The Trombetas is the first river of importance we meet on the northern side as we ascend the Amazon River. Its confluence with this is just above the town of Obidos. It has its sources in the Guiana highlands, but its long course is frequently interrupted by violent currents, rocky barriers, and rapids. The inferior zone of the river, as far up as the first fall, the Porteira, has but little broken water and is low and swampy; but above the long series of cataracts and rapids the character and aspect of the valley completely change, and the climate is much better. The river is navigable for 135 miles above its mouth. Length 6,296 km Elevation of the source 5,597 m Average discharge 219,000 m³/s Area watershed 6,915,000 km² Origin  Nevado Mismi Mouth  Atlantic Ocean Basin countries Brazil (62. ... Categories: Stub ... Guiana (also known as the Guiana highlands or the Guiana shield) forms a portion of the northern coast of South America. ... A rapid is a section of a river where it loses elevation over a relatively short distance (that is, the stream gradient is locally steepened), causing an increase in water flow and (usually) turbulence. ...