What Are the Uses of the Amazon River?
Quick Answer
The Amazon River and its tributaries are important for local agriculture, for transportation and as a source of hydroelectric power. Unfortunately, the Amazon's economic value is also a leading cause of environmental degradation in the area.
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Full Answer
In Brazil, it is easy for impoverished farmers to gain and maintain rights to agricultural lands simply by living on and using a plot of land for a year and one day. Unfortunately, much of the land surrounding the Amazon is excellent for supporting a tropical forest but only marginal for agriculture. Forest land supports farming for a few years before its fertility degrades and the farmer must move on to clear new land. Fortunately, new systems of crop and livestock rotation offer the promise of better forest stewardship in the future.
For many small, indigenous villages in the Amazon River region, the river and its tributaries are important sources of transport. The forest is so impassable in areas that river travel provides the only access between villages.
More recently, the Amazon is becoming a source of hydroelectric power via the construction of dams. While this is an important source of energy for growing towns and cities, it also brings controversy. Engineers point out that construction of fish ladders provide wildlife with a means of migration, but conservationists note that local people are already feeling the strain of poorer fishing, hunting and gathering in their native home.
Learn more about Bodies of WaterRelated Questions
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Q:
How Deep Is the Amazon River?
A: The average depth of the Brazil section of the Amazon River is about 150 feet, with maximum depths reaching about 300 feet. In the section of the river bet... Full Answer >Filed Under: -
Q:
How Wide Is the Amazon River?
A: The width of the Amazon River varies from only 1 mile in some places during the dry season to as much as 30 miles in the wet season. The mouth of the Amazo... Full Answer >Filed Under: -
Q:
Where Does the Amazon River End?
A: The Amazon River, which has its beginnings in the South American country of Peru, ends by pouring into the Atlantic Ocean in Brazil, near the city of Macap... Full Answer >Filed Under: -
Q:
In Which Country Is the Amazon River Located?
A: The Amazon River and its tributaries run through Peru, Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, Colombia and Brazil. The river is approximately 4,000 miles long, makin... Full Answer >Filed Under:
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