Amazon rainforest, Brazil
© Claus Meyer/plainpicture
Getting lost in the mist
Fresh air, rustling leaves, and thousands of wildlife species—welcome to the Amazon rainforest. Covering more than 2,100,000 square miles, this South America treasure extends its branches across nine nations—Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Bolivia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, and Venezuela. Today, the Amazon is home to more than 30 million people, but it also carries secrets of lost civilizations. Archaeologists recently discovered a network of cities here dating back 2,500 years.
However, deforestation has peeled away 20% of the Amazon's cover, jeopardizing local and global climates. This forest, housing an estimated 390 billion trees, has a critical cooling effect on the planet, absorbing and storing huge amounts of carbon dioxide. World Rainforest Day highlights the need for action to protect all rainforests and help these important ecosystems continue to play a vital role in the health of our planet.