Wanderlust World Wanderlust World The Amazon River is the second‑longest river in the world at approximately 6,400 km (4,000 miles), trailing only the Nile. However, it dwarfs all others in discharge—carrying more water than the next seven largest rivers combined.
Its drainage basin spans 7.05 million km² across nine South American countries, hosting the planet's richest terrestrial and aquatic biodiversity—countless fish, mammals, birds, and plants, many endemic.
The Amazon regulates regional climate, sequesters vast carbon, and supports millions of Indigenous and local communities. Its health is critical to global ecological stability.