The mighty river called Amazon is not an ordinary river. It is an ocean of a river considering its length, width and the volume of flow besides its immense scope for navigability. The river that feeds 40% of South America also forms the biggest drainage basin in the world with no possibility of any bridge over it.
The river takes its birth from the womb of the Quebrada Apacheta cliff in the Arequipa at Nevado Mismi amid the snow crested Andean mountain ranges of Peru, at a short distance from the Pacific Ocean. The river finally drains in the Atlantic. In fact River Amazon releases about one fifth of the total fresh water in the oceans that make up the mother earth. The river that arises at 5 degree north ends somewhere near 20 degrees south latitude and is a witness to many a civilizations and varied cultures. It is at its widest at 11 kilometer from bank to another during the dry season gaining proportions as high as 45 kilometer during the peak season in May-June.
The huge Amazon River has infused life to the many an area that comes under its ambience. Its 6, 800 km long journey takes it through Peru, Bolivia, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador and Brazil before merging into the Atlantic. The river basin and its adjoining areas are a home to the largest tropical rainforests and the biggest biodiversity in the world. Its immense watersheds simultaneously support the grasslands of savannah in its ambit. The regions spotted as the premium 'hot spot' in terms of the varied biodiversity is considered an enormous sink of the green house gases and of great ecological significance. High rainfall and high temperatures have allowed the forests to take up such gigantic proportions that they are capable of casting critical impact on the climatic changes of the world. Its conservation has been big on the agenda for governments and environmentalists across the globe.
The course of River Amazon broadened by the joining of several other South American rivers and tributaries support deep rainforests stretching thousands of kilometers of distance with a huge biomass. Every kilometer of these lush forests are the home to about 75,000 trees, 150,000 species of higher flora and 90,000 tons of plant biomass alone making the region richest in terms of biodiversity found any where in the world. This reason can be attributed to the giant sized plants and animals found here. The waters of Amazon maintain Boto, the largest species of pink river dolphin, Bull sharks, catfish, arapaima, sturgeons and the anaconda snake, piranha the notorious carnivorous fish besides diverse range of crabs, amphibians, turtles, reptiles, algae and crocodiles.
The rainforests of Amazon are of immense economic value. Items on the likes of Brazil nuts, rubber, cacao, lumber, timber, gold and several exotic forest products such as fruits, spices, resins, lac besides animal products fetch the much desired foreign currency. The rare endemic herbs spread in these forests are a cure to many of our modern day diseases as well as the common ones. Their processing and manufacture will be of immense contribution to the benefit if the mankind.
The wide waters of the river and the rich tropical forest support many cultures and people who come in its vicinity. The forests are so dense that it is eternally dark at the forest ground abound with luxuriant greenery and exuberating color. A travel to these rainforests with the help of an expert guide or a river tour is the best way to explore its mysteries and vivacity galore.
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