Amazon River

The Amazon River is the largest river in the world in terms of water discharge and is debated to be either the first or second in length depending on who you talk to. Most people think the Nile is longer. The length of the Amazon is said to be 6,992 km (4,345 mi). The Amazon drainage is said to be larger than the drainage of the next seven largest independent rivers combined. According to Wikipedia ”The Amazon basin is the largest drainage basin in the world, with an area of approximately 7,050,000 square kilometers (2,720,000 sq mi), and accounts for roughly one-fifth of the world’s total river flow. … The width of the Amazon is between 1.6 and 10 kilometers (1.0 and 6.2 mi) at low stage, but expands during the wet season to 48 kilometers (30 mi) or more. Because of its vast dimensions, it is sometimes called “The River Sea”. I’ve also read where the “Amazon rises and falls by an amazing 12 to 15 meters annually”, a statement I find unfathomable (pun intended). This post is designed as a “portal post” for more information on the Amazon River. Let’s talk cruises and other information from: TripAdvisor (Brazil), TripAdvisor (Peru), Hillman, Lonely Planet, Fodor’s,