Purus River

The Purus River (Portuguese: Rio Purus; Spanish: Río Purús) is a tributary of the Amazon River in South America. It flows through a large area, with a drainage basin covering 371,042 km² (143,260 sq mi). This makes it an important part of the Amazon rainforest's water system.

The Purus River has an average flow of about 11,207 m³/s (395,800 cu ft/s) each year, showing how much water it carries. The river gives its name to several places nearby, such as the Alto Purús National Park and the Purús Province, which includes the Purús District. These areas are part of the four provinces in the Ucayali Region of Peru.

Geography

The Purus River starts in Peru and helps form the border between Peru and Brazil. It flows through many protected areas, like forests and reserves, and eventually joins the Amazon River.

The river is known for its many twists and turns. Even though it looks very crooked, its straight-line distance is much shorter. For a long stretch, the river stays about the same width and depth.

Biodiversity

The Purús red howler is a type of howler monkey that lives in Brazil, Peru, and the northern part of Bolivia. Another animal, Peckoltia brevis, a kind of catfish, lives in the middle and upper parts of the Amazon River within the area of the Purus River.

Much of the central and lower parts of the Purus River run through the Purus várzea area. Near the town of Tapauá in Amazonas, the river passes through the Abufari Biological Reserve, a protected area that covers 233,864 hectares (577,890 acres).

Earthworks discovery

In 2008, people found signs of an old civilization that lived long ago near the upper part of the Purus River, close to where Bolivia is. This discovery happened after parts of the forest were cut down to make space for farming. Looking at pictures taken from space, they saw big shapes made from earth that had been built a very long time ago.