Madeira River

High school (ages 12+)
Geography

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/madeira-river

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. How long is the Madeira River?1,450 km (900 miles)
2. What is the Madeira River known for?Approximately 15%
3. What is the location?South America
4. What is the largest tributary of?Amazon River
5. How much water does the Madeira River bring to the Amazon?It supplies about 15% of all the water that flows into the Amazon basin, making it a major contributor to the river’s flow.
6. Why is the Madeira River called "Wood River"?Portuguese explorers named it Madeira, meaning "Wood River," because the river carries lots of wood and debris from the forests it passes through.

Hydrological Regime: The pattern of water flow and storage in a river system, influenced by climate and geography.
Tributary: A stream or river that flows into a larger stream or river, thereby contributing to the larger stream's water volume.
Amazon Basin: The extensive drainage area of the Amazon River and its tributaries, encompassing a significant portion of South America.
Sediment Transport: The movement of solid particles (like sand, silt, and clay) by flowing water, which shapes riverbeds and floodplains.