The Amazon rainforest, also known as Amazonia or the Amazon jungle, is the world's largest tropical rainforest, covering approximately 5.5 million square kilometers. It is located in South America and spans nine countries: Brazil (with the largest share), Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana. The immense extent and continuity of the rainforest reflect the high rainfall, humidity, and consistently high temperatures that prevail in the region.
The Amazon is renowned for its unparalleled biodiversity, housing an estimated 10% of Earth's known species. It contains millions of species of insects, plants, birds, and other forms of life, many still unrecorded by science. It is a vital ecosystem that produces oxygen, absorbs carbon dioxide, and helps to regulate the global climate. However, the Amazon faces severe threats from deforestation, driven by agriculture, cattle ranching, illegal logging, and gold mining. In 2022, the Amazon lost over 35,000 km2 of intact humid forest due to deforestation and forest degradation. Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon decreased by almost 50% in the first 10 months of 2023 compared to the same period in 2022. Recent studies suggest the Amazon is transitioning to a "hypertropical" climate, which could lead to more frequent and extreme droughts and mass tree die-offs.