Amazon Rainforest is situated in the South American continent. Everyone knows that it is the largest rainforest in the world, but there is much to know about Amazon Rainforest than its size only. This mysterious and heartbreaking rainforest has much in it which are still not known to the world. Here are some fascinating and surprising facts about Amazon Forest you may not know. Let’s discover this forest together.
1: Interesting History of Amazon Rain Forest
Scientists say that there was a time when the Amazon River used
to flow westward. Fifteen million years ago, the Andes were formed by the
collision of the South American Plate and the Nazca Plate. The rise of the
Andes and the connection between the Brazilian and Guyana shields, however,
blocked the river and made the Amazon a vast inland ocean. About ten million
years ago, water flowed west through the sand and the Amazon began to flow
east. During this time the Amazon rain forest was born. During the Ice Age, the
sea level fell and the Great Lake of the Amazon was quickly absorbed and became
a river. Three million years later, sea levels were low enough to expose the
Central American isthmus and allow large-scale migration of mammals between
American countries.
The Ice Age has overtaken the tropical rain forests. Despite
the controversy, it is believed that most of the Amazon have returned to Savanna
and Montana forests. The savanna divided rainforests into "islands"
and extended extant species to allow genetic diversity (a similar reduction of
rainforests occurred in Africa. Delta baseline samples suggest that even Congo
at that time, There was no rain forest even in the flood). By the end of the
Ice Age, the forest was reunited and the original species had split enough to be
recognized as separate species, adding to the great diversity of the region.
About 6,000 years ago, the sea level rose by about 130 meters and the river
once again flooded like a vast, vast freshwater lake.
2: First People Who Crossed and Float the Entire Amazon River
In March 1500, Vicente Yánez Pinzón of Spain became the
first documented European to cross the Amazon River. But fellow Spanish
explorer Francisco de Orellana was the first European to travel the entire
length of the Amazon River, making an epic voyage in 1541–42. They named it
after warrior women from Greek mythology because on their campaign the river
was attacked by a group of female warriors.
3: Amazon Rain Forest is Unbelievably Huge
The Amazon forest is the world’s biggest rainforest which
covers around 40% area of the South American continent. It is larger than the next
two largest rainforests in the Congo Basin and Indonesia combined. Its area is
about 6.9 square kilometers (2.72 square miles) but when people talk about the
Amazon they even refer to some areas which are technically outside the Amazon
Basin like the rainforests in Guiana. If we include those territories its area
becomes 8.2 million square kilometers (3.2 square miles). It is just 1.3 million
less than the total area of the USA. If it was a country it would be the 6th
largest country in the world.
4: It is Spread Across 9 Countries
The Amazon River Basin is home to the world's largest rain
forest and is about the size of the 48 contiguous United States and covers 40
percent of the South American continent and includes parts of eight South
American countries: Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela,
Guyana, and Suriname, as well as French Guiana (a department of France).
5: Biodiversity of the Amazon Rainforest
Amazon is perhaps the most bio-diverse ecosystem in the
world. It has more species of plants and animals than any other terrestrial ecosystem on the planet as around 30% of the world’s plants and animals species are
found in the Amazon. Amazon has around 40000 species of plants and 16000 species of
trees. Along with plants and trees about 3000 species of fish, 1000+ species of
Amphibians, 430+ species of mammals, 1300+ species of birds, and 400+ species of
reptiles are also part of the Amazon’s huge bio-community.
(Note: You can watch our video on Youtube as well. Just click on the video to know more about Amazon Forest)
6: Amazon River
The Amazon basin is drained by the Amazon River which is the largest river in the world in terms of discharge and 2nd largest river in the world in terms of volume. This mighty river drains an area which is equal to 48 contiguous United States. It has 1100 tributaries, 17 of which are longer than 1000 miles, and two of which (the Negro and the Madeira) are larger, in terms of volume than the Congo River. It carries more than 5 times the volume of the river Congo and 12 times that of the river Mississippi.
7: Number of Individual Trees in Amazon Rain Forest
According to an estimate Amazon Forest is believed to have
around 390 Billion individual trees. Wow isn’t that amazing?
8: GDP Producer of South America
It is believed that 70% GDP of entire South America is
produced in the areas that gain rainfall or water from Amazon. The Amazon has a deep impact on the rainfall patterns in the entire region and its affects
areas as far as the United States.
9: Ranking Among Global Forests
As of 2020, the Amazon has 526 million hectares of primary
forest, which is about 84% of the region's 629 million hectares of total tree
cover. By comparison, the Congo Basin has about 168 million hectares of primary
forest and 288 million hectares of tree cover, while the combined tropical
regions of Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Malaysia, and Australia have 120
million hectares of primary forest and 216 million hectares Tree cover.
10: Amazon Rain Forest Deforestation
About 1.5 acres of Amazon forests disappear every second and about 137 species become extinct every day. Deforestation in the Amazon alone accounts for 30% of global carbon emissions, and if things continue as they are, there will be nothing left in 40 years. Much of the destruction is to make room for pastures to raise cattle, so perhaps it's time we consider reducing red meat. Deforestation in the Amazon rain forest has been declining since 2004, largely due to Brazil's deforestation rate. There are a variety of reasons for the decline, including macro-economic trends, new protected areas and indigenous areas, improved law enforcement situation, satellite monitoring to stop deforestation, pressure from environmental groups, and private sector programs.
11: Some People to Whom Amazon is Home
Apart from the horror of its exotic images and terrifying
wildlife, there is a huge portion of humanity lies within the forest. An estimated 30 million people live in the Amazon forest. According
to Survival International, there are about 240 indigenous tribes in Brazil
today (a total of 90,000 people), living in 690 different government-recognized
territories. Most of this reserve land (more than 98%) is located within the
Amazon basin. Brazil is home to more unaffiliated indigenous tribes than any
other country in the world, of whom an estimated 80 tribes live in remote
corners of the Brazilian Amazon. These people are mostly tribal in their
culture and methods and are very far from the modern world in their habits and views.
There are an estimated 54 tribes in the Amazon who have no contact with the
outside world even in 2021. These people are very conservative in their
traditions which they have followed for centuries or maybe millenniums.
Although some of them may accept visitors but do not adopt their civilizations.
12: It's Very Dark Inside On The Amazon Floor
Across most of the Amazon, the forest floor is almost
completely black as its canopy is so thick that only 1% of sunlight can make it
pass through. In fact, when it rains it takes 10 minutes for the water to drain
from the tree below.
13: Cattle Ranching in Amazon
Cattle ranching is believed to have a very bad effect on the
forest as it accounts for around 70% of its deforestation.
14: Species of Insects in Amazon Rain-Forest
The Amazon is very bio-diverse and it contains around 2.5
million species of insects along with thousands of species of plants, animals,
birds, and reptiles. More than half of the insect species are thought to live in
the canopy.
15: Is Amazon Really Lungs of the Earth?
Amazon was once considered to be the lungs of the earth but
not anymore. According to recent research, although the claim that the amazon
forest pumps around 20% of the world’s oxygen each day proves to be true along with that, the research shows that around the same amount of CO2 is also
pumped out by the great forest each day. So forests almost have no effect on our
oxygen levels. Most of the oxygen we consume comes from the microorganisms
that are present in oceans around the world.
16: Brazil Share of the Amazon Forest
Nearly two-thirds of the Amazon forest is situated in
Brazil. Wow, Brazil has a huge share of this Natural Giant.
17: Width of The Amazon River
The width of the Amazon River is between 1 and 6.2 miles
during the dry season, but it widens to more than 30 miles in some parts during
the rainy season. By the time it reaches the Atlantic Ocean, the width of the
river is more than 150 miles.
18: Composition of The Amazon Forest
Composition of Amazon Forest Reflecting
the environmental conditions and human impact of the past, the Amazon is built
on a drawing of biodiversity and plant species including rain forests, seasonal
forests, tropical forests, floodplains, and savannas.
19: Provider of Food and Medicine
More than 80% of the world's food
varieties, including coffee, originate from the Amazon rainforest. As far as
medicine is concerned, more than 25% of modern pharmaceuticals contain
Amazonian ingredients, yet only 1% of plant species have been tested for
medicinal properties. With this in mind, it is not unreasonable to think that
the cure for many diseases might be hidden somewhere there in the terrifying
canopies of the Amazonian Rainforest. For indigenous Amazonians, nearly every plant
in the rainforest serves a medicinal purpose (many of which have been co-opted
by Western companies to make familiar drugs). Some of the more commonly used
plants include boldo, which is used as a diuretic, laxative, and liver tonic.
Cinchona, a source of natural quinine, which cures malaria and is used to treat
headaches, leg cramps, and colds; and yerba mate, which is used to treat hay fever
and asthma, improve digestion, and combat fatigue. Cat's claw is currently
being tested by scientists as a possible remedy for cancer.
20: Temperature In Amazon Forest
The entire Amazon region is generally hot
and humid throughout the year. The average daily high temperature during the
dry season (June to October) is around 100º Fahrenheit, with the occasional
tropical shower that helps cool things down a bit. The average high temperature
is about 12º cooler during the wet season (November to May) when more than 60%
of the area's precipitation falls. But the air still feels extremely humid due
to the rising humidity levels in the forest.
21: It Depends on Africa to Survive
The Amazon needs a constant supply of
fresh dust and phosphorus in its topsoil to thrive. A recent study using
satellite imagery and advanced dust cloud modeling techniques found that
particles are picked up in the Sahara Desert and blown over the Atlantic before
settling in the Amazon. Remarkably, the world's largest (non-polar) desert
nourishes the world's largest and most bio-diverse rainforest.
22: Rainfall and Water Level in Amazon Forest
The Amazon receives an average of 9 feet
(2.75 m) of rainfall each year. During the wet season lasting from mid-December
to mid-May, the river level rises on average by about 30 to 45 feet (9 to 14
m). The amount of water released into the Atlantic Ocean averages about
7,400,000 cubic feet per second, but can increase to 11,000,000 cubic feet per
second during the rainy season.
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