Considered on of the world’s most beautiful places, the Amazon Rainforest is a moist broadleaf forest, located primarily along the equator. It expands over the Amazon River basin. The Amazon River is the second longest river and has the largest water flow. The Amazon Rainforest covers 1.4 billion acres in South America and spans over 9 countries, namely, Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana. Furthermore, about 64% of the rainforest is in Brazil and 10% is in Peru. The Amazon Rainforest is the planet's largest rainforest, making up half of the planets total rainforest space. Situated along the equator, the average annual rainfall is between 160 to 400 inches. However the average temperature is about 80 degrees Fahrenheit making it a very wet and humid climate. Fortunately, this climate harbors an astounding level of biodiversity. One in ten known species in the world are found in the Amazon. With around 2.5 million insect species, 40,000 plant species, 3,000 fish species, 1294 bird species, 427 mammal species, 428 amphibians, and 378 reptiles, the Amazon Rainforest has the largest group of living animals and plants in the world. The plant diversity is the highest on the planet.
"Amazon Rainforest." - Geography Reference Library. RedOrbit, n.d. Web. 25 Nov. 2012. <http://www.redorbit.com/education/reference_library/earth/geography/2582798/amazon_rainforest/>.
The distribution of the Amazon Rainforest by country:
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