The Amazon Basin: Introduction

Submitted by The Catt-Trax2 Team on Fri, 2007/01/05 - 1:54pm.
Report prepared by Justine Kowalski and Ben McGibbon, students in BCIT's Fish, Wildlife and Recreation Program.

Geography

Territories of six South American countries form the Amazon Basin. These countries are: Bolivia, Brazil, Columbia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela. Fifty percent of Brazil's territory lies in the Amazon Basin. The Basin covers large portions of several other countries as well. The Amazon Basin borders two Brazilian cities: Belém and Manaus located near the Rio Negro.

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People

Approximately twenty-six million people live in the Amazon Basin, almost half of them Brazilians. Today, approximately 400 groups live in the Amazon Basin, most of whom survive by fishing and farming.

Many indigenous languages are spoken in the Amazon Basin but the primary two languages are Spanish and Portuguese.

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Economy

Some economically valuable products produced in the Amazon Basin include:

  • petroleum
  • crude oil
  • Brazil nuts
  • rubber latex
  • agriculture
  • drug chemicals
  • insecticides
  • proteins
  • waxes

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