The Amazon Basin

The Amazon Basin is the large area of land that the Amazon River and its many branches flow through. It covers a huge part of South America. Most of the Amazon Basin is covered by thick tropical rainforest. It is the largest river basin in the world.

A Giant River System

The Amazon River has over 1,000 smaller rivers, called tributaries, that flow into it. Together they drain an area almost as large as the entire United States. More water flows through the Amazon than through any other river on Earth.

Life in the Basin

The Amazon Basin is home to more kinds of plants and animals than any other place on Earth. Jaguars, river dolphins, and millions of insects live here. Many indigenous peoples have lived in the basin for thousands of years. Parts of the rainforest are being cut down for farming and logging.

Fun Facts

• The Amazon Basin covers about 2.7 million square miles.
• The Amazon River pushes so much water into the Atlantic Ocean that you can find fresh water 100 miles out to sea.
• About one-fifth of all the fresh water that flows into the world's oceans comes from the Amazon.

Did You Know?

The Amazon Basin is so big that it stretches across parts of nine different South American countries!