1The Amazon is the greatest river on Earth. Although the Nile in Africa is longer, no other river comes close to matching the Amazon in terms of volume. Every second, the Amazon discharges more than 200,000 cubic metres of water into the Atlantic Ocean, accounting for roughly twenty percent of all the freshwater that flows into the world's oceans.
2The Amazon begins high in the Andes Mountains of Peru and flows for approximately 6,400 kilometres before reaching the sea. Along its journey, it is joined by more than 1,100 tributaries, some of which are enormous rivers in their own right. The river's basin, the area of land drained by the Amazon and its tributaries, covers over seven million square kilometres.
3The river supports one of the most biodiverse ecosystems on the planet. Its waters are home to over 3,000 species of fish, including the famous piranha and the giant arapaima, one of the largest freshwater fish in the world. The surrounding forest, which depends on the river's seasonal flooding to enrich the soil, is home to countless species found nowhere else on Earth.
4For thousands of years, the Amazon has been home to indigenous communities who have developed extraordinary knowledge of the forest's plants and animals. These communities rely on the river for food, transport and medicine, and their deep understanding of the ecosystem has helped them live sustainably within it for generations.
5Today, the Amazon faces serious threats. Deforestation, mining and pollution are damaging the river and the ecosystem that surrounds it. Scientists warn that if current rates of destruction continue, much of the Amazon basin could be transformed into dry savannah within decades, with catastrophic consequences for the global climate.
Match each word to its correct meaning.
The Amazon is joined by more than 1,100 . It releases twenty percent of the world's into the ocean. Seasonal enriches the soil of the forest. Scientists warn of consequences if deforestation continues.