Mary Allen
The Amazon is a very large river that flows across South America almost entirely from west to east. It gets its water from many small rivers. They mostly originate in the mountains of the Andes.
On its way, the Amazon grows very strongly. More water flows in the Amazon than in any other river in the world, namely about 70 times as much as in the Rhine. The estuary where the river water flows into the sea is in Brazil.
The area of the Amazon and its tributaries is called the “Amazon Basin”. It’s flat. Its climate is tropical hot. Much of the tropical rainforest in South America lies in the Amazon Basin
Few people live deep in the rainforest. The forest has grown so dense that you have to clear it first in order to grow food. When the Europeans wanted to establish colonies, it was very difficult for them in the Amazon region. There were rumors about a city of gold, the “El Dorado” deep in the forest, which many Europeans have searched for in vain.
Manaus is the largest city on the Amazon. In the past, it was mainly known because rubber was harvested nearby: the rubber sap flows out of the rubber trees when they are cut. This sticky mass is used to make rubber, especially for car tires. But rubber is also needed for rubber boots, raincoats, some chewing gum and many other things.
Is nature in the Amazon basin under threat?
People are clearing more and more rainforest. They cut down trees in large areas to sell the valuable wood. They also want to gain land. They grow palm oil or soybeans on it. The majority of both are sold in the USA and Europe. Many animals lose their habitat as a result.
Another problem are the gold diggers. You need mercury. This is a toxic heavy metal that stays in soil and water. Many rare fish are therefore threatened with extinction, including a rare species of dolphin and a special manatee.