The Amazon Rainforest extends across nine countries and territories: Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Bolivia, Ecuador, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana.
Brazil contains the largest portion, followed by Peru. French Guiana is included geographically even though it is an overseas department of France rather than an independent country. This is why sources often say the forest spans nine countries and territories rather than simply nine sovereign states.
The countries are connected by the Amazon Basin, but the forest does not cover each one equally. Brazil holds roughly 60% of the rainforest, while Peru contains the second-largest share. The forest also crosses major political borders without changing its ecological character.
This count concerns the Amazon Rainforest, not the entire Amazon Basin. The basin is a broader drainage area that includes ecosystems such as savannas, wetlands, and upland forests outside the rainforest itself.