Juruá River facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Yuruá River |
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Yuruá River taken from the International Space Station
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Map of the Amazon Basin with the Juruá River highlighted
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| Country | Brazil, Peru |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Main source | Ucayali Region, Peru 430 m (1,410 ft) 10°5′36.4776″S 72°11′56.4576″W / 10.093466000°S 72.199016000°W |
| River mouth | Amazon River 36 m (118 ft) 2°38′9″S 65°45′22″W / 2.63583°S 65.75611°W |
| Length | 3,283 km (2,040 mi) |
| Discharge (location 2) |
(Period of data: 1970-1996)4,780 m3/s (169,000 cu ft/s) |
| Discharge (location 3) |
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| Basin features | |
| River system | Solimões |
| Basin size | 190,573 km2 (73,581 sq mi) |
| Tributaries |
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The Juruá River (Portuguese Rio Juruá; Spanish Río Yuruá) is a very long river in South America. It flows through parts of Peru and Brazil. This river is a major branch, or tributary, of the mighty Amazon River. It's known for winding slowly through huge, flat forest areas.
Contents
Where is the Juruá River?
The Juruá River starts in the highlands of Ucayali Region in Peru. From there, it flows generally northeast. It eventually joins the Amazon River in Brazil. The river is so long that it's one of the longest branches of the Amazon.
How Long is the Juruá River?
The Juruá River stretches for about 3,283 kilometers (2,040 miles). That's a really long distance! For much of its length, about 1,823 kilometers (1,133 miles), boats can travel on it without problems. This makes it an important waterway for people living along its banks.
What Kind of Nature is Around the Juruá River?
For most of its journey, the Juruá River flows through a special type of forest called the Purus várzea ecoregion. This area is known for its "várzea" forests, which are regularly flooded by the river. These floods bring new soil, making the land very fertile.
Around this flooded forest, there's another important natural area. It's called the Juruá-Purus moist forests ecoregion. This region is home to many different plants and animals. It's a rich and diverse part of the Amazon rainforest.
Protecting the Juruá River
People are working to protect the important natural areas around the Juruá River.
- The Médio Juruá Extractive Reserve was created in 1997. It covers a huge area of 251,577 hectares (about 971 square miles). This reserve helps local communities use the forest resources in a sustainable way.
- The Baixo Juruá Extractive Reserve was created in 2001. It covers 187,982 hectares (about 726 square miles). The lower part of the Juruá River forms its western edge.
- Since 2018, the lower part of the river in Brazil has been named a protected Ramsar site. Ramsar sites are wetlands that are important internationally for their unique nature. This helps protect the river's wetlands and the wildlife that depends on them.
See also
In Spanish: Río Yuruá para niños
