Wanderlust World Wanderlust World The Amazon River is the largest river in the world by discharge volume — and the second longest after the Nile.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Discharge (avg) | 209,000 m³/s (7.4M ft³/s) — 20% of global river flow to oceans |
| Discharge (max) | 300,000+ m³/s (wet season) |
| Length | ~6,400 km (3,977 mi) — debated; some studies suggest > Nile |
| Basin Area | 7.05M km² (2.72M sq mi) — 40% South America |
| Source | Apacheta Creek, Nevado Mismi, Peru (5,597 m / 18,363 ft) |
| Mouth | Atlantic Ocean (broad estuary, 240 km wide) |
| Countries | Brazil (60%), Peru, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana |
| Aspect | Amazon | Nile |
|---|---|---|
| Discharge | 209,000 m³/s (#1) | 2,830 m³/s (#26) |
| Length | ~6,400 km (#2*) | ~6,650 km (#1*) |
| Basin | 7.05M km² | 3.25M km² |
| Sediment | 1.2B tons/yr | 120M tons/yr (Aswan traps most) |
| Delta | Estuarine (tide-dominated) | Arcuate (wave-dominated) |
*Length measurements vary by source definition; recent Brazilian studies claim Amazon longer.
The Amazon River system is a planetary organ — regulating carbon, water, and energy cycles at continental scale. Its discharge freshens the Atlantic for 100s of km, affecting hurricane formation, marine productivity, and global conveyor circulation.