The Amazon Rainforest is the largest rainforest in the world.
This extraordinary tropical jungle is roughly the same size as 48 states in the U.S. The Amazon surrounds the Amazon River and its many tributaries.
The Amazon River is the largest river in the world by volume discharged.
It stretches an astounding 4,225 miles—from the peaks of the Peruvian Andes to the beautiful beaches of Brazil.
Scientists estimate there are 390 billion trees in the Amazon Rainforest, including over 16,000 species.
If we include shrubs, climbing plants, algae, and fungi, the number of species climbs well over 40,000, but there are many more species waiting to be discovered.
Plants, algae and fungi represent just a fraction of the Amazon's ecological diversity.
The Amazon supports at least 427 mammal species, 3,000 species of freshwater fish, over 1,300 species of birds, 378 types of reptiles, and 400 species of amphibians.
Notice how we didn't mention any invertebrates, like insects and arachnids?
That's because the Amazon's gargantuan population of invertebrate species climbs well into the millions.
