What Are the Main Tributaries of the Amazon River?
The Rio Negro, Jurua River and Madeira River are some the main tributaries of the Amazon River. There are more than 17 major bodies of water that interact in one way or another with the Amazon River.
The Amazon River spans more than 4,000 miles and it contains nearly 1,100 tributaries, some much smaller than others. The Rio Negro is one of the largest and in terms of waterflow, it holds the record for the second-largest river in the world. In some of its deepest spots, this river runs 300 feet deep, and the mouth of the river lies in Manaus, Brazil. The Jurua and the Madeira are other main tributaries and these are both more than 2,000 miles long.
Some of the other large tributaries of the Amazon are the Japura, Purus, and Xingu rivers. All of these rivers are at least 1,000 miles long.
Before modern roads and other infrastructures developed, the tributaries were main passageways for reaching various areas of South America. These tributaries also allowed goods to be brought in and out of the countries on the continent.
The Amazon River basin sees an average of more than 7 feet of rain per year, yet some parts of the river can receive more than 20 feet of rain during a 1-year time period.
