What Is The Major River In The Northern Portion Of South America?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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The Amazon River

is located in the northern portion of South America, flowing from west to east. The river system originates in the Andes Mountains of Peru and travels through Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Bolivia, and Brazil before emptying into the Atlantic Ocean.

What is the most important river in northern South America?

The major basins lie east of the Andes, and the main rivers flow to the Atlantic Ocean. The four largest drainage systems—

the Amazon

, Río de la Plata (Paraguay, Paraná, and Uruguay rivers), Orinoco, and São Francisco—cover about two-thirds of the continent.

What major river runs through northern South America?


The Amazon River basin

has an area of almost 7 million square kilometers (2.7 million square miles), making it the largest watershed in the world. The basin, which covers most of northern South America, is fed by tributaries from the glaciers of the Andes.

Which river flows in the northernmost part of South America?


The Orinoco and its tributaries

constitute the northernmost of South America’s four major river systems. Bordered by the Andes Mountains to the west and the north, the Guiana Highlands to the east, and the Amazon watershed to the south, the river basin covers an area of about 366,000 square miles (948,000 square km).

What is the major river in the northern portion of South America that winds from the Guiana highlands to the Atlantic Ocean?


The Orinoco River

flows north of the Amazon. The Orinoco flows in a giant arc for more than 2,736 kilometers (1,700 miles), originating in the Guiana Highlands of northern Brazil and discharging in the Atlantic Ocean in Venezuela.

Can you swim in the Amazon River?

Swimming in the big rivers (Amazon, Marañon, Ucayali) is

generally not a good idea due to strong currents more so than parasites

. Swimming in the smaller tributaries, especially black water tributaries and lakes is safe, but don’t swallow the water.

Why is South America called the land of extremes?

In geographic terms, it

has some of the hottest, driest deserts in the world

(the Atacama and Sonoran deserts) while having the largest rain-forest in the world (the Amazon).

Why do most of the rivers of South America flow east to the Atlantic Ocean?

South America’s winding Amazon River flows in an easterly direction across the continent,

dumping water into the Atlantic Ocean

. … Water breached the Arch and flowed unobstructed eastward. By this time, the eastern highland had eroded away, and the river’s water could empty freely into the Atlantic [image].

What is the largest river in the world?

  • Nile: 4,132 miles.
  • Amazon: 4,000 miles.
  • Yangtze: 3,915 miles.

Which is the important river of USA and Canada?

River Countries Length
Hudson River

US: New York, New Jersey 315 mi (507 km)
Mohawk River US: New York 149 mi (240 km) Mackenzie River Canada: Northwest Territories, Yukon 1,080 mi (1,740 km) Liard River Canada: British Columbia, Northwest Territories 693 mi (1,115 km)

What animals live in the Parana river?

Besides terrestrial life, the river also supports a large number of aquatic species, including migratory fishes such as the Atlantic saber-tooth anchovy, the Sábalo, and the Golden dorado, as well as such other fishes as

Piranhas, Catfishes

, the Lungfish, and a diverse variety of tiny phytoplankton and macrophytes.

Where is the longest river in South America generally located?


The Amazon

is the longest river in South America (and maybe the world!) It may seem obvious, but we shouldn’t overlook this one. Stretching somewhere between 6,400 and 6,992 kilometres, the Amazon is South America’s longest river.

What are the 7 major rivers in South America?

  1. The Amazon River. …
  2. Parana-Rio de la Plata. …
  3. Tocantins-Araguaia. …
  4. Madeira-Mamore-Grande-Caine-Rocha. …
  5. Purus River. …
  6. Sao Francisco.

What mountains are in the western portion of South America?

Where are

the Andes Mountains

? The Andes Mountains line the western edge of South America, from Venezuela all the way along Chile to South America’s southern tip, crossing through Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia.

What mountain range is parallel to the Atlantic Ocean?


The Appalachian Mountains

run parallel to the Atlantic Ocean coastline on the eastern part of the United States.

What mountains in the western portion of South America runs roughly parallel to the Pacific coast for more than 5000 miles?


Andes Mts.

Mountains in the western portion of South America that run roughly parallel to the Pacific Coast for more than 5,000 miles.

Diane Mitchell
Author
Diane Mitchell
Diane Mitchell is an animal lover and trainer with over 15 years of experience working with a variety of animals, including dogs, cats, birds, and horses. She has worked with leading animal welfare organizations. Diane is passionate about promoting responsible pet ownership and educating pet owners on the best practices for training and caring for their furry friends.