- Madre de Dios River
Infobox_River
river_name = Madre de Dios
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caption = Madre de Dios near Boca Manu town
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basin_countries =Peru
length = convert|655|km|mi
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watershed =The Madre de Dios River, homonymous to the
Peru vian region it runs through, then becomes theBeni River inBolivia and then turns northward intoBrazil , where it is called theMadeira River . The Madeira is a tributary to theAmazon River .The Madre de Dios is an important waterway for the department of
Madre de Dios , particularlyPuerto Maldonado , the largest town in the area, and the capital of the department.Mango farming andGold mining are among the many industries on its beaches. Other important industries the Madre de Dios provides are selectivelogging and farming, both of which are serious environmental problems. Along the length of the river there are several national parks and reserves, notably Tambopata-Candamo National Park,Manu National Park (also known as ManuBiosphere Reserve ) andBahuaja-Sonene National Park .The Madre de Dios serves as the largest watershed in the area, as part of the vast
Amazon River watershed.External links
* [http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/images.php3?img_id=17549 Madre de Dios Watershed] at
NASA Earth Observatory
* [http://www.stroudcenter.org/research/MooreFdnPeru/ Stroud Water Research Center Project in Madre de Dios, Peru]
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