Amazon River

The mightiest river on Earth

The Amazon is so wide that in places you can't see the other bank — 50 km! There isn't a single bridge across it. Every second the Amazon pours 200 million litres of water into the ocean — more than the next 7 biggest rivers combined. Pink dolphins, piranhas and 3-metre fish live in the river!

The Amazon rises in the Andes (Peru) and flows 6,400 km to the Atlantic; by volume it is the largest river in the world — 209,000 m³ per second, 20% of all river water reaching the oceans. In the rainy season it widens to 50 km, rises 9 m and creates a 'flooded forest'. It has more than 1,100 tributaries, 17 of them over 1,500 km long. Its fresh water pushes 200 km out into the ocean. It holds more than 3,000 fish species (Europe has 200): arapaima (3 m), electric eel (600 volts), piranha; plus the pink river dolphin (boto), manatee and anaconda. There is not a single bridge along its entire length — the river and wetlands are too wide. In 2007 Martin Strel swam the whole river in 66 days.

Fun facts

• There isn't a single bridge across the Amazon — it's that wide!
• The Amazon's electric eel delivers 600 volts — 3 times a wall socket.
• Amazon water flows 200 km out into the ocean — sailors used to collect fresh water there.