The Amazon rainforest, also known as the Amazon Jungle or Amazonia, is a tropical rainforest in South America covering most of the Amazon basin. The Amazon is unique as the world’s largest rainforest and river system, and it is considered the most biologically diverse place on Earth. The Amazon rainforest is home to millions of species around the world, many of which are still undiscovered. We are here with 10 fun facts about the Amazon Rainforest.
10 fun facts about the Amazon Rainforest.
1) The Lungs of the Earth
The Amazon Rainforest produces 20% of the oxygen produced on land through photosynthesis, which gave the Amazon Rainforest the nickname ‘Lungs of Earth’. The rainforest covers 3.4 million square miles, which is less than 2% of the Earth’s surface. It produces ten times that amount of oxygen.
2) The Amazon River is the largest by volume.
By volume, the Amazon River is the largest river in the world, with an average flow of about 209,000 cubic meters per second, which accounts for 20% of all the river water that flows into the ocean. The Amazon River spans about 2,000 miles.
3) Spans across nine countries
The Amazon Rainforest is situated in South America, covers over half of the primary tropical forests, and extends across nine countries. The countries include Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador, Peru, Colombia, Guyana, Venezuela, French Guiana, and Suriname.
4) Habitat of Dangerous Creatures
While many animals in the Amazon rainforest are friendly and gentle, there are some deadly creatures in the forest. These deadly creatures include electric eels, flesh-eating piranhas, poisonous frogs, jaguars, and venomous snakes.
5)Rich Ecosystem
The Amazon rainforest is one of the most abundant and diverse ecosystems in the world. The rainforest is home to over 3,000 fish species, 40,000 plant species, 430 mammal species, 1,300 bird species, and 2.5 million insect species.
6) Home to hundreds of Indigenous Tribes
Beside being home to thousands of trees and animal species, the Amazon Rainforest is home to 400–500 indigenous tribes. It is estimated that over 50 of these tribes have never had contact with the outside world.
7)Facing Deforestation
In the past 40 years, 20% of the Amazon rainforest has been cut down. If this rate of deforestation continues, most of the forest could be gone in the next 40 years. Deforestation in the Amazon is largely due to cattle ranching in Brazil, which contains 67% of the rainforest.
8) The Dark Floor of the Forest
The trees in the Amazon rainforest have thick canopies, because of which only 1% of the sunlight can reach the floor of the forest, and many parts of the forest have dark floors. The canopies of the trees are so thick that when it rains, it takes almost 10 minutes for the water to reach the ground.
9) The Largest Rainforest in the World
The Amazon Rainforest covers about 2.3 million square miles and is considered the largest tropical rainforest in the world. The Amazon rainforest is bigger than the next two largest rainforests combined, which are tropical areas of Indonesia and the Congo basin.
10)Amazon Rainforest plays a crucial role in combating climate change.
The Amazon rainforest plays a significant role in combating the global issue of climate change. The rainforest, full of lush vegetation, absorbs the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide and releases oxygen.
