Long time ago The Silk Road ran through the desert area and several cities were built on it.
It was and is a network of trade routes connecting the East and West allowing different civilizations to exchange goods, knowledge and culture. It lasted from 2nd century BCE to 18th century.
The first European to navigate the length of the Amazon River was the Spanish conquistador Francisco de Orellana.
He achieved it in 1541, 41 years after the river was discovered by the Europeans, and thus is sometimes confused as the discoverer of the Amazon River.
