Amazon River Facts for Kids

A Map of the Amazon River
  • River Name: Amazon River
  • Location: South America
  • Total Length: 4,086 miles
  • Maximum Width: 62 miles
  • Maximum Depth: 330 feet
  • Main Outlet: Atlantic Ocean
  • Known for: Being the largest river in the world

19 Amazon River Facts for Kids

  1. The Amazon River is a very long watercourse in South America.
  2. The Amazon River flows through three countries in South America.
  3. The three countries the Amazon River flows through are Brazil, Columbia and Peru.
  4. There are more than 1,100 tributary rivers that flow into the Amazon River.
  5. A few of the main stems of the Amazon River are the Mantaro River and the Apurímac River.
  6. The Amazon River drains into the Atlantic Ocean.
  7. An estimated 20% of the ocean’s freshwater supply comes from the Amazon River discharge.
  8. The entire length of the Amazon River is 4,086 miles.
  9. The Amazon River is the longest river in the world.
  10. There are disputes that the Amazon River is shorter than the Nile River, which would make the Amazon the second longest river in the world. The disputes are based on how the length of a river is measured.
  11. The width of the Amazon River is affected by the monsoon season, allow it to swell and drink throughout the year.
  12. The shortest width of the Amazon River is 0.62 miles and the widest width is 62 miles.
  13. The Amazon River flows through the Amazon Rainforest, which is the most biodiverse rain forest in the world.
  14. The Amazon River is home to more than 2,000 fish species, like red-bellied piranhas (Pygocentrus nattereri) and the payara vampire fish (Hydrolycus scomberoides).
  15. The black caiman (Melanosuchus niger) crocodilian is an apex predator in the Amazon River.
  16. The green anaconda (Eunectes murinus) is the largest snake in the world and hunts in the Amazon River.
  17. The first European to sail into the Amazon River was Spanish explorer Vicente Yáñez Pinzón in 1500.
  18. There are no bridges crossing the Amazon River, you need a boat to cross it. No bridges have been built across the Amazon because of its remoteness and the largest scale flooding during the monsoon season.
  19. In 2007, Slovenian long-distance swimmer Martin Strel swam the entire length of the Amazon River.

Additional Resources on the Amazon River

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