Why in news
The worst drought on record has lowered the water level of the rivers in the Amazon basin to historic lows, in some cases drying up riverbeds that were previously navigable waterways.
The Solimoes, one of the main tributaries of the mighty Amazon River whose waters originate in the Peruvian Andes, has fallen to its lowest level on record in Tabatinga.
Amazon River
It is the world's largest river by water volume and width and the second-longest river in the world after the Nile.
Its journey begins high in the Andes Mountains and empties into the Atlantic Ocean on the northeastern coast of Brazil.
It has the largest drainage area of any river system.
Its watershed spans the countries of Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, and Bolivia.
Roughly two-thirds of the Amazon’s main stream and by far the largest portion of its basin are within Brazil.
Notable tributaries include the Rio Negro, the Madeira River, and the Xingu River, the Solimoes
The Amazon Rainforest, which represents about half of the Earth’s remaining rainforest, also constitutes its single largest reserve of biological resources.
Solimoes
Solimoes is the name often given to upper stretches of the Amazon River in Brazil from its confluence with the Rio Negro upstream to the border of Peru
Peruvian Andes
The Peruvian Andes traditionally have been described as three cordilleras, which come together at the Vilcanota, Pasco, and Loja (Ecuador) knots.
The Pasco Knot is a large, high plateau.
On the west slope the Rímac River rises in a cluster of lakes fed by glaciers and descends rapidly to the ocean
Many small lakes and ponds are found on the knots, with Lake Junín being the largest.
Peruvian Andes
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