Madeira River

About Madeira River: 

• It is a major tributary of the Amazon River.
• It is formed by the junction of the Mamoré and Beni rivers at Villa Bella, Bolivia, and flows northward.
• It forms the border between Bolivia and Brazil for approximately 60 miles (100 km).
• The Madeira River is part of the larger Madeira Basin, which encompasses approximately 1,300,000 square kilometers (502,000 square miles) and covers about 19% of the entire Amazon Basin.
• The basin extends across Bolivia, Brazil, and Peru, with roughly 50% of its area in Bolivia, 40% in Brazil, and 10% in Peru. 
• Significance of the river
  • The Madeira River is a significant waterway in South America, playing a crucial role in the hydrology of the Amazon Basin.
  • As the largest tributary of the Amazon River, it is a vital component of the region’s ecosystem, spanning Bolivia and Brazil and supporting diverse flora and fauna.

Q1: What is Hydrology?

Hydrology is the science that encompasses the study of water on the Earth’s surface and beneath the surface of the Earth, the occurrence and movement of water, the physical and chemical properties of water, and its relationship with the living and material components of the environment.

Source: A crisis in the making: Amazon, the largest river in the world, is drying