Why there is no need to build a bridge across the Amazon Bashny.Net

The Amazon is the longest river in the world, and according to the latest data of Brazilian scientists. From the source of Ucayali its length is 7100 km. This is slightly higher than the official length of the Nile (6,852 km), but the question remains debatable.



The main waterway of South America flows through Peru, Colombia and Brazil. Its waters account for almost 20% of the total flow of all rivers into the World Ocean. The Amazon forms the world's greatest system of inland waterways with a total length of more than 25,000 kilometers.



On the gentle banks of the mother of rivers stretches the world’s largest rainforest, jealously guarding her mysteries. And many related phenomena are very difficult to explain. For example, why is there no bridge all over the Amazon?

The fact that the banks of the Amazon, which carries its waters across the continent, are not connected by any bridge, today seems simply incredible. There are more than 2,500 in Hamburg and 1,200 in Amsterdam.



GettyImages Why in this age of amazing technology has no one built a bridge across the Amazon? There are a number of reasons for Tom. And we'll try to figure them out.



To begin with, the width of the river in the lower reaches ranges from 11 kilometers in the dry season to 50-80 kilometers in the rainy season. At the same time, there is practically no stable channel. A powerful stream of water erodes the muddy banks, and every year the Amazon breaks into many arms, then merges again.



In addition, on the Amazon there is a unique natural phenomenon of crowing, or in Portuguese “roaring water”. With its arrival, the river waters turn back, forming a giant wave up to 6 meters high. With a deafening roar, she rises upstream, sweeping away everything in her path.



The raging element year after year ravages coastal areas: washes away houses, fills salt water fields, overturns ships and tears up trees with roots. It is obvious that building a reliable bridge in such conditions would be very difficult and, most importantly, extremely expensive task.

Another reason for the lack of bridges in the Amazon can be called the sparse population of coastal areas. However, Brazil's economy is developing rapidly. The population of cities is growing, followed by an expanding network of highways that need bridges.



So, in 2011, the largest bridge in the Amazon basin was commissioned with a length of 3595 and a height of 185 meters. He connected the city of Manaus and Irandub with automobile traffic. Does it mean that there is one bridge? Yes, but not through the Amazon. The new bridge connected the banks of the Rio Negro, the largest tributary of the Amazon.

The Brazilian president said: The Giant Bridge will give a powerful impetus to the economic development of the entire state of Amazonas. But environmentalists are concerned. They fear that rapid economic growth will cause another large-scale deforestation.

By the way, whether there are bridges in the vicinity of the Amazon and how good fishing there is, Andrei Makarevich and Alexander Rosenbaum probably know. I think fans of these artists will be interested in watching the most interesting video about their joint journey through the Amazon jungle.

The article and the preview used photos.