What is the largest rainforest in the world?
The Amazon is the largest rainforest in the world, covering about 5.5 million square kilometers across nine countries in South America, mostly in Brazil.
About 60 percent of the Amazon rainforest lies in Brazil, with the rest in Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana. It is drained by the Amazon River, which carries more water than any other river.
The Amazon is home to about one in ten known species on Earth, including jaguars, pink river dolphins, sloths, poison dart frogs and thousands of kinds of trees. Many Indigenous peoples live there, some with little contact with the outside world.
Why it matters
The rainforest stores huge amounts of carbon and helps regulate rainfall across South America. Deforestation for cattle ranching, farming and logging has removed a significant share of the forest, and scientists warn that too much loss could turn parts of it into dry savanna.
Did You Know?
The second-largest tropical rainforest is in the Congo Basin in Central Africa, home to forest elephants, gorillas and bonobos.