The Amazon is one of the largest rivers.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 stepped. 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: description, description (short)
The most remarkable natural object of all of South America, of course, is the Amazon River. The basin of this huge water artery of the planet is about 7.2 million km2. This territory, full of so-called "white spots", it is accepted to call in one word - Amazonia. Of course, it is well deserved, the Amazon in 2011 hit the list of the seven natural wonders of our planet.
Территорию Амазонии делят между собой восемь 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 a European country like Bulgaria!
Речная система Амазонки благодаря обильным precipitation is very well developed. On its way, the river receives many tributaries, the largest of which are the Zhurua, Madeira, Topazhos, the Tokantis, the Isa and the Rio Negro.
The scale 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 km3 water (which is approximately equal to 15% of the total river flow of the planet).
The Amazon is navigable up to 4,300 kilometers. The main ports on the river are Santarem, Obidus, Iquitos, Manaus.
Amazing discovery managed to make scientists in2011 The fact is that the largest underground river in the world, four kilometers long, flows under the Amazon basin. She was named Hamza, after the Indian scientist who discovered the miraculous river.
Most of the Amazon is occupied by selva.This is a unique natural ecosystem consisting of wet rain forests. Selva is characterized by very high air humidity, a large species diversity of plants, a high water content of the territory and acidic, very poor soils. It is through such 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 further.
Amazon: economic use of the river
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 economic use of the Amazon carried out today?
The first attempts to explore this region were made by Brazil. In general, there are three main historical stages that marked the economic use of the Amazon River.
Первый этап можно условно назвать "каучуковым".It began at the end of the 19th century and continued until the 1920s, when the "rubber boom" on the continent declined. At that time, rubber confidently occupied the second position in Brazil’s export structure (after coffee).
The second stage of the development of the Amazon began in the 60sThe years of the twentieth century and distinguished by scale and planned. The economic use of the Amazon River at this 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 the development of the Amazon begins in the 80syears of the twentieth century. It can be called "mineral raw". During this period, quarries and factories for the processing of raw materials are opened in the river basin, and the development of oil fields begins.
Environmental problems of Amazonia
The economic use of the Amazon River could not but entail certain environmental problems. The sharpest 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 jungle;
- pollution of soil and water with heavy metals, etc.
Anyway, all these problems are closely interrelated and require an integrated approach to their solution.
Finally
Amazon river system takes up over 7million square kilometers of territory, being the largest river in the world. The economic use of the Amazon River today is not so great, but even such a small influence of man provokes a number of acute environmental problems.
