Brazil's river network is very dense and rich in water. From west to east, the country is crossed by the deepest and largest river in the world in terms of basin size - the Amazon, which irrigates the northern regions of the country. It is formed outside of Brazil by the confluence of the Marañon and Ucayali rivers and has a length of 6,400 km from the source of the Marañon, and more than 7,000 km from the source of the Ucayali. Its length within the country is 3165 km. The area of the Amazon basin in Brazil is about 4.8 million square meters. km (almost 60% of the total basin area). The width of its channel on the border with Peru is more than 1.5 km, in the middle reaches, near the city of Manaus - 5 km, in the lower reaches - up to 20 km, and at the mouth reaches 80-150 km. The depth of the river in the middle reaches is about 70 m, near the city of Obidus - 135 m, at the mouth - from 15 to 45 m.
Numerous tributaries flow into the Amazon. The largest right tributaries are the Purus (3 thousand km), Jurua, Tapajos and Xingu (the length of each is about 2 thousand km), Madeira (about 1.5 thousand km). Large left tributaries are the Rio Negru (more than 1.5 thousand km), Zhapura, Isa. The Amazon mode is complex and varied. Due to the fact that its tributaries are located in different hemispheres, floods occur on them different time: on the right - from October to April ( summer season V southern hemisphere), on the left - from April to October (summer season in the northern hemisphere), and seasonal fluctuations in flow in the Amazon are smoothed out. The average water flow in the lower reaches is about 220 thousand cubic meters. m/sec. The average annual flow of the river is approximately 7,000 cubic meters. km - about 15% of the annual flow of all rivers on Earth. The Amazon carries an average of more than 1 billion tons of sediment per year. Its muddy yellow waters are visible in the ocean up to 300 km from the coast. The regime of the river is also influenced by sea tidal waves, which the Tupi Indians called “Amazunu”, hence the name of the river. These waves reach 5 m in height and travel up the river for 1400 km, flooding the low floodplains of the Igapo. The Amazon has significant energy potential (about 280 million kW), which is extremely underutilized.
Second largest river South America- Parana - irrigates the south and southwest of Brazil (more than 1/10 of its territory). The main tributaries of the Paraná are the Paraguay, Tieteux, Iguazu, and Paranapanema. There are many rapids and waterfalls on the Parana and its tributaries. The largest of the waterfalls are: Iguazu (height about 80 m), located on the left tributary of the same name, and the cascade of waterfalls Seti-Kedas (Guaira) (33 m) on Parana. Paraná accounts for 57% of Brazil's enormous hydroelectric potential, estimated at 79.4 billion kW. The eastern part of the country belongs to the basin of the San Francisco River (more than 2900 km long), in the lower reaches of which there is a cascade of Paulo Afonso waterfalls with a total height of 84 m. The rivers are characterized by sharp fluctuations in water flow. Other significant rivers in this area are Pa-raiba, Paraguaçu, Jequitinbna, etc. All of them are full-flowing, fast-moving and have great hydroelectric potential.
The largest rivers in the northeast of Brazil - Tocantins and Parnaiba - have rapids and are characterized by variable regime, which is also typical for other rivers in the region. During the dry season, some of them dry out. The rivers of the southeast are few in number and have the most stable regime, which is explained by the relatively uniform distribution precipitation throughout the year. The constancy of the regime of these rivers is very important for the production of hydroelectric power. The largest river is Zhakuy. There are relatively few lakes in Brazil. These are mainly lagoon lakes and floodplain oxbow lakes, widespread in the Amazon floodplain. The largest of the lagoon lakes are the shallow lakes Patus (area exceeding 10 thousand sq. km) and Lagoa Mirin, connected by a channel.
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Brazil is geographically located in the subtropical and tropical climate. This explains the abundance of water in its territories. We will present to your attention the largest rivers and lakes in Brazil. We attach a list (in alphabetical order) below.
The largest rivers and lakes in Brazil are characterized by impressive water volumes and considerable length.
Let's start the description with the most big river countries - Amazon. Researchers who took part in the 1995 expedition found that the river (together with the Apurímac and Ucayali tributaries) is the longest in the world. Its length is 7000 km.
Its depth at the mouth is 100 m. And upstream it is still quite solid. This allows large ocean-going ships to sail along it to the port of Iquitos (Peru). The width of the mouth is about 200 km. It must be said that the river does not flow into the ocean in a single stream, but is broken into branches by numerous islands.
The waters of the Amazon are called white. This is due to the fact that they contain a large number of silt. Near the city of Manuas you can see interesting phenomenon. Here a tributary, the Rio Negro, flows into the mighty river. In this area, its depth and volume of water give the feeling that it has poured into the Amazon, the waters do not mix for several kilometers and flow in parallel in white and black branches.
Almost all major rivers and lakes of Brazil have interesting animals and vegetable world. Most of the river is concentrated on the banks of the Amazon existing species. In addition, the river is the “lungs” of the Earth, since its forests produce huge amounts of oxygen.
The second largest river in the country is the Paraná. It originates in the south of the Brazilian Plateau. Its length is 4880 km.
This is its right tributary, originating in the mountains of Minas Gerais. Its length is 1000 km. It has a fairly calm flow.
Left tributary of the river. Its source is in the same state, but in the Mantiqueira mountain range. Length - 1090 km. The upper reaches of the river are distinguished by a large number of rapids. This is the result of its passage through a lava plateau. In addition, there are cascading waterfalls. The largest of them is Iguazu, located on the tributary of the same name. This favorite place many tourists coming to Brazil.
Paraná has a small coastline and does not flow into the sea. The river bank is marshy and low. Only in the south is open space, which is called "Campos".
Here are the main tributaries of this river.
The river is navigable. Boats carrying vacationers who came to these places on an excursion sail along it. Passengers and cargo are not transported along it. Because this river is not very deep, large ships It is not recommended to walk on it.
The Paraná Valley contains flat plateaus. Serra Uru ui is the largest of them. This is also where National Park Brazil. It is the southwestern border of the state.
Large rivers and the lakes of Brazil, the list of which continues with San Francisco, are characterized by high water content. Its length is 2900 km. Its source is in the very high point Brazilian plateau. Descending from it, she passes a large number of rapids.
In its middle reaches, the river is quite calm, as it flows mainly through a wide valley. After the city of Cabrobo, San Francisco carries its waters to the Atlantic Ocean through mountain ranges. It passes through a cascade of waterfalls of extraordinary beauty - Paulo Afonso, whose height is 81 m.
San Francisco is in the driest part of the country, so its water levels vary greatly depending on the season. The river is navigable, but not along its entire course.
The large rivers (and lakes) of Brazil, or more precisely its eastern part, are characterized by regime instability. These include Parnaiba and Tocantins. During the dry season, some rivers in the northeast dry up.
Now let's go to the south of the country. There are few rivers here, but they have a constant regime, thanks to the relatively uniform distribution of precipitation throughout the year. This is important for the hydroelectric power plants located here. The largest river in this territory is Zhakuy.
As follows from the above, there are very large rivers on the territory of this country. And the lakes of Brazil are distinguished by their considerable size and magnificent landscapes. The country is not very rich in individual lakes. More often they are located in river basins.
Most of Lakes of Brazil are located off the Atlantic coast. The largest of them is Lagoa Mirin. It is also the largest in Latin America. The reservoir is located in the south of the country.
It should be noted that the large rivers and lakes of Brazil, photos of which you can see in our article, are surprisingly picturesque. An example of this is this beautiful lagoon lake. It is separated by applied sandstone and a spit of swamps. It connects with another lake - Patus. A rich fauna is represented here.
Until recently, Lagoa-Mirin was not very popular among tourists, although today it is very often included in excursion programs. Fishing lovers get special pleasure here.
Not all large rivers and lakes in Brazil are deep. For example, Lake Patus. It is not connected to the ocean. Its area is 10,000 square kilometers. This is the world's largest shallow lake. It stretches 240 km in length and 48 km in width.
It is separated from it by a sand spit 8 kilometers long. The surroundings of the lake cannot be called deserted. In the northwest is the city of Porto Alegre, which is the capital of the southern Brazilian state.
Today this city is modern port, a major political, cultural and economic center of the area. Europeans first appeared here at the beginning of the 16th century. They mistakenly thought that Patus was Rio Grande. This misconception persisted for several decades.
The lake was named by the Dutchman Frederik de Wit (1670) when he created maps of this region of the mainland. More precise coordinates of the lake were determined in 1698. A few years later, settlers from the Azores appeared here. It was they who called this territory the Great River of St. Peter.
A city was founded here, which later became the state capital. In those distant times, it was a land with virgin nature. The area around the lake was surrounded by endless dense forests with rich wildlife.
The peculiarity of the lake is that its water level constantly fluctuates. This phenomenon is caused by river runoff. In these places, river levels largely depend on the amount of precipitation.
In the vicinity of Patus, coal is mined and soil irrigation is carried out. In turn, this led to what had Negative influence to the entire ecology around the island.
It is difficult to describe the major rivers and lakes of Brazil briefly. They are all very interesting. For example, unique natural object- Gruta do Lago Azur. The name can be translated as “blue lake”.
It was discovered in the early 20s of the last century by local Indians. Having descended 100 meters to the bottom of the cave, they discovered a lake whose depth reached 90 m.
Today, scientists believe that this is one of the most flooded voids underground. Most of the cave is occupied by the lake. The water in it is clean and has a bright blue tint. This is an ideal place for diving - the amazing clarity of the water makes it possible to observe the life of the underwater kingdom.
No less interesting are the lakes located in Lenções Maranhensens (national park). This is no ordinary desert. During the rainy season, water appears here, which forms many freshwater lakes. No one knows where a lot of fish, crabs and other marine life immediately appear in them. There is a version that the eggs are carried by birds from the sea coast.
The rainy season here lasts four months (from March to June). At this time, nomadic Indians come here and enjoy fishing. After the rains stop, the lakes dry up, and the Indians go to work in neighboring villages.
Brazil is famous for its numerous luxurious beaches, which stretch for hundreds of kilometers along east coast countries. However, every year millions of tourists from the most different countries the world comes to Brazil not only for the excellent beach resorts. Tourists are also interested in the sights and culture of this country, which gave the world samba, capoeira and Brazilian football.
Brazil is located in South America. Brazil is bordered in the north by Suriname, Venezuela, Guyana and French Guiana, in the northwest by Colombia, in the west by Peru and Bolivia, in the south by Uruguay, and in the southwest by Argentina and Paraguay. In the east the country is washed by the Atlantic Ocean. The total area of this state is 8,514,877 square meters. km., and the total length of the state border is 14,691 km.
The territory of Brazil is very diverse - there are lowlands, plains, hills, mountains. In the north there is the Amazonian Lowland, which passes into the Guiana Plateau, and in the south - the Brazilian Plateau. The highest local peak is Neblin Peak, whose height reaches 2,994 meters.
The main Brazilian rivers are the Amazon, Paraná (and its main tributary Iguazu), Negro, San Francisco and Madeira.
Brasilia is the capital of Brazil. The population of this city is now more than 2.6 million people. Brasilia was built in the late 1950s.
The official language is Portuguese.
About 86% of residents are Christians (of which more than 84% are Catholics, and more than 22% are Protestants).
According to the 1988 Constitution, Brazil is a federal republic. Its head is the President, who is elected for a term of 4 years. Executive power belongs to the President, Vice-President and the Cabinet of 15 ministers with a chairman.
The bicameral Brazilian parliament is called the National Congress, it consists of the Senate (81 senators) and the Chamber of Deputies (513 deputies).
Basic political parties– “Workers’ Party”, “Party of the Brazilian Democratic Movement”, “Brazilian Social Democratic Party”, “ Democratic Party", "Progressive Party" and "Republic Party".
Administratively, the country is divided into 26 states and one federal district with its center in Brasilia.
The climate is varied, ranging from tropical to subequatorial. The Amazon basin has a tropical climate average annual temperature air +27C.
The best time to visit Brazil is from December to March. At this time, the weather is sunny enough to sunbathe on the beaches and swim in the ocean. In addition, you need to remember about the Brazilian Carnival in February.
In general, you can relax in this South American country all year round. But you need to take into account that in the northeast the rainy season occurs in April-July, and in the Rio de Janeiro area - in October-January.
In the east, Brazil is washed by the Atlantic Ocean. Length coastline is 7,491 km. average temperature sea near the coast from January to March - +25C, and from July to September - +23C.
A large number of rivers flow through Brazil. The largest of them are the Amazon, Parana (and its main tributary Iguazu), Negro, San Francisco and Madeira.
In the state of Parana, on the border with Argentina, are the famous Iguazu Falls, consisting of 270 individual waterfalls.
The modern history of Brazil began in 1500, when the Portuguese fleet led by Pedro Alvares Cabral sailed to the shores of this country. The first Portuguese settlement in Brazil appeared in 1532, and the colonization of this country actually began in 1534, when the Portuguese king divided it into 12 colonies.
In 1549 the colonies were united into a single Brazilian Government General. By the middle of the 16th century, Brazil had become the world's largest supplier of sugar. To grow sugar cane they began there in large quantities import black slaves from Angola and Mozambique.
In 1640, the Marquis de Montalvan became the first Viceroy of Brazil. By the end of the 17th century, sugar exports from this South American state had decreased markedly. However, nothing threatened the Brazilian economy, because Large reserves of gold were found in the country.
In 1822, Brazil declared independence from Portugal and the Brazilian Empire was formed, led by Emperor Pedro I.
Slavery in Brazil was only abolished in 1888. A year after this, in 1889, the Republic of Brazil was proclaimed.
In 1930, Getulio Vargas became the President of Brazil, who then introduced personal rule in the country - a dictatorship. In 1954, senior officers of the Brazilian army carried out a political armed coup, and Marshal Humberto Castelo Branco actually came to power.
Brazil is now the political and economic leader in South America.
Modern Brazilian society was formed as a result of the fusion of representatives of many cultures. This is why Brazilian culture is so diverse and interesting.
Capoeira, one of the most beautiful martial arts in the world, was born in Brazil. Capoeira emerged among black slaves as a response to cruelty at the hands of white planters.
Another one characteristic Brazilian culture - samba dance. This dance remains the most popular form of folk music for many Brazilians.
Also, one should not forget about football, which for the vast majority of Brazilians has already become a real religion. Is it possible to imagine Brazilian culture without football?
Every year at the end of February before Lent, Carnival is held in many Brazilian cities, which these days has already become the most grandiose show in the world. The cities of Rio de Janeiro and Salvador are especially famous for their parades, the organizers of which spend several months annually on preparation.
Brazilian cuisine was formed under the influence of the culinary traditions of local Indians, Portuguese, Italians, Germans, Africans and even Japanese and Arabs. The staple foods for many Brazilians are rice, black beans and cassava.
Some experts say that there is no single Brazilian cuisine as such, but there are separate regional culinary traditions.
Tourists in Brazil are recommended to try “feijoada” (rice, beans with tomatoes and meat), kebabs “charrasco”, “tutu” (mashed beans and meat), “embalaya” (meat stew with vegetables and tomatoes), “xinxim” (chicken with tomatoes and shrimp), “acaraje” (fried beans), vegetable soup“calderada”, shrimp with vegetables and spicy sauce “caruru”, Brazilian “fish soup” “mokicha”, etc.
Traditional soft drinks – fruit juices, coconut juice, and, of course, coffee.
Traditional alcoholic drinks are cachaça (a strong national alcoholic drink), beer and rum.
In Brazil, tourists will find not only excellent picturesque beaches, but also very interesting sights. Near the border with Argentina and Paraguay on the Iguazu River there are the famous Iguazu Falls, which are visited by about 1 million tourists annually.
The most important Brazilian attraction is the huge 38-meter statue of Christ the Savior on Mount Corcovado in Rio de Janeiro.
65 km from Rio de Janeiro in Petropolis is the Imperial Museum, as well as the very interesting summer residence of Emperor Pedro I.
We recommend tourists to visit the city of Salvador, which once upon a time became the first settlement of the Portuguese in Brazil. In this city, a large number of medieval churches, monasteries and palaces have been preserved to this day.
We also recommend paying attention to Brazilian nature reserves and National parks, of which there are more than twenty in this country. This is, first of all, the Iguazu National Park, whose area is 17 thousand hectares and the Pantanal Nature Reserve, with an area of 150 thousand square meters. km.
The largest cities are Rio de Janeiro, Salvador, Brasilia, Fortaleza, Belo Horizonte, Curitiba, Manaus, and, of course, Sao Paulo.
Brazil is famous all over the world for its beaches. Some of them are among the best in the world. Every coastal Brazilian city can be called beach resort. Naturally, the beach infrastructure there is well developed. The top ten best Brazilian beaches, in our opinion, include the following:
Various handicrafts, leather goods, wallets and purses are brought from Brazil as souvenirs, Jewelry self made, football souvenirs, small figurines of Christ the Redeemer, women's scarves "canga", the Brazilian traditional alcoholic drink "cachaça".
Brazil's river network is very dense and rich in water. From west to east, the country is crossed by the deepest and largest river in the world in terms of basin size - the Amazon, which irrigates the northern regions of the country. It is formed outside of Brazil by the confluence of the Marañon and Ucayali rivers and has a length of 6,400 km from the source of the Marañon, and more than 7,000 km from the source of the Ucayali. Its length within the country is 3165 km. The area of the Amazon basin in Brazil is about 4.8 million square meters. km (almost 60% of the total basin area). The width of its channel on the border with Peru is more than 1.5 km, in the middle reaches, near the city of Manaus - 5 km, in the lower reaches - up to 20 km, and at the mouth reaches 80-150 km. The depth of the river in the middle reaches is about 70 m, near the city of Obidus - 135 m, at the mouth - from 15 to 45 m.
Numerous tributaries flow into the Amazon. The largest right tributaries are the Purus (3 thousand km), Jurua, Tapajos and Xingu (the length of each is about 2 thousand km), Madeira (about 1.5 thousand km). Large left tributaries are the Rio Negru (more than 1.5 thousand km), Zhapura, Isa. The Amazon mode is complex and varied. Due to the fact that its tributaries are located in different hemispheres, floods occur on them at different times: on the right - from October to April (summer season in the southern hemisphere), on the left - from April to October (summer season in the northern hemisphere) , and seasonal fluctuations in flow in the Amazon are smoothed out. The average water flow in the lower reaches is about 220 thousand cubic meters. m/sec. The average annual flow of the river is approximately 7,000 cubic meters. km - about 15% of the annual flow of all rivers on Earth. The Amazon carries an average of more than 1 billion tons of sediment per year. Its muddy yellow waters are visible in the ocean up to 300 km from the coast. The regime of the river is also influenced by sea tidal waves, which the Tupi Indians called “amazunu”, hence the name of the river. These waves reach 5 m in height and travel up the river for 1400 km, flooding the low floodplains of the Igapo. The Amazon has significant energy potential (about 280 million kW), which is extremely underutilized.
The second largest river in South America, the Paraná, irrigates the south and southwest of Brazil (more than 1/10 of its territory). The main tributaries of the Paraná are the Paraguay, Tieteux, Iguazu, and Paranapanema. There are many rapids and waterfalls on the Parana and its tributaries. The largest of the waterfalls are: Iguazu (height about 80 m), located on the left tributary of the same name, and the cascade of waterfalls Seti-Kedas (Guaira) (33 m) on Parana. Paraná accounts for 57% of Brazil's vast hydroelectric potential, estimated at 79.4 billion kW. The eastern part of the country belongs to the basin of the San Francisco River (more than 2900 km long), in the lower reaches of which there is a cascade of Paulo Afonso waterfalls with a total height of 84 m. The rivers are characterized by sharp fluctuations in water flow. Other significant rivers in this area are Pa-raiba, Paraguaçu, Jequitinbna, etc. All of them are full-flowing, fast-moving and have great hydroelectric potential.
The largest rivers in the northeast of Brazil - Tocantins and Parnaiba - have rapids and are characterized by variable regime, which is also typical for other rivers in the region. During the dry season, some of them dry out. The rivers of the southeast are few in number and have the most stable regime, which is explained by the relatively uniform distribution of precipitation throughout the year. The constancy of the regime of these rivers is very important for the production of hydroelectric power. The largest river is Zhakuy.
There are relatively few lakes in Brazil. These are mainly lagoon lakes and floodplain oxbow lakes, widespread in the Amazon floodplain. The largest of the lagoon lakes are the shallow lakes Patus (area exceeding 10 thousand sq. km) and Lagoa Mirin, connected by a channel.
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