Name	Length in km	Basin area in thousand km
Amazon (with Ucayali)
Amazon (with Marañon)
Paraná (with Rio Grande and La Plata Estuary)
Madeira (with Mamore)


San Francisco
Zhapura (with Kaketa)

Tocantins

Paraguay, river
Rio Negro
Uruguay, river
Magdalena

Amazon river

The largest river in South America is the Amazon. Most of its basin lies south of the equator. The area of this largest river basin in the world is over 7 million km2, the length of the river from the main source (the Marañon River) is 6400 km. If we take Ucayali and Apurimac as the source of the Amazon, then its length reaches 7194 km, which exceeds the length of the Nile. The water flow of the Amazon is several times higher than the flow of all the largest rivers in the world. It is equal to an average of 220 thousand m 3 /s (the maximum flow rate can exceed 300 thousand m 3 /s). The average annual flow of the Amazon in its lower reaches (7000 km 3) accounts for most of the flow of all South America and 15% of the flow of all rivers on Earth!

The main source of the Amazon - the Marañon River - begins in the Andes at an altitude of 4840 m. Only after merging with the first major tributary - the Ucayali - within the plain the river receives the name Amazon.

The Amazon collects its numerous tributaries (more than 500) from the slopes of the Andes, Brazilian and Guiana highlands. Many of them exceed 1500 km in length. The most numerous and largest tributaries of the Amazon are rivers of the southern hemisphere. The largest left tributary is the Rio Negro (2300 km), the largest right tributary, and the largest tributary of the Amazon, is the Madeira (3200 km).

Some of the tributaries, eroding clayey rocks, carry very muddy water (“white” rivers), others, with clear water, carry dark water from dissolved organic substances (“black” rivers). After the Rio Negro (Black River) flows into the Amazon, light and dark waters flow in parallel, without mixing, for about 20-30 km, which is clearly visible on satellite images. south america river waterfall

The width of the Amazon channel after the confluence of Marañon and Ucayali is 1-2 km, but downstream it quickly increases. Near Manaus (1690 km from the mouth) it already reaches 5 km, in the lower reaches it expands to 20 km, and at the mouth the width of the main channel of the Amazon, together with numerous islands, reaches 80 km during the flood. In the western part of the lowland, the Amazon flows almost at the level of the banks, without actually having a formed valley. In the east, the river forms a deeply incised valley, which presents a sharp contrast with the watershed areas.

The Amazon Delta begins approximately 350 km from the Atlantic Ocean. Despite its ancient age, it did not move into the ocean beyond its original shores. Although the river carries out huge masses of solid material (on average 1 billion tons per year), the process of delta growth is hampered by the activity of tides, the influence of currents, and the subsidence of the coast.

In the lower reaches of the Amazon, the ebb and flow of the tides have a great influence on its regime and the formation of the banks. The tidal wave penetrates upstream for more than 1000 km, in the lower reaches its wall reaches a height of 1.5-5 m. The wave rushes against the current with great speed, causing strong waves on sandbanks and banks, destroying the banks. Among the local population, this phenomenon is known as “pororoka” and “amazunu”.

The Amazon is full of water throughout the year. Twice a year the water level in the river rises to a significant height. These maximums are associated with rainy periods in the northern and southern hemispheres. The highest flow in the Amazon occurs after the rainy period in the southern hemisphere (in May), when the bulk of the water is carried by its right tributaries. The river overflows its banks and in its middle reaches floods a vast area, creating a kind of giant internal lake. The water level rises by 12-15m, and in the Manaus area the width of the river can reach 35 km. Then comes a period of gradual decrease in water flow, the river enters the banks. The lowest water level in the river is in August and September, then a second maximum is observed, associated with the period of summer rains in the northern hemisphere. In the Amazon it appears with some delay, around November. The November maximum is significantly lower than the May one. In the lower reaches of the river, two maxima gradually merge into one.

From its mouth to the city of Manaus, the Amazon is accessible to large ships. Vessels with a fairly deep draft can penetrate even as far as Iquitos (Peru). But in the lower reaches, due to the tides, the abundance of sediments and islands, navigation is difficult. The southern branch is deeper and more accessible to ocean-going vessels - Para, which has a common mouth with the Tocantins River. It is home to a large ocean port in Brazil - Belem. But this branch of the Amazon is now connected to the main channel only by small channels. The Amazon with its tributaries is a system of waterways with a total length of up to 25 thousand km. The transport significance of the river is great. For a long time it was the only route connecting the interior of the Amazonian lowland with the Atlantic coast.

The rivers of the Amazon basin have large reserves of water energy. Many tributaries of the Amazon, when entering the lowlands, cross the steep edges of the Brazilian and Guiana highlands, forming large waterfalls. But these hydro resources are still very little used.

Name	Source	Estuary	Tributaries	Length in km.	Basin area in thousand km 2	Average water flow in m 3 /s	Natural features	Economic activity
Amazon (Amazonas)	Source of the river Marañon (Andes)	Atlantic approx.	St. 500 tributaries (about 20 over 1500 km long): Ucayali, Madeira, Tapajos, Xingu, Isa, Japura, Rio Negro	from the main source of the river. Marañon 6.4 thousand, from the source of the river. Ukayali approx. 7.1 thousand		220 thousand	The largest river in the world in terms of water content. The tides extend 1400 km from the mouth. Bass in rivers. The Amazon has up to 2000 species of fish.	Mainly flows in Brazil.. Navigable for 4300 km. Main ports: Iquitos, Manaus, Obidus, Santarem, Belem.
Marañon (from Spanish “dense bush”)	eastern Slope of the Western Cordillera with two sources			OK. 2000	OK. 350	15.6 thousand	Ch. left source of the river Amazons. the highest water content is from Oct.-Nov. to June-July	Flows into Peru. It has large water resources and is navigable for 1000 km from the mouth (to the rapids)
Ucayali,	Andes of Peru, confluence of the Tambo and Urubamba rivers	right tributary of the Amazon.	40 left (mostly mountain) and 43 right	1950		12600	High water since Sept. to March	A river in Peru, navigable from the city of Atalaya, the main port is Pucallpa.
Putumayo, in the lower reaches - Ica,	South part of the Center Andean Cordillera of Colombia	left tributary of the Amazon		1580		7.2 thousand	High water from April to June	Navigable downstream for 1350 km to Puerto Asis. Border between Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. WITH
Zhapura (Yapura)	Pardaos Plateau	left tributary of the Amazon.	Apaporis	1930		OK. 18 thousand		River in Colombia and Brazil. Navigable mainly in Brazil.
Rio Negro	Pardaos Plateau	left tributary of the Amazon	Jauaperi, Araka,	2300		29.3 thousand	The left tributary of Casiquiare connects the Rio Negro with the river. Orinoco (classic example of river bifurcation).	It flows mainly in Brazil, in the middle reaches it serves as the border between Colombia and Venezuela;. Navigable 1000 km from the mouth. Major port of Manaus
Tocantins	flat Goias	It flows into the Amazon estuary.	Araguaia, Sonu, Paranon, Itakayunas	2850		16.3 thousand		Occurs in Brazil. Navigable 350 km from the mouth.
Atrato	Western Cordillera	Darien Hall.				OK. 2500		Flows in northwestern Colombia. Navigable from Quibdo.
Magdalena	Central Cordillera	Caribbean Sea	Cauca, Cesar	1540		8-10 thousand		Flows in Colombia. Navigable from the town of Neiva with interruptions in the middle reaches due to rapids.
Cauca	Central Cordillera	left tributary of the Magdalena		1350		OK. 2000		Flows in Colombia. Navigable in the sections Cali - Cartago and Antioquia - mouth.
Parnaiba	Chapada das Mangabeiras	Atlantic approx.	Balsas	1450 (according to other sources, 1700)		OK. 2400		Occurs in Brazil. Navigable below Terezina.
Jurua	Montagna mountains	right tributary of the Amazon.	Tarahuaca	3280		OK. 9000	The middle and lower reaches are on the Amazonian lowlands.	Flows in Brazil (upstream in Peru). Navigable from Cruzeiro do Sul.
Purus	La Montagna	right tributary of the Amazon	Itushi, Yaku, Akri	3200		12 600		Flows in Peru and Brazil. Navigable.
Madeira	The sources of Madeira are the Mamore and Beni rivers.	right tributary of the Amazon	Aripuanan, Marmelus, Abunan	from Mamore 3200	1391	30.5 thousand		Occurs in Bolivia and Brazil. Regular shipping to Porto Velho.
Mamore is the main source of the river. Madeira (Amazon system)	Andes		Guapore, Rapulo, Yata	2300		8100		Occurs mainly in Bolivia. Navigable between the cities of Guajara Mirin and Ikerones.
Tapajos		right tributary of the Amazon.		OK. 2200		15.5 thousand		Occurs in Brazil. Navigable to the city of San Luis.
Xingu	Serra do Roncador	right tributary of the Amazon	Iriri, Rio Fresco	1980		OK. 16 thousand		Occurs in Brazil. Navigable for 190 km from the mouth (to the rapids).
Orinoco	Serra Parima (Guiana flat)	Atlantic approx.	Caura, Caroni, Guaviare, Meta, Arauca, Apure	2730	St. 1 million	OK. 29 thousand	Below the city of Barrancas it forms a delta where the river is divided into 36 branches.	Occurs in Venezuela and Colombia. Navigable along the Macareo branch and higher along the main channel 400 km from the mouth, in high water - to the Colombian border. In the Orinoco basin there is a cascade of hydroelectric power stations. The most important cities: Santa Barbara, Puerto Ayacucho, Ciudad Bolivar, Puerto Ordaz (Venezuela), Puerto Carreño (Colombia).
Meta	Eastern Cordillera	left tributary of the Orinoco	Casanare	1000		2500		Flows in Colombia. Navigable below Puerto Lopez.
Apure	Cordillera de Merida	left tributary of the Orinoco	Guarico, Portuguesa	1580		OK. 2000		Occurs in Venezuela. Navigable for 600 km, during the rainy season - along the entire length.
Caroni	Guiana flat	right tributary of the Orinoco				OK. 4800		Occurs in Venezuela. Navigable 100 km from the mouth.
Essequibo	Sera-Akarai mountains	Atlantic approx. forms an estuary up to 25 km wide.	Rupununi, Potaro, Cuyuni			OK. 3000	Numerous rapids	Guyana. Navigable in the estuary to Bartica
Sao Francisco	Brazilian flat	Atlantic approx.	Paracatu, Velhas	OK. 2800		at the mouth 3300	Threshold. Vdp. Paulo Alfonso 2*	Occurs in Brazil. Navigable from Pirapora to Juazeiro.
Parana	Brazilian flat	hall. La Plata	Tiete, Paranapanema, Uruguay, Paraguay, Rio Salado	4380	2663 (from the Uruguay River – 2970)	17.5 thousand	Forms with r. Uruguay estuary La Plata. Rapids and waterfalls 3*	Occurs in Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina. Shipping to Posadas. Hydroelectric power station. On Parana there are the cities of Santa Fe, Parana, Rosario.
Rio Grande	zap. slope of the ridge Sera da mantiqueira	left component of p. Parana		1230		2000	In the upper reaches there are an abundance of rapids and waterfalls, high water in January-March	In the middle reaches there is a large Furnas reservoir and a hydroelectric power station. The river is navigable in places
Paraguay	Mato Grosso Sq.	right tributary of the Paraná	Tebicuari, Teuco	OK. 2500	OK. 1.2 million	4000		Occurs in Brazil and Paraguay. Shipping to the city of Concepcion.
Paranaiba	Ch. source of the river Parana					near Itumbiara 1505	Stormy summer floods. The river has rapids
Uruguay	Serra do Mar	hall. La Plata	Ibiqui, Rio Negro	2200		5500		Navigable for sea vessels from Paysandu.
Rio Negro	Patagonian Andes	Atlantic approx.	Rio Colorado	with the source of the river Neuquén ok. 1300		OK. 950		It flows in Argentina, in Patagonia. Navigable in some areas.
Chubut	Patagonian Andes	Atlantic approx.	Rio Chico		OK. 138	OK. 50		Flows in the south of Argentina.

Notes:

1* Angel, waterfall in the upper reaches of the river. Churun, (a tributary of the Caroni River) in Venezuela. The height of the fall is 1054 m (the highest on Earth).

2* Paulo Afonso, a series of waterfalls and rapids in the lower reaches of the river. Sao Francisco, in Brazil. Height 84 m. Hydroelectric power station.

3* Iguacu, a waterfall on the border of Argentina and Brazil, on the river. Iguazu, 26 km from its confluence with the river. Parana. It falls into the gorge from two steep basalt steps with 275 jets and streams separated by rocky islands. Total height 72 m, width 2700 m. National parks. Tourism.

June 4, 2015

The continent of South America is the richest in terms of water resources. Of course, there is not a single sea on the mainland, but the rivers of South America are very deep and so wide that in a weak current they resemble huge lakes. According to statistics, there are about 20 large rivers here. Since the continent is washed by the waters of two oceans, the rivers belong to the basins of the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. Moreover, the natural watershed between them is the Andes mountain range.

The largest river on mainland South America. The Amazon is one of the greatest rivers on the planet

We all know from our school geography course that one of the largest rivers not only on the South American continent, but also in the world is the Amazon. It, together with its numerous tributaries, carries a quarter of the world's river water reserves. The Amazon flows directly through the territories of nine countries and is an important waterway for them, especially in terms of transport links. River navigation is one of the most developed industries on the entire continent of South America. The Amazon River in some parts reaches 50 km in width (why not the sea?), and its depth in some areas is as much as 100 meters. It is not surprising that in terms of diversity of flora and fauna, the Amazon also holds the palm. Its waters are home to more than 2,000 species of fish, including piranha, eel, stingray, etc. In fact, there is no such rich nature on the entire globe as on the mainland of South America. The Amazon and its tributaries annually attract tourists from all over the world. Among them are many scientists (entomologists, ornithologists, zoologists, etc.)

Parana

Like the rest of the largest rivers in South America, the Parana passes through the territory of several countries: Paraguay, Brazil and Argentina. It received its name from the Indian tribes living on its banks. “Parana” is translated from Indian as “big”. This river has many tributaries. Some of them have beautiful waterfalls. Their formation is associated with the topography of the basin of these rivers, as well as their full flow, which is explained by the fact that they receive food from many small channels and streams. They carry their own water flows resulting from huge amounts of precipitation. This is why almost all deep rivers in South America form waterfalls. Parana has four of them, with the most famous of them being Iguazu. But on a tributary of La Plata is located one of the most beautiful cities in South America - the capital of Uruguay, Montevideo.

Orinoco

In the list of “The Largest Rivers of South America,” the Orinoco ranks third. It flows through the territories of two southern African countries, namely Venezuela and Colombia. This river differs not so much in width as in length, being one of the longest on the continent. The banks of the Orinoco are a favorite destination for tourists from various countries. Here you can see beautiful natural landscapes.

Paraguay

Several geographical features can be found under this name in South America. Translated from Indian, this word means “horned”. Paraguay flows through the territories of two large countries - Brazil and Paraguay, and in some areas it represents a natural border between these states. And in other areas it is a watershed between the two parts of Paraguay - the South, undeveloped, and the North, where more than 90 percent of the country's total population lives. By the way, some rivers in South America also serve as natural boundaries separating the territories of two or even three neighboring countries.

Madeira

This river is also one of the largest. It is formed as a result of the confluence of many small rivers. Its name is Portuguese and means “forest”. Isn't that a strange name for a river? However, the fact is that the bark of trees growing on the banks constantly floats on it. This river was first described at the beginning of the 18th century by the Portuguese Francisco de Melo Palleta. It was he who named it Madeira. Later, Landrad Gibbon, a lieutenant in the US Navy, studied it quite well. By the way, this river serves as the border between Brazil and Bolivia.

Tocantins

As noted above, the largest rivers in South America flow through several states at once. But the basin of this river is entirely located on the territory of one country - Brazil. It is the central water artery of this state. Residents of the states of Goiás, Maranhão, Tocantins and Pará use the water of this particular river. Its name translates as “toucan beak.”

Araguaia

The Araguaia is a tributary of the Tocantins and also claims to be one of the largest Brazilian rivers. Depending on the time of year, it can be either calm or stormy. In the area of Bananal Island, Araguaia forms two branches and smoothly goes around it.

Uruguay

Uruguay merges with the Paraná, and these two fairly large rivers of South America form the La Plata Bay-estuary, the maximum width of which is 48 km. It stretches 290 km to the Atlantic coast and has a funnel-shaped depression. When it flows into the Atlantic Ocean, the river forms many waterfalls. Its power is also used in the energy sector.

Pair

“Big River” is what the local Indians call it. It is a right tributary of the Amazon. As already mentioned, the entire basin of the mightiest river is distinguished by a wide variety of flora and fauna and is of considerable interest to biologists, zoologists, etc. The same can be said about the Pare River.

Rio Negro

And the name of this river is translated as “black”. It originates in Colombia, but flows mainly through Brazil. In its upper reaches it is very stormy and swift, but when it descends to the Amazonian lowland, it becomes real “quiet”. Its main tributary is the Rio Branco.

Iguazu

This river was named this way because of its full flow. After all, its name is translated from Indian as “big water.” This river forms a whole cascade of waterfalls, and such a beautiful sight is simply breathtaking. The banks of this magnificent river are considered protected and are part of the National Park of Argentina and Brazil.

Conclusion

After reading this article, you learned which rivers in South America are the largest and deepest. There are many such rivers on the mainland, but the largest are the legendary Amazon, named after the Greek warriors, as well as the Paraná and Orinoco.

Inland waters of South America

The peculiarities of the relief and climate of South America predetermined its exceptional wealth of surface and underground waters, the enormous amount of runoff, and the presence of the deepest river on the globe - the Amazon. Occupying 12% of the Earth's land area, South America receives approximately 2 times more (1643 mm) average precipitation per unit of total area. The rivers between the ocean basins are also extremely unevenly distributed: the Pacific Ocean basin is 12 times smaller than the Atlantic basin (the watershed between them runs mainly along the Andes ridges); in addition, about 10% of the territory of South Africa belongs to the area of internal drainage. The rivers are predominantly fed by rain; in the far south, they are also fed by snow and glaciers.

A large amount of precipitation brought from the Atlantic, extensive plateaus, gently sloping down to huge lowlands and plains that collect runoff from the adjacent slopes of the Andes, contributed to the formation of large river systems in the east of South Africa: the Amazon, Orinoco, Parana and Paraguay. Uruguay; in the Andes the largest is the river system. Magdalena flowing in a longitudinal depression of the humid Northern Andes. Only lowland rivers are suitable for navigation. Mountain rivers of the Andes and plateaus, replete with rapids and waterfalls (Angel, 1054 m, Caietur, 226 m, Iguazu, 72 m, etc.), as well as deep watercourses of constantly wet plains, have enormous hydroelectric potential (over 300 million kW).

Large lakes, mainly of glacial origin, are concentrated mainly in the Patagonian Andes (Lago Argentino, Buenos Aires, etc.) and in southern Central Chile (Llanquihue, etc.). In the Central Andes lies the highest of the Earth's large lakes - Titicaca, there are also many residual lakes (Poopo and others) and large salt marshes; the latter are also typical for the depressions between the Pampinsky sierras (Salinas Grandes and others). Large lagoon lakes are located in the north - Maracaibo and in the southeast of SA - Patus, Lagoa-Mirin.

The largest rivers in South America

Name	Length in m	Basin area in thousand km
Amazon (with Ucayali)	6437	7047
Amazon (with Marañon)	5500
Paraná (with Rio Grande and La Plata Estuary)	4876	3100
Madeira (with Mamore)	3350	1200
Jurua	3283
Purus	3211
San Francisco	2914
Zhapura (with Kaketa)	2816
Orinoco	2736
Tocantins	2699
Araguaia	2627
Paraguay, river	2550
Rio Negro	2253
Uruguay, river	1609
Magdalena	1538

Amazon river

The main source of the Amazon, the Marañon River, begins in the Andes at an altitude of 4840 m. Only after merging with the first major tributary, the Ucayali, within the plain does the river receive the name Amazon.

Some of the tributaries, eroding clay rocks, carry very muddy water (“white” rivers), others, with clear water, carry dark water from dissolved organic substances (“black” rivers). After the Rio Negro (Black River) flows into the Amazon, light and dark waters flow in parallel, without mixing, for about 20-30 km, which is clearly visible on satellite images.

From its mouth to the city of Manaus, the Amazon is accessible to large ships. Vessels with a fairly deep draft can penetrate even as far as Iquitos (Peru). But in the lower reaches, due to the tides, the abundance of sediments and islands, navigation is difficult. The southern branch, Para, which has a common mouth with the Tocantins River, is deeper and more accessible to ocean-going ships. It is home to the major ocean port of Brazil - Belém. But this branch of the Amazon is now connected to the main channel only by small channels. The Amazon with its tributaries is a system of waterways with a total length of up to 25 thousand km. The transport significance of the river is great. For a long time it was the only route connecting the interior of the Amazonian lowland with the Atlantic coast.

Rivers Parana and Uruguay

The second largest river system in South America includes the Parana and Uruguay rivers, which share a common mouth. The system received its name (La Plata) from the giant estuary of the same name in Parana and Uruguay, reaching 320 km in length and 220 km in width at the mouth. The basin area of the entire system is more than 4 million km 2, and the length of the Parana, according to various sources, ranges from 3300 to 4700 km. The sources of the Paraná - Rio Grande and Paranaiba - are located in the Brazilian Highlands. Many other rivers of the system also begin there. All of them have rapids in their upper reaches and form several large waterfalls. The largest waterfalls are Guaira with a height of 40 m and a width of 4800 m on the Parana and Iguazu with a height of 72 m on its tributary of the same name. A network of hydroelectric power stations has been created on them.

In its lower reaches, the Paraná is a typical lowland river. The main maximum flow occurs in May due to summer rains in the Brazilian Highlands. The navigable importance of the rivers of the La Plata system and La Plata itself is very great.

Orinoco River

The third largest river in South America is the Orinoco. Its length is 2730 km, the basin area is over 1 million km2. The Orinoco originates in the Guiana Highlands. Its source was discovered and explored by a French expedition only in 1954. The Casiquiare Orinoco River connects with the Rio Negro, a tributary of the Amazon, where part of the water of the upper Orinoco flows. This is one of the most significant examples of river bifurcation on Earth. When it flows into the Atlantic Ocean, the river forms a large delta, the length of which reaches 200 km.

The water level in the Orinoco depends entirely on the rainfall that falls in the northern part of its basin in the summer (from May to September). The maximum for the Orinoco, which occurs in September-October, is very pronounced. The difference between summer and winter water levels reaches 15 m.

Lakes

Lakes in South America are few and far between. The main genetic groups of continental lakes are tectonic, glacial, volcanic, and lagoonal. There are small glacial and volcanic lakes in different parts of the Andes. The largest glacial and glacial-tectonic lakes are concentrated in the west of the Southern Andes.

The largest lake on the mainland is Titicaca - located on the Andean plateau at an altitude of more than 3800 m, on the border between Peru and Bolivia. Its area is 8300 km 2, and its maximum depth is 281 m. There are terraces on the shores of the lake, indicating a repeated decrease in its level. The lake has a drainage into another, shallower tectonic lake - Poopo . The water in Lake Titicaca is fresh, while in Poopo it is highly saline.

On the interior plateaus of the Andes and on the Gran Chaco plain there are many lakes of tectonic origin, shallow, drainless and saline. In addition, salt marshes and salt marshes (“salares”) are common.

There are large lagoon lakes along the low-lying shores of the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. The largest of these lagoons is located in the north, in a vast depression between the Andes ridges. It is called Maracaibo and is connected to the Gulf of Venezuela. The area of this lagoon is 16.3 thousand km 2, length -220 km. The water in the lagoon is almost fresh, but during high tides its salinity increases noticeably.

The lagoons, which have almost lost contact with the Atlantic Ocean, are located in the southeast of the continent. The largest of them are Patus and Lagoa Mirin .

A significant part of the continent, especially the Extra-Andean East, has large reserves of groundwater. In the sandy strata of syneclises not only in the Amazon, but also in the Guiana Lowland, Llanos Orinoco, Gran Chaco, Pampa, and also in other areas, up to 40-50% of the flow comes from groundwater.

Waterfalls

Waterfall Angel or Salto Angel- the world's tallest free-falling waterfall with a height of 978 meters.
Angel Falls is located in the Guyana Highlands, one of the five topographic regions of Venezuela, in South America. It is located on the Carrao River. The Carrao River is a tributary of the Caroni River, which eventually flows into the Orinoco. Getting to the waterfall is not easy as it is located in a dense tropical forest. There are no roads leading to the waterfall.
Angel Falls cascades from the top of a flat mountain called tepui by the natives. The flat mountain called Auyan Tepuy (Devil's Mountain) is one of more than a hundred similar ones scattered across the Guiana Highlands in southeastern Venezuela. These slumbering giants are characterized by their massive heights that soar into the sky, with flat tops and completely vertical sides. Tepuis, also called "table mountains" (which accurately describes their shape), were formed from sandstone billions of years ago. Their vertical slopes are continuously destroyed under the influence of heavy rains falling on the Guiana Highlands.

The natives of Venezuela have known about "Salto Angel" since time immemorial. The falls were originally discovered in 1910 by a Spanish explorer named Ernesto Sanchez La Cruz. However, it was not known to the world until its official discovery by American aviator and gold prospector James Crawford Angel, after whom it was named. Angel was born in Springfield, Missouri in 1899.

This enterprising experienced pilot flew over the area in 1935 and landed on the top of a lonely mountain in search of gold. His Flamingo monoplane was stuck in the swampy jungle at the top, and he noticed a rather impressive waterfall extending down thousands of feet. He had little luck on the 11-mile excursion back to civilization, and his plane remained chained to the mountain, a rusting monument to his discovery. Soon the whole world learned about the waterfall, which became known as Angel Falls, in honor of the pilot who discovered it.

Jimmy Angel's plane remained in the jungle for 33 years until it was recovered by helicopter. It is currently housed in the Aviation Museum in Maracay. The one you can now see on top of the tepui is its exact copy.

The official height of the waterfall was determined by an expedition of the National Geographic Society in 1949. The waterfall is the main attraction of Venezuela.

Waterfalls Iguazu- a wonder of the world, consisting of 275 different water cascades, the total area of which is 2700 sq.m., and the fall height reaches 82 meters! The width of the waterfall is about 3 km. The largest waterfall is the Devil's Throat, a U-shaped cliff 150 meters wide and 700 meters long, marking the border between the countries of Argentina and Brazil. The name "Iguazu" comes from the Guarani words for "water" and "big".

Many islands separate the waterfalls from each other. Approximately 900 meters out of a total width of 3 km. not covered with water. About 2 km. The bridges connecting the islands help to better see all the streams. Most of the waterfalls are located within Argentina, but from Brazil there is a good view of the Devil's Throat.

Iguazu Falls are considered the largest in the world in terms of the number of falls. During the rainy season in November - March, the water flow speed can reach 750 cubic meters per second. The roar of falling water creates an impressive roar that can be heard even several kilometers away.

Smaller waterfalls are formed by ledges of durable rock, turning the water falling on them into clouds of fog and spray. Sunlight adds the finishing touch, creating shimmering rainbows. Below, in the middle of the water, an island covered with trees miraculously rose up. On one side of the island, where the water flows calmly, there is a beach with yellowish sand.

South America is the wettest continent on the planet, as this is facilitated by the abundance of precipitation and rich water resources. There are more than 20 large rivers on the mainland, among which the majestic Amazon, one of the largest rivers in the world, certainly takes the lead. The rivers of South America extend across all countries of the continent, saturating them with valuable moisture.

Amazon

The Amazon belongs to the three largest rivers on Earth, including the Nile and Yangtze. With all its many tributaries, the Amazon carries about ¼ of the world's river water.

The dimensions of the largest river in South America are impressive:

length reaches almost 7 thousand km;
width - up to 50 km;
depth - up to 100 m.

During the rainy season, which begins in March and ends in May, the Amazon overflows its banks. During this period, the water level in the river rises to 20 m or more. As a result, large areas of land are flooded. And this continues from year to year.

Rice. 1. Amazon Delta

The longest river on the continent crosses the territories of nine countries and plays a major role in transport communications. This is due to the fact that one of the most developed sectors of the economy throughout South America is river navigation.

The Amazon rightfully takes first place in the diversity of flora and fauna - in the whole world there is no such rich nature as in the Amazon delta. That is why the river annually attracts scientists, researchers and ordinary tourists from all over the world who want to admire its natural beauty.

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Rice. 2. Fauna and flora of the Amazon

Parana

In second place on the list of the largest rivers in South America is the Paraná. It flows through Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina. This is a very picturesque river with numerous tributaries and waterfalls. Their formation is associated with the structural features of the river bottom, as well as its full flow.

The real pride of the entire continent is the Iguazu Falls complex, located in the national parks of Brazil and Argentina. The complex is crescent-shaped and consists of many large and small waterfalls, the number of which can reach 275, depending on the water pressure and time of year.

Rice. 3. Iguazu Falls

On the map of rivers and lakes of South America, a special place is occupied by such large rivers as the Orinoco, Paraguay, Madeira, Tocantis, Araguaia, and Uruguay. Each of them has unique characteristics and features, but they are all united by great importance in the economic sphere of the entire continent. In addition, the rivers of South America are home to a large number of fish, amphibians, aquatic animals and birds, and plants. They take an active part in the water cycle on the mainland, providing it with a sufficient level of moisture.