Amazon River, World's Largest River

The Amazon river is the largest and the second longest river in the world. It is so huge that it covers six countries, Peru, Colombia, Brazil, Bolivia, Venezuela, and Ecuador. It has the largest drainage basin in the world and accounts for approximately one fifth of the world's total river flow.

During the dry season, the river covers and area of 110,000 square kilometers, while in the wet season the area rises to 350,000 square kilometers. At its widest point the Amazon River can be 11 kilometers wide during the dry season and 45 kilometers wide during the wet season.

Satellite image of the mouth of the Amazon river. Source: wikipedia.org

A beautiful morning in the Amazon. Source: flickr.com/photos/markgee6

The Amazon river originates from the Apacheta cliff in Arequipa at the Nevado Mismi, with a sole sign of a wooden cross.. Source: wikipedia.org

Amazon river is also home to one of the world's largest fishwater fish, the Pirarucu. Sadly, this fish is dwindling in numbers due to over fishing. Here's a video of a study funded by the National Geographic.