Amazon River Basin

The Amazon River Basin covers 2, 722, 000 square miles, which is as large as the continental part of the United States. It is a vast structural depression. It is twice as large as the world’s second largest drainage basin and empties in the Atlantic Ocean. 13% of the Amazon River Basin lies within the Peruvian Border. Some think the Amazon River Basin was named after the Amazon, women warriors from Greek Mythology, who were thought to live in the region. Others think the name is derived from the native word, amassona, meaning “boat destroyer”.