Madre de Dios River

The Madre de Dios River (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈmaðɾe ðe ðjos]) is a river shared by Bolivia and Peru which is homonymous to the Peruvian region it runs through. On Bolivian territory it receives the Beni River, close to the town of Riberalta, which later joins with the Mamore River to become the Madeira River after the confluence. The Madeira is a tributary to the Amazon River.

Madre de Dios River
Madre de Dios near Boca Manú town, Peru
The Amazon Basin with the Madre de Dios River highlighted
Location
Country	Bolivia, Peru
Physical characteristics
Source
• location	Cordillera Vilcanota, Peru
Mouth	Madeira River
• location	Villa Bella, Beni, Bolivia
Length	1,347 km (837 mi)
Basin size	291,000 km2 (112,000 sq mi)
Discharge
• location	3km upstream of Riberalta
• average	4,039 m3/s (142,600 cu ft/s)
Discharge
• location	mouth
• average	8,294 m3/s (292,900 cu ft/s)

The Madre de Dios is an important waterway for the department of Madre de Dios, particularly Puerto Maldonado, the largest town in the area, and the capital of the department. Mango farming and gold mining are among the many industries on its beaches. Other important industries the Madre de Dios provides are selective logging 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, Manú National Park (also known as Manú Biosphere Reserve) and Bahuaja-Sonene National Park.