Amazon rainforest

The total area of the Amazon rainforest is approximately 5 500 000 km2. It is more than 112 times bigger than Slovakia. The Amazon rainforest is the largest rainforest in the world. As it represents more than 50% of all the rainforests in the world, it is often called ‘the lungs of the Earth’. The area covered by Amazon rainforest includes territories belonging to 9 countries of South America. More than half of its area is contained within Brazil 60%, followed by Peru 13%, Colombia 10%, Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana.

The Amazon river, the largest river of the world, is also an integral and fundamental element of the Amazon rainforest. This river system is absolutely the mightiest, which means that biggest volume of water flows through it (more than through Mississippi, Nile and Yangtze c’tiang altogether). The length of this river is nearly 6,500 km.

The above mentioned range of the Amazon rainforest gives shelter to many various species of animals, which would have no chance of survival in other habitats. However, unfortunately area, corresponding to more than half of the size of Slovakia, vanishes every year because of massive deforestation. Reportedly, there are two main reasons for such invasive destruction of the rainforest’s ecosystem. First, the region is attractive for its large deposits of natural resources such as iron ore, which are being extracted in large amounts. The second reason, as curious as it might sound, is for the cattle that needs the grasslands created by the deforestation.

Adam Gavenčiak