Located at the north of Brazil, the Amazon River Basin has 20% of all fresh water that exists on the planet. Of the twenty largest rivers in the world, ten are in the Amazon Basin. Even the Amazon River is 4087 miles long (2246 miles are in Brazilian territory).
One of the peculiarities of the Amazon basin are the aquatic plants on Amazon. The best known plant is the Victoria Regia, whose leaves sometimes can grow up to seven meters in diameter. Not surprisingly, the rivers are the main access roads within the Amazon, and the boats are the main means of transportation.
The meeting of the rivers Negro and Solimões is the most popular tour for amazon travelers staying in Manaus. Located about ten kilometers from Manaus, the two largest rivers in the region meet but do not mix for six kilometers, creating a spectacle of the dark waters of the Negro and the muddy waters of the Solimões , which then end up forming on Amazon the Atlantic Ocean.
Rio Negro is located at just 45 minutes by boat from Manaus and is a National Ecological Park called “Janeiro” where various ecosystems unite in the region and have the advantage of being easily accessible for travelers.
The National Ecological Park contains nine thousand acres of land and is operated by a tourism association comprised of companies in the sector, certified by the state’s government. At the park, visitors can travel by canoe through flooded areas, which are cut by large and small trees with vines and vegetation typical of this ecosystem. You will also get the chance to see the Victoria regia (Water - Lily) lake, which is a rustic but safe bridge that allow the visitor to cross the river to see this beautiful flower Amazon.
Facts about the Amazon forest region:
- Before being named the Amazon River, the largest river in Brazil was called Rio Icamiabas by the natives. Icamiabas means women living without men, like the mythical Amazons.
- One of the rivers of the Amazon, the Rio Negro has more water than all the fresh water in Europe.
- You can find sharks and other sea fish in the Amazon River. Sharks have been seen 400 km upstream.
- Marajó Island is not an island but an archipelago of about 2000 islands. The area of Marajó is greater than Switzerland
- The largest river archipelago in the world is Mariuá, at the bed of the Rio Negro. Believe it or not, Mariuá is made up of over 700 islands.
- The second largest freshwater archipelago in the world is in the Amazon and is called Anavilhanas. Located in the state of Amazonas, the Anavilhanas Archipelago consists of about 400 islands
