Which river carries more water to the sea than any other river?

The Amazon River carries more water to the sea than any other river.

Its average discharge at the Atlantic is about 209,000 cubic metres per second, though the figure varies with seasonal rainfall. The river drains a basin of roughly 7 million square kilometres across South America, including large parts of Brazil, Peru, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, and Venezuela. Its immense flow makes up a substantial share of the freshwater entering the world's oceans.

The Amazon's length is debated because measurements depend on which headwater is treated as the source. The Nile is commonly listed as longer, while some studies have argued for a longer Amazon. That dispute does not change the Amazon's clear record for greatest discharge.

The river's floodplain supports extraordinary biodiversity. The Amazon basin contains seasonally flooded forests called várzea and permanently or regularly flooded environments called igapó. Its waters also support pink river dolphins, giant river otters, and many fish species.