The Amazon is one of the largest rivers of the globe. At the same time, its river basin is one of the least studied on Earth. In Amazonia, there are still places where a person’s foot has never set foot. In this article you will find a brief description of the Amazon River, as well as learn about the main stages of its economic development.
Amazon River: characteristics, description (short)
The most remarkable natural site in all of South America, of course, is the Amazon River. The basin area of this huge water artery of the planet is about 7.2 million km 2 . This territory, full of so-called "white spots", is usually called in one word - Amazonia. Of course, quite deserved, the Amazon in 2011 was on the list of seven natural wonders of our planet.
The territory of the Amazon is divided between eight states: Brazil (about 65%), Colombia, Bolivia, Peru, Venezuela, Suriname, Guyana and Ecuador. The Amazon river system is located in equatorial and subequatorial latitudes, and the river itself flows from west to east, where it flows into the Atlantic Ocean, forming a vast delta. The size of this delta is comparable in size to such a European state as Bulgaria!
The Amazon river system is very well developed due to heavy rainfall. On its way, the river receives many tributaries, the largest of which are Jurua, Madeira, Topajos, Tokantis, Isa and Rio Negro.
The magnitude of this river system can be judged by such an indicator as the average annual flow. For the Amazon River, it is over 7 thousand km 3 of water (which is approximately equal to 15% of the total river flow of the planet).
The Amazon is navigable 4,300 kilometers upstream. The main ports on the river are Santarem, Obidus, Iquitos, Manaus.
A surprising discovery was made by scientists in 2011. The fact is that under the Amazon basin flows the world's largest underground river, four kilometers long. She was called Hamza, after the Indian scientist who discovered the miracle river.
Most of Amazonia is occupied by selva. This is a unique natural ecosystem consisting of moist rain forests. Selva is characterized by very high air humidity, a large species diversity of plants, a high bog area and acidic, very poor, soils. It is in these territories that the South American Amazon River flows.
Economic use of the river - what is it today? And how was the Amazon mastered by man throughout history? This will be discussed later.
Amazon: river use
Amazonia is often called the "green lungs" of the planet. How did the development of this region take place and at what level is the Amazon used today?
The first attempts to develop this region were made by Brazil. In general, there are three main historical stages that marked the economic use of the Amazon River.
The first stage can be conditionally called "rubber". It began at the end of the 19th century and continued until the 1920s, when the "rubber boom" on the continent began to decline. At that time, rubber confidently held the second position in Brazil's export structure (after coffee).
The second stage of the development of Amazonia began in the 60s of the twentieth century and was distinguished by its scale and regularity. The economic use of the Amazon River at that time was fully regulated by the state, and the project itself even got its name, Operation Amazon. It included the integrated agricultural development of the region, the creation of transport infrastructure, and, as a result, the massive settlement of this territory.
The third stage of development of the Amazon begins in the 80s of the twentieth century. It can be called "mineral raw materials." During this period, quarries and processing plants for raw materials were opened in the river basin, and the development of oil fields began.
Ecological problems of the Amazon
The economic use of the Amazon River could not but entail certain environmental problems. The most acute among them are the following:
- soil degradation and erosion;
- uncontrolled deforestation ;
- the destruction of rare and endangered species of flora and fauna of the Brazilian selva;
- soil and water pollution with heavy metals, etc.
One way or another, all these problems are closely interconnected and require an integrated approach to their solution.
Finally
The Amazon river system occupies over 7 million square kilometers of territory, being the largest river in the world. The economic use of the Amazon River today is not so great, however, even such a minor human influence provokes a number of acute environmental problems.