The document provides information about the Amazon rainforest, including its location in South America spanning Brazil, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia; its immense size of over 2 million square miles, equal to the continental US; and its biodiversity being home to 10% of the world's known species including over 2 million insects, 1,294 birds, and 427 mammals. It also notes the rainforest produces 20% of the world's oxygen and is an important source of medicines and foods for humans.
3. What is a rainforest?
Rainforests are very dense
(crowded), warm, wet
forests. They are a living
place for millions of plants
and animals.
4. Where is it?
• The Amazon
rainforest is
located in South
America in parts
of Brazil,
Venezuela,
Colombia,
Ecuador, Peru,
and Bolivia.
5. How big is it?
• Over 2,123,562
square miles!
• Equal to the size
of the continental
United States!
6. The Amazon River
• The Amazon
River runs
through the heart
of the rainforest.
• At 4,007 miles it
is the 2nd
longest river in
the world.
• BUT, by amount
of water… it is
the world’s #1. The Amazon River is an important
part of Brazil’s economy… allowing
for easy trade and transportation
around the country.
7. Biodiversity
Even though the
Amazon
rainforest only
takes up 3.5%
of the Earth’s
land it is home
to one in ten
(10%) of all
the known
species in the
world!
40,000 plants
1,294 birds
378 reptiles
2.5 million insects
2,200 fish
427 mammals
428 amphibians
The largest collection of species in the world! That’s…
10. Benefits of the Amazon
Rainforest
• 20% of the world’s
oxygen is produced by
the trees of the Amazon
• Currently, 121
prescription drugs
(medicine) currently sold
worldwide come from
plant-derived sources
• 70% of the plants
identified as having
anti-cancer
characteristics by the
US National Cancer
Institute are found only
in the tropical rainforest
The periwinkle plant helps make one
of the most powerful cancer
fighting medicines.
11. Foods of the Amazon Rainforest
• At least 80% of the developed world's food diet
originated in the tropical rainforest.
• Fruits like avocados, coconuts, figs, oranges,
lemons, grapefruit, bananas, guavas, pineapples,
mangos and tomatoes;
• Vegetables including corn, potatoes, rice, winter
squash and yams;
• Spices like black pepper, cayenne, chocolate,
cinnamon, cloves, ginger, sugar cane, turmeric,
coffee and vanilla
• Nuts including Brazil nuts and cashews.