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Amazon: Amazon River
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The Amazon River [I]s the second longest river in the world, and the largest in terms of the size of its watershed, the number of tributaries, and the volume of water discharged into the sea. No bridge crosses the river along its entire length.
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The Amazon is one of the great rivers of the world. It drains an area larger than that of any other river—about 2.7 million square miles (7 million square kilometers)—and at the mouth its flow is about ten times that of the Mississippi River. It is estimated that about one fifth of the fresh water in the world flows through the Amazon system.
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Here at Manaus, more 1000 miles from the mouth of its humble beginnings, the Amazon splits in two rivers, the colors of the two rivers side by side are clearly visible. The whitewater side of the river flows from Peru, and the dark waters of Rio Negro (Black River) journey from Venezuela. This dramatic intersection where the rivers come together is known as the Meeting of the Waters.
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The Amazon River, according to many accounts, was named by Spanish explorer Fransisco de Orellana in 1541. The name was in honor of the female warriors he encountered on his voyage through the territory previously called Maranon.
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Expeditions started to go up the Amazon River trying to find the Eldorado. There was a race to find the gold before the Spanish and French arrived, and found it on their own. They never found the Eldorado or the Amazons, but the name was set.
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Much of northern Brazil is drained by the Rio Negro, which joins the Amazon to give it full strength before flowing into the Atlantic. The flow of the river has an average velocity of 1.5 miles per hour, which increases greatly at flood times.
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Amazon River