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Amazon Mist
‘© Andre Dib / WWF-

1. The Amazon rainforest covers an enormous 6.7 million square kilometres

Spanning 9 countries in South America and representing an area twice the size of India – or roughly 28 times the size of the UK! 

Butterflies and yellow-spotted river turtle
© Day's Edge Productions / WWF-US

2. 10% of all the world’s wildlife is found in the Amazon

And incredibly, a new species of animal or plant is discovered in the Amazon every 3 days on average. 

Awapy Uru Eu Wau Wau and his wife Juwi Uru Eu Wau Wau are photographed at Kanindé Ethno-Environmental Defense Association in the surroundings of Porto Velho, Rondônia State, Brazil.
© Marizilda Cruppe / WWF-UK

3. The Amazon is home to over 30 million people, including almost 3 million indigenous people

Around 350 different indigenous groups live in the Amazon, which is more than anywhere else on earth, and at least 300 indigenous languages are spoken throughout the Amazon. 

An aerial shot of a vast rainforest canopy in Acre, Brazil
© Greg Armfield / WWF-UK

4. An estimated 400 billion trees stand in the Amazon

These trees influence rainfall cycles throughout South America by releasing 20 billion tonnes of water into the air every day. Remarkably, a single large tree can release over 1,000 litres of water in 24 hours – enough to fill 10 average-sized bathtubs. 

Amazon forest
© Luis Barreto / WWF-UK

5. The Amazon’s trees are also responsible for storing over 75 billion tonnes of carbon in their trunks and branches

This is absolutely vital in fighting the climate crisis and limiting the rise of global temperatures. 

© Marizilda Cruppe / WWF-UK

6. Despite its importance, every minute an area of Amazon rainforest roughly equivalent to 5 football pitches is cut down

And shockingly, deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon reached a 12-year high in 2020. The main causes of deforestation are cattle ranching and agriculture, the building of roads, railways and dams, illegal logging, and mining. 

Deforestation of the Amazon rainforest, in Maués, on december 11, 2020
© Andre Dib / WWF-Brazil

7. Current figures suggest almost 20% of the Amazon rainforest has been lost already – which is an area the size of France

Some scientists estimate that if we lose just 5% more, it will trigger an irreversible tipping point where the Amazon will no longer be able to sustain itself as a tropical rainforest.  

 

WWF's work

Today, we stand on the brink of losing the Amazon as we know it. And if we lose the Amazon, we lose our fight against climate change. 

We’re working hard to protect this precious place, as well as the wildlife that lives there. We’re also working to support the rights of the indigenous and traditional people that call the Amazon home. This is not just about saving a forest, it’s about our one shared home and the future survival of all of us.  

Donate and help save the Amazon