The Amazon River (B.C. p. 5)

The Amazon River is the longest river in South America. It flows for 4,000 miles across the continent. The location of the river's source,or beginning, was a mystery for centuries. A team of explorers and geography experts recently found the tiny stream where the mighty river begins.Birth of a Mighty RiverHigh on the Nevado Mismi, an 18,363-foot-high mountain in Peru, a stream trickles from the melting snow. A team of 22 explorers and geography experts recently announced that this small stream is the source of the mighty Amazon River.The stream flows into the Apurimac (Ah-poo-REE-mahk) River, which is one of the many rivers that combine to form the Amazon.Andrew Pietowski, a high school math teacher in New York, led the team in search of the river's source. The team searched the Andes, a range of mountains that stretches the whole western length of South America. "Since the Amazon River has an end, there must be a beginning. I wanted to know where it was," Pietowski said.The River of LifeOn its way across South America, the Amazon River flows through the largest rain forest in the world. A rain forest is a denseforest that has a lot of rainfall and warm temperatures all year round. The Amazon rain forest is almost as big as the continent of Australia.Scientists say about 80,000 different types of trees and plants can be found in the Amazon rain forest. More kinds of fish live in the Amazon River than in the Atlantic Ocean. The river flows through forests that are home to jaguars, armadillos, snakes, monkeys, crocodiles, and anteaters. Along the river live about 170 different groups of native people. What continent is the Amazon River located? North America Europe South America How long is the Amazon River? 400 miles 4,000 miles 40 miles 40,000 What surrounds the Amazon River? the largest rain forest in the world the largest desert in the world the largest ocean in the world Which of the following describes a rain forest? A rain forest is cold and gets a lot of rainfall. A rain forest is warm and gets a lot of rainfall. A rain forest is warm and gets little rainfall. How many different types of plants and trees live in the Amazon Rain Forest? 8,000 800 80,000 Look at the map. What two oceans are close to the Amazon River? The Atlantic and Pacific Ocean The Arctic and Indian Ocean The Southern and Pacific Ocean