Amazon River Basin Countries

Amazon River Basin Countries The Amazon River is the second longest river (it is just shorter than the Nile River in Egypt) in the world and it has the largest watershed or drainage basin as well as the most tributaries of any river in the world. For reference, a watershed is defined as the area of land that releases its water into a river. This entire area is often referred to as the Amazon Basin. The Amazon River begins with streams in the Andes Mountains in Peru and flows into the Atlantic Ocean about 4,000 miles (6,437 km) away.The Amazon River and its watershed encompass an area of 2,720,000 square miles (7,050,000 sq km). This area includes the largest tropical rainforest in the world - the Amazon Rainforest. In addition parts of the Amazon Basin also include grassland and savannah landscapes. As a result, this area is some of the least developed and most biodiverse in the world. Countries Included in the Amazon River Basin The Amazon River flows through three countries and its basin includes three more. The following is a list of these six countries that are part of the Amazon  River region arranged by their area. For reference, their capitals and populations have also been included. Brazil Area: 3,287,612 square miles (8,514,877 sq km)Capital: BrasiliaPopulation: 198,739,269 (July 2010 estimate) Peru Area: 496,225 square miles (1,285,216 sq km)Capital: LimaPopulation: 29,546,963 (July 2010 estimate) Colombia Area: 439,737 square miles (1,138,914 sq km)Capital: BogotaPopulation: 43,677,372 (July 2010 estimate) Bolivia Area: 424,164 square miles (1,098,581 sq km)Capital: La PazPopulation: 9,775,246 (July 2010 estimate) Venezuela Area: 352,144 square miles (912,050 sq km)Capital: CaracasPopulation: 26,814,843 (July 2010 estimate) Ecuador Area: 109,483 square miles (283,561 sq km)Capital: QuitoPopulation: 14,573,101 (July 2010 estimate) Amazon Rain Forest Over half the world rainforest is located in the Amazon Rain Forest which is also called Amazonia. The majority of the Amazon River Basin is within the Amazon Rain Forest. An estimated 16,000 species live in the Amazon. Although the Amazon Rain Forest is huge and is incredibly biodiverse its soil was not suitable for farming. For years researchers assumed that the forest must have been sparsely populated by humans because the soil could not support the agriculture needed for large populations. However, recent studies have shown the forest was much more densely populated than previously believed. Terra Preta The discovery of a type of soil known a terra preta has been found in the Amazon River Basin. This soil is the product of ancient jungle foresty. The dark soil is actually a fertilizer made from mixing charcoal, manure and bone. The charcoal is primarily what gives the soil its characteristic black color. While this ancient soil can be found in several countries in the Amazon River Basin its primarily found in Brazil. This isnt surprising as Brazil is the largest country in South America. Its so large it actually touches all but two other countries in South America.

The 10 Deadliest Tsunamis of All Time

The 10 Deadliest Tsunamis of All Time When the ocean floor moves enough, the surface finds out about it - in the resulting tsunami. A tsunami is a series of ocean waves generated by large movements or disturbances on the oceans floor. The causes of these disturbances include volcanic eruptions, landslides, and underwater explosions, but earthquakes  are the most common. Tsunamis can occur close to the shore or travel thousands of miles if the disturbance occurs in the deep ocean. Wherever they occur, though, they often have devastating consequences for the areas they hit.   For example, on March 11, 2011, Japan was struck by a magnitude 9.0 earthquake that was centered in the ocean 80 miles (130 km) east of the city of Sendai. The earthquake was so large that it triggered a massive tsunami that devastated Sendai and the surrounding area. The earthquake also caused smaller tsunamis to travel across much of the Pacific Ocean and cause damage in places like Hawaii and the west coast of the United States. Thousands were killed as a result of both the earthquake and tsunami and many more were displaced. Fortunately, it was not the worlds deadliest. With a death toll of only 18,000 to 20,000  and Japan being particularly active for tsunamis throughout history, the most recent doesnt even make the top 10 deadliest. Fortunately, warning systems are becoming better and more widespread, which can cut down on the loss of life. Also, more people understand the phenomena and heed the warnings to move to higher ground when a tsunami possibility exists. The 2004 Sumatran disaster spurred UNESCO to set a goal to establish a warning system for the Indian Ocean ​like exists in the Pacific and increase those defenses worldwide.  Ã¢â‚¬â€¹Ã¢â‚¬â€¹ The Worlds 10 Deadliest Tsunamis Indian Ocean (Sumatra, Indonesia)Estimated Number of Deaths: 300,000Year: 2004 Ancient Greece (Islands of Crete and Santorini)Estimated Number of Deaths: 100,000Year: 1645 B.C. (tie)  Portugal, Morocco, Ireland, and the United KingdomEstimated Number of Deaths: 100,000 (with 60,000 in Lisbon alone)Year: 1755 Messina, ItalyEstimated Number of Deaths: 80,000Year: 1908 Arica, Peru (now Chile)Estimated Number of Deaths: 70,000 (in Peru and Chile)Year: 1868 South China Sea (Taiwan)Estimated Number of Deaths: 40,000Year: 1782 Krakatoa, IndonesiaEstimated Number of Deaths: 36,000Year: 1883 Nankaido, JapanEstimated Number of Deaths: 31,000Year: 1498 Tokaido-Nankaido, JapanEstimated Number of Deaths: 30,000Year: 1707 Hondo, JapanEstimated Number of Deaths: 27,000Year: 1826 Sanriku, JapanEstimated Number of Deaths: 26,000Year: 1896 A Word on the Numbers Sources on death figures can vary widely (especially for those being estimated long after the fact), due to lack of data on populations in areas at the time of the event. Some sources may list the tsunami figures along with the earthquake or volcanic eruption death figures and not split out the amount killed just by the tsunami. Also, some numbers may be preliminary and are revised down when missing people are found or revised up when people die of diseases in coming days brought on by the floodwaters.