Question

Amazon basin is mainly _____.
A) Drought prone
B) Swamp
C) Unfavourable for human settlements
D) Fertile

Answer 1

Hint: The Amazon River Basin is home to animals like the anaconda, armed spiders, bullet ants, poison dart frogs, assassin bugs, bull sharks etc. Amazon also has a rich collection of flora, including giant water lilies, coffee plants, passion flowers, cacao etc.

Complete answer:
The Amazon River Basin, the largest river basin in the world, is located in South America and it covers a significant portion of the country of Brazil. It is infamous for the huge amount of deadly organisms that seek shelter in this ecosystem.

Now let us analyze the given options:
Option A) Drought prone – Amazon is located in the humid tropical region. The atmosphere itself has a lot of moisture and thus brings a lot of rain. Also, it is the largest river basin with an immense supply of water. It is not a drought-prone area, rather it receives generous precipitation. Thus, this option is incorrect.
Option B) Swamp – Swamps are regions that act as transition points from water to land. They are marshy and have waterlogged soil. The soil may be waterlogged from saltwater or freshwater depending on its location. Some parts of the Amazon are also swamps but it is relatively smaller. Therefore, this option is incorrect.
Option C) Unfavorable for human settlements – The Amazon basin is covered densely with forests. The forests are extremely thick with very few areas suitable for settlements. Moreover, the forests are filled with thousands of different species of birds, animals and insects which are deadly predators or highly venomous. Therefore, the region is not very suitable for human settlements. Thus, this option is correct.
Option D) Fertile – The soils in the tropical regions are not known to be very fertile. The amazon basin also does not have a source for any sediments to be brought by the river into the forests. The soil on which the forests stand has lost its nutrients and fertility. The huge and mature trees of the forests take up all the nutrients from the soil and hinder the growth of any new plant. Thus, this option is wrong.

Thus, the correct answer is Option (C) Amazon basin is mainly unfavourable for human settlements.

Note: We have seen above, that the soil in the Amazon basin has lost its nutrients and fertility. But, surprisingly the forests continue to thrive. This is because the process of decomposition and replenishment of the soil from the dead organic matter of plants and animals is extremely fast. This is due to the highly favourable climatic condition of the place.