Rivers of Brazil: the Amazon and Its Great Tributaries
Brazil holds most of the Amazon basin. The Amazon is fed by giant tributaries: the dark Rio Negro, the Japurá and the Purus from the north and west, and the Madeira, its largest tributary, the clear Tapajós and the Xingu from the south. The Tocantins and the Araguaia flow north through central Brazil, and the Paraná flows south.
Amazon, Araguaia and Tocantins run upward; Madeira, Negro and Xingu read backwards.
Rivers of Brazil and the Tropical Basin Vocabulary: 10 Words to Find
Words run across, up and down; 6 of the 10 read backwards. The longest word is Tocantins, with 9 letters.
- Amazon: The largest river on Earth by volume, flowing about 6,400 km across South America to the Atlantic.
- Araguaia: A Brazilian river about 2,600 km long, home to Bananal, one of the largest river islands in the world.
- Japura: A river of Brazil, called the Caquetá in Colombia, that flows into the Amazon.
- Madeira: The largest tributary of the Amazon.
- Negro: The Rio Negro, a dark-water tributary of the Amazon; also a river of Argentina.
- Parana: South America's second-longest river, about 4,880 km.
- Purus: A long, winding tributary of the Amazon.
- Tapajos: A clear-water tributary of the Amazon in Brazil.
- Tocantins: A large river of central Brazil that flows north to the Atlantic.
- Xingu: A clear-water tributary of the Amazon in Brazil.
How to Solve the Rivers of Brazil and the Tropical Basin Word Search
"Xingu" has the only X and reads backwards, like "Madeira" and "Negro". "Amazon" has the only Z and runs upward. "Japura" and "Tapajos" both have a J and both run down. "Purus" is the only word that reads normally across.
Amazon River Activities
- Trace the tributaries on a map of the Amazon basin.
- Pour coffee and milk side by side to model the Meeting of the Waters.
- Ask why some rivers are black and others clear.
Rivers of Brazil and the Tropical Basin Word Search FAQ
Who is the Rivers of Brazil and the Tropical Basin Word Search for?
Ages 10 and up and rainforest units.
Which directions do the words run in?
Words run across, up and down; 6 of the 10 read backwards. There are no diagonal words.
Is there an answer key for the Rivers of Brazil and the Tropical Basin Word Search?
Yes. Download it from the printable section above: it is a separate PDF with all 10 words marked. Online, each word is crossed off the list the moment you find it.
More Rivers Word Searches
- Rivers of South America and the Amazon Basin Word Search: all of South America's great rivers.
- Rivers of Colombia and the Northern Andes Word Search: the rivers of Colombia.
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