The Zamora River is a tributary of the Santiago River (Peru) located in the south-east of Ecuador

Ecuador

Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...

. Historically, it was known to the Spanish as Yaya Mayu ("Father River"), from the river's name among a group of Shuar

Shuar

The Shuar people are an indigenous people of Ecuador and Peru. They are members of the Jivaroan peoples, who are Amazonian tribes living at the headwaters of the Marañón River.-Name:...

 encountered nearby.

The sources of the Zamora River are in the Podocarpus National Park

Podocarpus National Park

Podocarpus National Park is a national park located in the provinces of Zamora Chinchipe and Loja, in the south-east of Ecuador. It was created in 1982....

, specifically at the Nudo de Cajanuma. The river then descends towards the city of Loja

Loja, Ecuador

Loja is the capital of Ecuador's Loja Province. It is located in the Cuxibamba valley in the south of the country, sharing borders with the provinces of Zamora-Chinchipe and El Oro, and with Peru in the south...

. It crosses the provinces of Loja

Loja Province

Loja Province is one of 24 provinces in Ecuador and shares its southern border on the west by El Oro Province, on the north by El Azuay, and on the east by Zamora-Chinchipe. Founded on its present site in 1548 by Captain Alonso de Mercadillo the site had been previously moved and rebuilt from La...

, Zamora-Chinchipe (wherein lies the city of Zamora

Zamora, Ecuador

Zamora is a city in southeastern Ecuador, capital of Zamora-Chinchipe province and cantonal head of Zamora Canton.Zamora is the second populous city in Zamora-Chinchipe after Yantzaza...

) and Morona-Santiago, where it empties into the Santiago.

Tributaries

The Zamora is the dominant river in SE Ecuador and has many tributaries, perhaps the source of its native name. The most significant ones are:

Loja Province

• Malacatos River
• Jipiro River
• Zamora Huayco River

Zamora-Chinchipe province

• Tambo Blanco River
• San Francisco River
• Sabanilla River
• Bombuscaro River
• Jamboé River
• Nambija River
• Yacuambi River
• Chicaña River
• Nangaritza River
• Pachicutza River
• Chuchumbletza River

Morona-Santiago province

• Bomboiza River
• Bobonaza River
  Bobonaza River
  The Bobonaza River is a river of Ecuador. It drains into the Pastaza River, and ultimately into the Amazon River at Iquitos in Peru.Its course runs mostly through Amazonian tropical rainforest, much of which is still sparsely populated...