Andes Mountains, 
Argentina

The Andes, a South American mountain range, extends 7240 km (4500 mi) Shown here is the peak Aconcagua, which lies in
 the  Argentine branch of the Andes.  This magnificent peak is the highest mountain in the we stern hemisphere, with a height
of 6959 m (22,831 ft).

Scott Woolums, ALL STOCK, INC.

Amazon River, Brazil

              The Victoria  Amazonica
is the largest water lily in the world. Located in the Amazon, this lily grows leaves that range from two to six feet in diameter. The lilies provide food for fish and wildlife in the Amazon region, but can also cause drainage problems because of their large size.

W & D McIntyre,
ALL STOCK, INC.

Amazon River

The Amazon flows eastward
about6275 km (3900 mi) through South America, from the confluence of its Andean headstreams near Iquitos,  Peru, to its mouth at the Atlantic Ocean north of Marajó Island, Brazil. Second in length only to Africa’s Nile, the Amazon carries a greater volume of water than  any river in the world. Navigable for almost its entire length, the Amazon provides an important commercial route through the continent. This map illustrates the route of   the Amazon and shows many of its tributaries.

Amazon Jungle, Brazil

Heavy precipitation accounts for seasonal high water in the tributary system of the Amazon, the world’s second longest river. Here, flood waters encroach on a dwelling on the Río Pará, a tributary of the Amazon. The Amazon rain forest, about two-thirds of which lies in Brazil, grows around the river system, and many of its species rely on the river’s flooding for survival. The Amazon rain forest provides a home to more species of plants and animals than any other ecosystem in the world.

Francois Gohier, Photo Researchers, Inc.