Where does the Amazon River begin and end?
The Amazon River begins in the snow-capped Andes mountains of Peru. It flows eastward towards Brazil and finally out into the Atlantic Ocean.
Which countries does the Amazon flow through?
The Amazon River runs through Guyana, Ecuador, Venezuela, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia and Peru.
The estuary
An estuary is where a river meets the sea. The estuary of the Amazon River is wider than the entire length of the River Thames in England. It’s 205 miles (330 km) wide.
The widest river in the world
Although the Amazon River is the second-longest river in the world, it’s the widest river in the world with the largest amount of water.
During the wet season, the river can be over 120 miles (190 km) wide. That’s so wide it looks like a sea! No wonder the river is nicknamed the 'River Sea'.
Some scientists say the Amazon is, in fact, longer than the River Nile (the longest river in the world).
Did you know?
- There are over 3,000 species of fish in the Amazon River.
- Up until 2010, there were no bridges that crossed the Amazon. This is because the majority of the Amazon River runs through rainforests rather than roads or cities so there is no need to cross it. Ships and ferries are used instead.
- The biggest city on the river is Manaus, Brazil.
- The river is made up of over 1,000 tributaries (branches or small streams).
- The second-largest island in South America is located by the Amazon River. It’s called Marajó island and is about the same size as Switzerland.
