Brazil contains most of the Amazon rainforest by area.
The Amazon rainforest extends across several South American countries, but roughly 60% of it lies within Brazil. The remainder is distributed mainly across Peru, Colombia, Bolivia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana. The forest occupies much of the Amazon Basin, which is drained by the Amazon River and its tributaries.
The Brazilian portion includes immense areas of tropical forest, wetlands, and river systems. It is home to extraordinary biodiversity, including jaguars, pink river dolphins, sloths, harpy eagles, and countless plant and insect species. Indigenous peoples have lived throughout the region for thousands of years.
The Amazon is often called the world’s largest rainforest, but it is not the largest forest of every kind: boreal forests cover enormous areas across the Northern Hemisphere. Deforestation, fires, mining, roads, and agriculture have placed substantial pressure on the Amazon, while conservation efforts include protected areas and Indigenous territories.