What makes the Amazon the greatest river in the world is the sheer volume of water that it carries, as well as its length. It is one of the longest rivers in the world, approximately 6,276 km (3,900 miles) long. Although the Nile River in Africa is the longest river in the world (approximately 6,671 or 4,145 miles long), it does not carry the amount of water that the Amazon River does. Because the Amazon drains the entire northern half of the South American continent, including all the torrential tropical rains that deluge the rainforests, it carries an enormous amount of water. The mouth of the Amazon River, where it meets the sea, is so wide and deep that ocean-going ships have navigated its waters and traveled far inland.The Amazon River is not only the greatest in the world, it is home to many other “extremes” of the natural world. Have you ever seen a catfish? They're usually found in warm, slow moving waters of lakes and streams, and some people keep them as pets in aquariums. Catfish are pretty ugly, creepy-looking fish with big flat heads and “whiskers” on either side of their head (hence the name, catfish). Most catfish in the US are anywhere from eight inches long to about five feet, weighing in at up to 40 pounds. But the catfish that live in the world's greatest river have all the room in the world to grow as big as nature will allow — they have been captured at up to 200 pounds!
The Amazon is also home to some other extreme creatures, such as the anaconda, and the piranha. For more information, please visit http://www.extremescience.com/AmazonRiver.htm.
2. Francisco PizarroFrancisco Pizarro was born in Spain, probably in 1475 and died in Peru in 1541. He was the illegitimate son of Gonzalo Pizarro and Francisca González, who paid little attention to his education, and he grew up without learning how to read or write. His father was a captain of infantry and had fought in the Neopolitan wars with el Gran Capitán Gonzalo de Córdoba. Filled with enthusiasm at the accounts of the exploits of his countrymen in America, Pizarro set sail on 10 November, 1509 with Alonzo de Ojeda from Spain, on the latter's expedition to Urabí, where Ojeda founded the city of San Sebastian and left it in Pizarro's care when he returned to the ship for provisions. Hardships and the climate having thinned the ranks of his companions, Pizarro sailed to the port of Cartagena. There he joined the fleet of Martin Fernández de Encíso, and later attached himself to the expedition of Nuñez de Balboa, whom he accompanied on his journey across the Isthmus of Panama to discover the Pacific Ocean. In 1515 he was sent to trade with the natives along the Pacific coast. When the capital was transferred to Panama he helped Pedrarias to subjugate the warlike tribes of Veraguas, and in 1520 accompanied Espinosa on his expedition into the territory of the Cacique Urraca, situated in the present Republic of Costa Rica. Please visit http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12140a.htm for more information.
3. IncaThe Incas are an American Indian people of Peru, who in the two centuries before the Spanish discovery of America conquered an area stretching from the southern border of present-day Colombia to central Chile. Centering on the city of Cusco in the Peruvian Andes, the Inca domain included the coastal and mountain regions of present-day Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, and the northern areas of Chile and Argentina — the only true empire existing in the New World at the time of Columbus, and the greatest political achievement of the American Indians. In the native language the term “Inca” was the title of the Indian emperor. Today, however, it is also applied to the original tribe of conquerors and to all those people who made up the empire. For more information, please visit http://www.crystalinks.com/inca.html.
4. the Andes MountainsThe Andes Mountains stretch over 8,850 kilometers (5,500 miles) from the southern tip of Argentina and Chile to the northern part of Columbia in South America. With many peaks and active volcanoes over 6,000 meters (approximately 20,000 feet), including the highest peak Cerro Aconcagua (approximately 6,962 meters or 22,826 feet, located on the Chile/Argentina border), this majestic region is second only to the Himalayas in size and average elevation. With the high snow-covered mountains as a spectacular backdrop, fishing for trout and Atlantic salmon can be an unforgettable experience. Further information can be obtained at http://www.andes.org.
