On the South American continent is a real champion in the world of inanimate nature. The length of the Amazon lowland is 3,200 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 it that largely determines the climate, vegetation and wildlife in this area. The coordinates of the Amazonian lowlands: between 49 ° and 78 ° W. d. and 5 ° c. w. and 19 ° s w.
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 occupies almost the entire territory of Brazil. Almost the entire population of this country (95%) lives on the 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. Its highest peak is the city of Roraima (2810 m).
Andes mountain system
The Amazon River (the largest water stream of the planet) and its tributaries originate in the longest mountain range - the Andes. They frame the entire west coast of South America, stretching over 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
The Amazonian lowland is divided into Western and Eastern. The western part extends for a width of about 1,600 kilometers. A very humid equatorial climate prevails in these places. The rivers flowing in the western part carry their waters very slowly. The water is usually turbid, the channel is meandering.
In river valleys, high and low floodplains are shared. High sometimes flooded, but not every year. And low can be under water annually for more than one month. Palm trees and cocoa trees grow in the high floodplains , while the number of plants in the low ones is much smaller. Due to constant flooding, the Western Plain (Amazonian lowland) is mainly inhabited by those species of animals that are adapted to life on trees. Of the land representatives, one can meet an armadillo, a tapir. Also in Western Amazonia many birds, insects and, of course, fish live.
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 no more than 200 m, and the highest point is about 350 m. Here, due to the relatively recent subsidence of the relief, the rivers crash into the ground more strongly and their channels are more straightforward. Many rapids form in water flows. The water here, unlike the western part, is transparent, but has a dark color due to the fact that plants decompose in it.
Subequatorial climate prevails. All summer and early fall brings drought to the trade winds from the Brazilian plateau. Because of this, trees appearing among the forest, dropping foliage. Armadillos and anteaters are found in the eastern forests, and, most interestingly, small deer-mazams even appear here.
Animal world
The Amazonian lowland has a unique wildlife. In many ways, the species diversity of representatives determines the location of the Amazon River in this area. Thanks to this, you can meet unique animals, fish, birds and insects. Among the tropical thickets there lives an elegant feline predator - the jaguar. This huge cat is ideally adapted to life in such a humid climate. Able not only to swim in the waters of the river, but even to dive.
A 50-kilogram capybara rodent is found on the coast. A huge anaconda awaits him and other animals, which comes to a watering hole to the river. This snake of the boa constrictor subfamily is able to attack and kill even the caiman.
The underwater world is also interesting and diverse. Guppies and scalars live in the river, which the average person is used to seeing only in aquariums. Aravan fish also lives here , able to emerge from the water in order to grab a beetle they like from an overhanging branch. There are so-called singing fish in these muddy waters. The flat-headed catfish and haraki are capable of making such loud noises that they are heard above the surface of the water. These representatives live here precisely because of the muddy water.
The Amazon lowland, or rather the river, has become the "home" for the Amazon river 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 piranha
The most famous inhabitants of the waters of the Amazon are, of course, piranhas. Many films have been made about them and no less terrible stories and legends have been told. Partly they are true. These fish in appearance are not very huge, reach a length of 10 to 40 centimeters. But they are predators and surprisingly voracious. Large packs can even attack a large animal. They pose a danger to humans. Piranhas, like sharks, are attracted by the smell of blood. Sensing it, they attack the victim and gnaw to the bones.
Civilization
The Amazonian lowland is not considered a sufficiently developed region. The main mode of transportation here is by river. Along it are several small settlements. There are two fairly large cities: Manaus and Belen. An asphalt road has even been laid from Brasilia to Belen. In 1945, deposits of manganese, iron ore and oil were discovered in these parts, which are still being developed.
Environmental problems
Even despite the fact that very few people live on the territory of the Amazonian lowland, there is constant deforestation. Over the past 50 years, huge tracts of the Amazon have been destroyed and reduced by 70%. In addition to the risk that the centuries-old forest will turn into an arid savannah, the decomposition and burning of trees leads to an increase in the greenhouse effect due to the increased release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
The destruction of a large number of trees affected the flora and fauna of the Amazon. It used to be that a third of all life on Earth lived in these places, while now it’s 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 almost under the Amazon. Its length was 6 thousand km. This unique stream originates from the foothills of the Andes and flows to the Atlantic Ocean. 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.