Kourou (river)

The Kourou is a river in French Guiana, discharging into the Atlantic Ocean. It is 144 km (89 mi) long.[1] The town of Kourou is located at its estuary, which is generally used as a pleasure port.

Kourou
American black vultures on the shore of the Kourou River
Location
CountryFrench Guiana
Physical characteristics
Source 
  locationAmazon Rainforest
Mouth 
  location
Atlantic Ocean
  coordinates
5°9′10″N 52°37′45″W
Length144 km (89 mi)
Basin size2,000 km2 (770 sq mi)
Discharge 
  average3,000 m3/s (110,000 cu ft/s)

Like the river Amazon, it has brown, muddy waters due to sediments picked up from the forest. A great many different fish species live in the river and are used in the local diet.

Like many Guyanaise rivers, it is polluted by mercury, as a result of clandestine gold mining.

References


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.