舟行亚马逊河

Boating on the Amazon River

亚马逊河的长度仅次于尼罗河,是世界第二大河,但却是世界上流量最大、流域面积最广的河流。她沉积下的肥沃淤泥滋养着广袤的土地,所流经的亚马逊平原也是世界上面积最大的平原,著名的亚马逊热带雨林就生长在亚马逊河流域。

The Amazon Riverin South America isthe second longest river in the world and by far the largest by waterflow with an average discharge greater than the next seven largest rivers combined(not including Madeira and Rio Negro,which are tributaries of the Amazon).The Amazon,which has the largest drainage basin in the world, about 7,050,000 square kilometers accounts for approximately one-fifth of the world's total river flow. In its upper stretches,above the confluence of the Negro River,the Amazoniscalled Solim?esin Brazil;however,inPeru,Colombiaand Ecuador,as well as the rest of the Spanish-speaking world,the river is generally called the Amazon downstream from the confluence of the Mara? ó n and Ucayali rivers in Peru. The Ucayali-Apur í mac river system is considered the main source of the Amazon. The width of the Amazon varies between 1.6 and 10 kilometers at lowstage,but expands during the wet season to 48 kilometers or more. The river enters the Atlantic Ocean in abroad estuary about 240 kilometers wide.The mouth of the main stem is 80 kilometers.Because of its vast dimensions,it is sometimes called The River Sea.The first bridge in the Amazon river system(over the Rio Negro)opened on October10,2010. It is just outside Manaus.