Amazon Basin
Explanation
A river basin or drainage basin is the area of land where precipitation collects and drains off into a common outlet, such as into a river, bay, or other body of water. The size of a basin is determined by the total surface area from which the river system receives its water.
Analysis of Options:
- Ganga Basin: While it is one of the most populous river basins in the world and significant in South Asia, its drainage area is approximately 1.08 million square kilometers, which is much smaller than the global leaders.
- Nile Basin: The Nile is widely recognized as the longest river in the world. However, its drainage basin covers approximately 3.4 million square kilometers. It is restricted by the arid nature of much of the region it flows through.
- Amazon Basin: The Amazon River has the largest drainage basin in the world, covering approximately 7 million square kilometers. It encompasses about 40% of the South American continent and discharges the greatest volume of water globally.
- Mississippi Basin: This is the largest drainage basin in North America, covering about 3.2 million square kilometers, but it is significantly smaller than the Amazon Basin.
Key Takeaway:
The Nile is the longest river by length, whereas the Amazon is the largest river by drainage area and discharge volume.