Hidden Expedition - About The Amazon
The Top of the World
The Amazon Rainforest is an area in central South America covering seven million square kilometers. The area comprises over half the world's remaining rainforest and is home to one in ten of the world's known species. The region has been inhabited for over 12,000 years although it is estimated that nearly 90% of the native inhabitants perished as a result of diseases brought by European explorers.
Vegetation in the Amazon Rainforest generates approximately 20% of the world's oxygen supply. Helping this vegetation grow is the 9 feet of rain the Amazon receives each year. Much of the rain finds its way into the Amazon River. The river is over 4,000 miles long and supplies the Atlantic Ocean with over 28 billion gallons of water every minute. This results in a desalinization of the Ocean nearly 100 miles from shore.
Prior to the 1960s, the Amazon rainforest was virtually untouched. Access to the area was heavily restricted and only minor alterations along the Amazon River were noted. Following the 1960s, farmers gained access to the rainforest and began to establish farms and ranches. Primarily using slash and burn techniques, these farmers began the widely publicized deforestation of the Amazon. Since the 1960s, the Amazon Rainforest has been reduced by nearly 20%.
Today, it is possible to venture deep within the Amazon jungle and get a taste of what life is like in such a wild, untouched area of Earth. Giant spiders, large caiman, and torrential downpours await those daring enough to head into the jungle. Just don't wander off course. A bad map, a poisonous bite, or a native tribe might end your trip sooner than you expect!
Amazon Facts
- Total Area: 1.7 billion acres
- Location: Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana
- Insects:At least 2.5 million species
- Plants: At least 40,000 species
- Fish:At least 3,000 species
- Birds: At least 1,294 species
- Deforestation: Nearly 20% of Amazon Rainforest lost to deforestation