CHAPTER THREE

Rivers and Waterfalls

Rivers usually begin as streams in mountains. The water comes from rain or snow. All rivers then go to the ocean.

Big rivers are very strong. When the ground under a river is soft, the river makes valleys. When the ground under it is hard rock, there are waterfalls or rapids.

One incredible waterfall is the Iguazu Falls between Argentina and Brazil. Iguazu means ‘big water’ in an old language of South America.

There’s more water in the River Amazon than in any other river in the world. It begins in the mountains in Peru and Ecuador. Then it goes through the rainforest in Brazil, and to the Atlantic Ocean.

There are no bridges on the Amazon. First, the river goes through rainforest and there are no roads. Then, near the ocean, the river is very wide so people can’t build bridges. They cross the river by boat.

The Amazon is the home of one of the longest snakes, called anacondas. Some grow to 9 meters long.