Lowland Amazon: coordinates, description

On the South American continent, there is a real record holder in the world of inanimate nature. The length of the Amazonian lowland is 3200 km. It covers an area of more than 5 million square meters. Km. This region is officially recognized as the largest lowland in the world. It is located along the largest of all the rivers of the planet - the Amazon. By and large, we can say that it is largely determines the climate, vegetation and animal life in this region. Coordinates of the Amazonian lowland: between 49 ° and 78 ° W. Etc., and 5 ° sec. W. And 19 ° S. W.

The Brazilian and Guiana Plateau

This lowland rests on the Brazilian and Guiana Highlands from the southeast. And the Amazon River itself originates in the Andes and flows into the Atlantic Ocean.
The Brazilian Highlands occupy virtually the entire territory of Brazil. Virtually the entire population of this country (95%) lives on the very highlands or in the narrow coastal zone. This region is divided into the Atlantic, Central and Southern Plateaus. The total area is about 4 million square kilometers.

The Guiana Plateau reaches a length of almost 2 thousand km, and the height varies from 300 m to one kilometer. It is here that you can admire the highest waterfall in the world - Angel, whose height is 979 m. In this area is Mount Pakaraima. The highest peak is Roraima (2810 m).

The Andes mountain system

The Amazon River (the largest water flow of the planet) and its tributaries originate in the longest mountain chain - the Andes. They frame the entire western coast of South America, stretching for 9,000 kilometers. These mountains play an important climatic role, separating the territories from the influence of the Pacific Ocean from the west and the Atlantic from the east.

Western Amazonia

Lowland Amazon is divided into Western and Eastern. The western part extends to a width of about 1600 kilometers. In these places a very humid equatorial climate prevails. The rivers flowing in the western part carry their waters very slowly. The water is usually turbid, the bed is sinuous.

In the river valleys, high and low floodplains are divided. Highs are sometimes flooded, but not every year. And low can be under water annually for more than one month. In the high floodplains, palm trees and cocoa trees grow, while the number of plants in the low is much less. Due to constant flooding, the Western Plain (Amazonian lowland) is mainly populated by those species of animals that are adapted to life on trees. From land representatives can be found battleship, tapir. Also in Western Amazonia, there are many birds, insects and, of course, fish.

Eastern Amazonia

Eastern Amazonia is very different in characteristics from the western part. This is affected by the absolute height of the Amazonian lowland, which is not more than 200 m, and the highest point is about 350 m. Here, because of the relatively recent lowering of the relief, the rivers are more severely impacted to the ground, and their channels are more straightforward. In water currents many thresholds are formed. Water here, unlike the western part, is transparent, but has a dark color due to the fact that it decomposes plants.

The subequatorial climate prevails. All summer and early autumn brings the drought trade wind from the Brazilian plateau. Because of this, trees emerged from the forest, dropping foliage. In the eastern forests there are battleships and anteaters, and, most interestingly, even small deer-mazams appear here.

Animal world

Lowland Amazon is distinguished by a unique animal world. In many respects, the species diversity of representatives determines the location of the Amazon River in this area. Thanks to this, you can meet here unique animals, fish, birds and insects. Among the tropical thickets there is an elegant predator of the cat family - the jaguar. This huge cat has perfectly adapted to life in such a damp climate. Can not only swim in the waters of the river, but even dive.

On the coast there is a 50-kg rodent capybar. He and other animals, coming to the water by the water, are waiting for a huge anaconda. This snake is a subfamily of boas capable of attacking and killing even caiman.

The underwater world is also interesting and diverse here. In the river live guppies and scalars, which an ordinary person is accustomed to see only in aquariums. Inhabits here and araban fish, able to emerge from the water to grab a beetle from an overhanging branch. There are also so-called singing fish in these muddy waters. Som-flathead and haraqi are capable of producing so loud sounds that they are heard over the surface of the water. These representatives live here because of muddy water.

Lowland Amazon, or rather the river, has become a "home" for the river Amazonian dolphins. This species of mammals is considered the largest. In Amazonian dolphins, males are much larger than females, which is not found in other freshwater species.

Unique piranhas

The most famous inhabitants of the Amazon waters are, of course, piranhas. About them filmed a lot of movies and told no less terrible stories and legends. In part, they are truthful. These fish are not very large, reaching in length from 10 to 40 centimeters. But they are predators and amazingly voracious. Large flocks can attack even a large animal. They are dangerous for a person. Piranhas, like sharks, attract the smell of blood. Having smelled it, they attack the victim and gnaw to the bone.

Civilization

Lowland Amazon is not considered a sufficiently developed region. The main mode of transportation here is along the river. Along it there were several small settlements. There are two fairly large cities: Manaus and Belen. From the city of Brasilia in Belem, an asphalt road has been laid. In 1945, deposits of manganese, iron ores and oil were discovered in these regions, which are being developed to this day.

Ecological problems

Even though there are very few people living in the Amazon lowland, there is constant deforestation there. Over the past 50 years, the huge massifs of the Amazon have been destroyed and reduced by 70%. In addition to the fact that there is a risk of turning centuries-old forests into arid savannah, decomposition and burning of trees leads to the fact that the greenhouse effect is intensified due to the increased release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

Due to the destruction of a large number of trees affected flora and fauna of the Amazon. Previously it was believed that in these places one third of all living things on Earth lived, while now it is impossible to say so.

Unique discovery

The description of the Amazonian lowland will be incomplete, if not to tell about a unique discovery. In 2011, the largest underground river in the world was discovered near the Amazon river bed. Its length was 6 thousand km. It originates this unique stream from the foothills of the Andes and flows to the Atlantic Ocean itself. The underground river moves at a speed of 3.5 meters per hour. The depth of this watercourse is about 4 thousand meters, and the width reaches 400 km.