins; Santarem—on the Tapajos; Borba—on the Madeira and Manáos—on the Rio Negro. The Brazilian decree took effect on 7 September 1867. is the 212th day of the year (213th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... A satellite image of the mouth of the Amazon River, looking south The Amazon River or River Amazon; Spanish: RÃo Amazonas, Portuguese: Rio Amazonas) of South America is the largest, most voluminous river on earth, having a greater total flow than the next six largest rivers combined. ... is the 250th day of the year (251st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1867 (MDCCCLXVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Sunday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ...

Thanks in part to the mercantile development associated with steam boat navigation, coupled with the internationally driven demand for natural rubber (1880-1920), Manáos (now Manaus), Para (Brazil), and Iquitos, Peru became thriving, cosmopolitan centers of commerce and spectular—albeit illusory—modern "urban growth". This was particularly the case for Iquitos during its late 19th and early 20th century Rubber Bonanza zenith when this dynamic boom-town was known abroad as the St. Louis of the Amazon. Mercantilism is the economic theory that a nations prosperity depended upon its supply of gold and silver, that the total volume of trade is unchangeable. ... Paddle steamers - Lucerne-Switzerland Left: original paddlewheel from a paddle steamer on the lake of Lucerne. ... This does not cite any references or sources. ... Iquitos is the largest city in the rainforest of Peru. ... Iquitos is the largest city in the rainforest of Peru. ... Nickname: Location in the state of Missouri Coordinates: , Country State County Independent City Government - Mayor Francis G. Slay (D) Area - City 66. ...

The first direct foreign trade with Manáos was commenced around 1874. Local trade along the river was carried on by the English successors to the Amazonas Company—the Amazon Steam Navigation Company—as well as numerous small steamboats, belonging to companies and firms engaged in the rubber trade, navigating the Negro, Madeira, Purfis and many other tributaries, such as the Marañón to ports as distant as Nauta, Peru. Paddle steamers - Lucerne-Switzerland Left: original paddlewheel from a paddle steamer on the lake of Lucerne. ... Nauta is a small town situated in the North of Peru, in the Peruvian Amazon roughly 100km south of the Provinces capital, Iquitos. ...

By the turn of the 20th century, the principal exports of the Amazon Basin were india-rubber, cacao, Brazil nuts and a few other products of minor importance, such as pelts and exotic forest produce (resins, barks, woven hammocks, prized bird feathers, live animals, etc.) and extracted goods (lumber, gold, etc.). This does not cite any references or sources. ... For the town in French Guiana, see Cacao, French Guiana. ... Binomial name Bertholletia excelsa Humb. ... A second season episode of Masters of Horror directed by Dario Argento and starring John Saxon and Meat Loaf about stolen racoon pelts that attack anyone unlucky enough to wear them. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This article deals with the most common use of the word hammock, a sling for sleeping or resting in. ... Closeup on a single white feather A feather is one of the epidermal growths that forms the distinctive outer covering, or plumage, on a bird. ... Timber in storage for later processing at a sawmill Lumber or Timber is a term used to describe wood, either standing or that has been processed for useâ€”from the time trees are felled, to its end product as a material suitable for industrial useâ€”as structural material for construction... GOLD refers to one of the following: GOLD (IEEE) is an IEEE program designed to garner more student members at the university level (Graduates of the Last Decade). ...

20th century concerns

Four centuries after the European discovery of the Amazon river, the total cultivated area in its basin was probably less than 25 square miles (65 km²), excluding the limited and crudely cultivated areas among the mountains at its extreme headwaters. This situation changed dramatically during the 20th century.

Wary of foreign exploitation of the nation's resources, Brazilian governments in the 1940s set out to develop the interior, away from the seaboard where foreigners owned large tracts of land. The original architect of this expansion was President Getúlio Vargas, the demand for rubber from the Allied forces in World War II providing funding for the drive. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 600 Ã— 600 pixelsFull resolution (640 Ã— 640 pixel, file size: 177 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) (All user names refer to en. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 600 Ã— 600 pixelsFull resolution (640 Ã— 640 pixel, file size: 177 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) (All user names refer to en. ... Location in Brazil Country Region State Amazonas Founded 1669 Government - Mayor Serafim CorrÃªa (PSB) Area - City 11. ... This article is about the American space agency. ... The Negro (Spanish: black) River, the great northern tributary of the Amazon River and the largest blackwater river in the world, has its sources along the watershed between the Orinoco and the Amazon basins, and also connects with the Orinoco by way of the Casiquiare canal. ... GetÃºlio Dornelles Vargas (pron. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki TÅjÅ Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000...

The construction of the new capital Brasilia in the interior in 1960 also contributed to the opening up of the Amazon basin. A large scale colonization program saw families from north-eastern Brazil relocated to the forests, encouraged by promises of cheap land. Many settlements grew along the road from Brasilia to Belém, but rainforest soil proved difficult to cultivate. Bras lia is the capital city of Brazil and is located in the center of the country in a federal district created in the state of Goi s. ... Nickname: Local da cidade de BelÃ©m, no estado do ParÃ¡ State ParÃ¡ County BelÃ©m Government - Mayor Duciomar Gomes da Costa Area - City 1,070 kmÂ² (413. ...

Still, long-term development plans continued. Roads were cut through the forests, and in 1970, the work on Trans-Amazon highway network began. The network's three pioneering highways were completed within ten years, connecting all the major cities of the Brazilian Amazon interior.

Dispute regarding length

As stated earlier, the historic consensus of geographic authorities has been to regard the Amazon as the second longest river in the world, with the Nile being the longest. However, the Amazon has been measured by different geographers as being anywhere between 6,259 kilometres (3,889 mi) and 6,800 kilometres (4,225 mi) long. The Nile River in Africa is reported to be anywhere from 5,499 kilometres (3,417 mi) to 6,690 kilometres (4,157 mi). The differences in these measurements often result from the use of different definitions. The Nile (Arabic: , transliteration: , Ancient Egyptian iteru, Coptic piaro or phiaro) is a major north-flowing river in Africa, generally regarded as the longest river in the world. ... â€œkmâ€ redirects here. ... â€œMilesâ€ redirects here. ... The Nile (Arabic: , transliteration: , Ancient Egyptian iteru, Coptic piaro or phiaro) is a major north-flowing river in Africa, generally regarded as the longest river in the world. ...

A recent study by Brazilian scientists claims that the Amazon is actually longer than the Nile. Using Nevado Mismi, which was labeled by the National Geographic Society as the Amazon's source back in 2001, these scientists have made new calculations of the Amazon's length. They now estimate that the Amazon is 65 miles longer than the Nile.^[7] Nevado Mismi 15Â°26. ... This article is about the organization. ...

Guido Gelli, director of science at the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), told the Brazilian TV network Globo in June 2007 that it could be considered as a fact that the Amazon was the longest river in the world. However, other geographers have had access to the same data since 2001, and a consensus has yet to emerge to support the claims of these Brazilian scientists. IBGE, the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatistica), is the agency responsible for statistical, geographic, cartographic, geodetic and environmental information in Brazil. ... Rede Globo (Portuguese: Globe Network) better known as Globo or TV Globo is Latin Americas biggest television network. ...

Major tributaries

The Amazon has over 1,000 tributaries in total. Some of the more notable: Look up tributary in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

The Branco is the principal affluent of the Venezuela and Guyana from Brazil. ... The Casiquiare is a distributary of the upper Orinoco, which flows southward into the Rio Negro. ... The Huallaga River (also known as the Guallaga and Rio de los Motilones), which joins the Amazon River to the west of the RÃo Ucayali, rises high among the mountains, in about 10 degrees 40 minutes southern latitude, on the northern slopes of the celebrated Cerro de Pasco. ... The IÃ§Ã¡ or Putumayo River is one of the tributaries of the Amazon river, west of and parallel to the Yapura. ... The Javary, the boundary between Brazil and Peru, is another Amazon River tributary of importance. ... The Jurua River is the next great southern affluent of the Amazon River west of the Purus, sharing with this the bottom of the immense inland Amazon depression, and having all the characteristics of the Purus as regards curvature, sluggishness and general features of the low, half-flooded forest country... The Madeira River is a major waterway in South America. ... The river MaraÃ±Ã³n rises about 100 miles to the north-east of Lima, Peru. ... The Morona is a tributary to the Amazon River, and flows parallel to the Pastaza and immediately to the west of it, and is the last stream of any importance on the northern side of the Amazon before reaching the Pongo de Manseriche. ... For the Nanay people of Siberia, see Nanais. ... The Napo is a tributary to the Amazon River that rises in Ecuador on the flanks of the volcanoes of Antisana, Sincholagua and Cotopaxi. ... The Negro (Spanish: black) River, the great northern tributary of the Amazon River and the largest blackwater river in the world, has its sources along the watershed between the Orinoco and the Amazon basins, and also connects with the Orinoco by way of the Casiquiare canal. ... The Pastaza (the ancient river Sumatara) is a large tributary to the Amazon River. ... The Purus, is a river in South America. ... RÃo Tambo is a Peruvian river on the eastern slopes of the South American Andes. ... The TapajÃ³s, a Brazilian river running through a humid and hot valley, pours into the Amazon River 500 miles above ParÃ¡ and is about 1200 miles long. ... The Tigre is a Peruvian tributary to the Amazon River west of the Nanay, and is navigable for 125 miles from its confluence with the Amazon. ... The Tocantins is a river, the central fluvial artery of Brazil. ... This article needs to be wikified. ... Alternative use: Ucayali region The Ucayali, which rises about 70 miles north of Lake Titicaca, is the most interesting branch of the Amazon River next to the Madeira. ... The Xingu River in Brazil is a tributary of the Amazon River. ... The Yapura River is a tributary of the Amazon River. ...

Longest rivers in the Amazon system

â€œkmâ€ redirects here. ... â€œMilesâ€ redirects here. ... The Purus, is a river in South America. ... The Madeira River is a major waterway in South America. ... The Yapura River is a tributary of the Amazon River. ... The Tocantins is a river, the central fluvial artery of Brazil. ... The Araguaia River or, in Portuguese, Rio Araguaia is one of the major rivers of Brazil. ... The Jurua River is the next great southern affluent of the Amazon River west of the Purus, sharing with this the bottom of the immense inland Amazon depression, and having all the characteristics of the Purus as regards curvature, sluggishness and general features of the low, half-flooded forest country... The Negro (Spanish: black) River, the great northern tributary of the Amazon River and the largest blackwater river in the world, has its sources along the watershed between the Orinoco and the Amazon basins, and also connects with the Orinoco by way of the Casiquiare canal. ... The Xingu River in Brazil is a tributary of the Amazon River. ... The TapajÃ³s, a Brazilian river running through a humid and hot valley, pours into the Amazon River 500 miles above ParÃ¡ and is about 1200 miles long. ... GuaporÃ© is the name of river in western Brazil and the former name of the territory, and later state, of RondÃ´nia. ... The IÃ§Ã¡ or Putumayo River is one of the tributaries of the Amazon river, west of and parallel to the Yapura. ... The river MaraÃ±Ã³n rises about 100 miles to the north-east of Lima, Peru. ... The TapajÃ³s, a Brazilian river running through a humid and hot valley, pours into the Amazon River 500 miles above ParÃ¡ and is about 1200 miles long. ... The Madre de Dios River, homonymous to the Peruvian region it runs through, then becomes the Beni River in Bolivia and then turns northward into Brazil, where it is called the Madeira River. ... The Huallaga River (also known as the Guallaga and Rio de los Motilones), which joins the Amazon River to the west of the RÃo Ucayali, rises high among the mountains, in about 10 degrees 40 minutes southern latitude, on the northern slopes of the celebrated Cerro de Pasco. ... MaraÃ±Ã³n may refer to: MaraÃ±Ã³n, Navarre, a town and municipality MaraÃ±Ã³n River MaraÃ±Ã³n (soccer player) Category: ...

References

is the 230th day of the year (231st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 297th day of the year (298th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 298th day of the year (299th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 274th day of the year (275th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... EncyclopÃ¦dia Britannica, the eleventh edition The EncyclopÃ¦dia Britannica Eleventh Edition (1910â€“1911) is perhaps the most famous edition of the EncyclopÃ¦dia Britannica. ... The public domain comprises the body of all creative works and other knowledge—writing, artwork, music, science, inventions, and others—in which no person or organization has any proprietary interest. ...

External links

Categories: All articles with unsourced statements | Articles with unsourced statements since February 2007 | Articles with unsourced statements since September 2007 | Articles with unsourced statements since May 2007 | Articles with unsourced statements since March 2007 | Amazon | Amazon basin | Upper Amazon | Rivers of Brazil | Rivers of Colombia | Rivers of Peru Image File history File links Commons-logo. ... is the 212th day of the year (213th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Contents

Drainage basin GA_googleFillSlot("encyclopedia_square");