The Amazon Rainforest is the most important ecosystem on Earth. It’s the region with the higher biodiversity on the planet, and the total area of the biome it’s distributed between 9 countries, but most of it is located in Brazilian terrain. But where exactly is the Amazon in Brazil?
The Amazon in Brazil is located in the North region, corresponding to 49.29% of the area of the country. Almost half of Brazil is covered by the Amazon Rainforest, distributed between 9 Brazilian states: Acre, Amapá, Amazonas, Pará, Roraima, Rondônia, Mato Grosso, Maranhão and Tocantins.
Of the more than 6,9 million km² of the total area of the Amazon, 4,2 million km² are located in Brazil. The Brazilian part of the rainforest is known as “Amazônia Legal” (Legal Amazon) and corresponds to the 9 states where the biome is present. To understand more about this incredible (and gigantic) ecosystem, read on.
Amazon In Brazil
The Brazilian region known as Legal Amazon is located in the North of Brazil and is home to the Amazon Forest, considered the largest tropical forest in the world. Covering an area of more than 6.2 million km2 (4.2 million km2 in Brazil). The forest has a high number of species (animals and plants) and is therefore rich in biodiversity and the largest biome in Brazil. But it’s important to notice it’s not exclusively Brazilian, therefore, found in other countries.
The fauna in the Amazon is incredible, there are at least 30 million species of animals in the region (“at least” because the area is so gigantic and unexplored that the species are not totally known yet). In terms of flora, there are 14,003 species registered in the Amazon, between trees, herbs, shrubs, lianas, vines, with incredible medicinal and economic potential. Of the 14,003 species, 76% are in Brazil.
| Total Area | 2,66 million sq mi (6,9 million km²). |
| Brazilian Area | 1,62 million sq mi (4,19 million km²). |
| Population (Total) | 33 million inhabitants (1,6 million indigenous). |
| Population (In Brazil) | 28,1 million inhabitants. |
| Brazilian States | Acre, Amapá, Amazonas, Pará, Roraima, Rondônia, Mato Grosso, Maranhão and Tocantins. |
The Amazon covers the Amazon Basin region, considered the largest hydrographic basin on the planet, occupying almost 7 million km². The main river is the Amazon River, which has more than 1,100 tributaries that flow into it. Rivers are very important for the residents, and it’s the main “road” for people in regions that are far from the cities, as it’s usually the only way to get around, with boats and canoes.
In the Amazon, rivers are often characterized by the color of their waters. Due to the concentration of nutrients and sediments, there are muddy rivers, such as the Amazon River. There are the black water rivers, characterized by the presence of sand and humus, such as the Rio Negro. Finally, there are also the clear water rivers, which do not have as much concentration of nutrients and have rapids in their stretches, such as the Xingu River.
The Amazon River
As said before, rivers are very important and essential for the lives of the residents. All of them have their importance, as they’re like “veins” that cut the forest keeping the entire ecosystem working, but the most important of them, the “artery” of the rainforest, is the Amazon River. It’s the largest in the world in terms of extension and volume of water. With 6992 kilometers, it runs through the north of South America, the Amazon forest, and flows into the Atlantic Ocean.
The Nile River is generally regarded as the longest river in the world, with a length of about 6852 km, and the Amazon is the second with 6400 km. But Brazilian and Peruvian studies carried out in 2007 and 2008, discovered and added to the source of the Amazon the tidal channels of the southern Amazon basin and the Pará do Tocantins estuary, thus concluding that the Amazon has a length of 6 992 km is, therefore, longer than the Nile.
The Amazon River is super important, but it’s not alone. As said earlier, it has more than a thousand tributaries, with the most important of them being the Madeira, the Negro, and the Japurá, among the 10 largest rivers on the planet. A lot of people ask about the creatures that live in the murky waters of the Amazon River, as it’s one of the most mysterious places on Earth. To learn more about it, check this amazing article: What Can Kill You In The Amazon River (Would You Visit)?
Devastation Increased In Past Decades
Unfortunately, in recent decades the Amazon has suffered an increase in deforestation in its areas. According to a study carried out by Thomas Lovejoy (professor at George Mason University) and Carlos Nobre (coordinator of the National Institute of Science and Technology for Climate Change), the Amazon biome may suffer irreversible losses due to deforestation.
According to the researchers, de devastation has already reached 17% in the last 50 years, with the limit being 20%. Another study promoted by the Amazon Institute of Man and Environment (IMAZON) shows that deforestation in the biome increased by around 40% between 2017 and 2018, with the loss of almost 4,000 km2 of native forest. The occurrence of deforestation occurred mainly in private areas, settlements, and conservation units.
Where Exactly Is The Amazon Rainforest Located?
People know about the importance of the Amazon and that most of the forest is in Brazil. Even so, for those that are not very used to Brazilian and South America geography can be hard to know the exact location of the Amazon Rainforest.
As a general rule, the exact location of the Amazon Rainforest is in the North of Brazil, where 60% of the total area of the biome is located. But other countries have parts of the Amazon in their territories, such as Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Guiana, Peru, Venezuela, and Suriname.
Almost half of the Brazilian territory is covered by the Amazon rainforest, that’s why the country is usually mentioned as the country where the forest is, but it’s not the only one. But for those that want to visit the rainforest, traveling through Brazil is the best option, as the country has a good infrastructure for tourists that wants to visit the region.
What States In Brazil Have The Amazon Rainforest?
Brazil is known as the country that is home to the biggest and most important rainforest on the planet: the Amazon Rainforest. Almost half of the country’s territory is covered by this important biome, but what states in Brazil have the Amazon Rainforest?
The Amazon Rainforest is in 9 states in Brazil, being them: Acre, Amapá, Amazonas, Pará, Roraima, Rondônia, Mato Grosso, Maranhão and Tocantins. Most of these states are in the North region of the country, corresponding to 49.29% of the Brazilian territory.
These 9 states together are known in Brazil as Legal Amazon (Amazônia Legal). This is the area that encompasses the Brazilian states belonging to the Amazon basin, instituted by the federal government by law, bringing together regions with similar characteristics with the aim of better planning the socio-economic development of the Amazon region.
Do People Live In The Amazon Rainforest?
The Amazon is an incredible place and the most important rainforest on the planet, but a lot of people can even imagine living in a wild place like this. There are indeed a lot of dangers over there (check this article: What Can Kill You In The Amazon River), but it does not mean that no people are living there.
33 million people are living in all the extensions of the Amazon Rainforest. The Brazilian Amazon houses approximately 85% of the total population, with 28 million residents. It’s estimated that 1,6 million are indigenous people, only 5% of the rainforest inhabitants.
This large population (especially in Brazil) is pulled by big cities in the region of the Amazon (it’s not only forests). A good example of that is the city of Manaus, capital of the state of Amazonas, and the seventh-largest capital in Brazil. In Manaus alone, according to the last Brazilian census, more than 2.4 million people live.
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References
Link: https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/brasil/amazonia.htm
