Second in length only to the Nile, the Amazon River carries a greater volume of water than any other river in the world. This attractive book features the fascinating facts about this far-reaching river and the animals, plant life, and indigenous cultures that live in the surrounding rain forest. Flowing from the Andes Mountains in South America down to the Atlantic Ocean, the Amazon supports farming, tourism, fishing, logging, mining, and hydroelectric power production. However, agricultural practices, deforestation, and pollution threaten South America's great river, which plays a key role in Earth's natural cycles and climate regulation.