THE 7 MOST IMPORTANT RIVERS OF THE AMAZON REGION - GEOGRAPHY - 2024

The main rivers of the Amazon region of Colombia are the Amazon, the Caquetá, the Apaporis, the Putumayo, the Guainía, the Guaviare and the Vaupés. In general, they are very navigable rivers and relevant to the economic activities of the area.

The Colombian Amazon region borders the Orinoquía region to the north. To the south it limits with Peru, Ecuador and Brazil; to the west with the Andean region and to the east with Brazil and Venezuela.

These rivers play an extremely important role in the natural region of the Amazon, since they are the main transportation route in the area.

The 7 main rivers of the Colombian Amazon

1- Amazon River

It is the longest and the largest river on the planet. The Amazon River is 7062 kilometers long, and its basin covers an area of ​​more than 7,000,000 square kilometers.

It is born in the Ucayali-Apurímac fluvial system, in southern Peru. It passes through the extreme south of Colombia and empties into the Atlantic Ocean.

It has more than 1000 tributaries and constitutes the largest drainage system in the world.

2- Putumayo River

It establishes the southern border of Colombia with both Ecuador and Peru.

The Putumayo River is 1,813 kilometers long and its route crosses Colombia, Peru, Ecuador and Brazil.

3- Guainía River

It is the largest river of all the tributaries of the Amazon River and owes its name to the dark color of its waters.

It has an estimated length of 2,250 kilometers. It originates in Colombia, where it is called the Guainía River.

As it enters Brazil, it is called the Negro River and flows into the Amazon River.

4- Vaupés River

It is one of the most important tributaries of the Negro River. Due to its flow, it is navigable only in some sections.

Its length is 1050 kilometers. It is born in the department of Guaviare, at the juncture between the Itilla and Unilla rivers.

Then it continues its course to the department of Vaupés, on the border with Brazil.

5- Caquetá River

It is born in the Páramo de las Papas, in the Colombian massif, and follows a route of approximately 2,880 kilometers until it flows into the Solimões River (the name adopted by the Amazon River in Brazil).

The Caquetá River constitutes two natural borders between Colombian departments: the limit between the department of Cauca and Putumayo, and the demarcation between Caquetá and Amazonas.

6- Apaporis River

It is born in Mesa de Pardos, in the Meta department, and originates from the confluence of the Tunia and Ajajú rivers.

It is the main tributary of the Caquetá River and is 960 kilometers long. It establishes a section of the natural border between the Caquetá and Guaviare departments, as well as between Caquetá and Vaupés.

7- Guaviare River

It originates in the eastern Colombian mountain range, specifically in the border line between the departments of Meta and Guaviare, until it flows into the Orinoco River, on the border with Venezuela.

It establishes the natural borders of the departments of Guaviare and Guainía (northern limit) and between Meta and Vicha (southern limit). It is 1,497 kilometers long.

References

1. Crist, E., Schultz, A., and Parsons, J. (1998). Amazon River. London England. Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. Recovered from: britannica.com
2. Patiño J. (2012). Region of the Colombian Amazon. Recovered from: latierrayelhombre.wordpress.com
3. Apaporis River (nd). Recovered from: caqueta.travel
4. Caquetá River (sf). Recovered from: esacademic.com
5. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia (2017). Amazon River. Recovered from: es.wikipedia.org
6. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia (2017). Guaviare River. Recovered from: es.wikipedia.org
7. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia (2017). Rio Negro (Amazon). Recovered from: es.wikipedia.org
8. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia (2017). Vaupés River. Recovered from: es.wikipedia.org