The Amazon Delta (Portuguese: delta do Amazonas) is a vast river delta formed by the Amazon River and the Tocantins River (through the Pará River distributary channel) in northern South America.[1][2][3] It is located in the Brazilian states of Amapá and Pará[4] and encompasses the Marajó Archipelago, with Marajó Island as its largest island. The main cities located in the vicinity are Belém and Macapá, each with its respective metropolitan region.[5]
Despite the Amazon Delta discharging more than a billion tons of sediment a year, the delta does not have a subaerial expression and thus does not meet the classic definition of a regular delta.
It has a tropical climate with high humid temperatures. The Amazon Delta has a wet season of frequent flooding and a dry season where the water dries out. These seasons shape the environment of the Amazon Delta and the life that lives there. Such life that lives in the Amazon Delta include the water buffalo which Marajo Island is well known for, three-toed sloths, capybara, giant anteater, giant otter, jaguar and pink river dolphins.[6]