Amazing facts about the Rainforest
These incredible places
cover only 6 % of the Earth's surface but yet they contain MORE
THAN 1/2 of the world's plant and animal species!
Global Rates of
Destruction
2.4 acres (1 hectare) per second: equivalent to two U.S. football
fields
149 acres (60 hectares)
per minute
214,000 acres (86,000 hectares)
per day: an area larger than New York City
78 million acres (31 million
hectares) per year: an area larger than Poland
Species Extinction
Distinguished scientists estimate an average of 137 species of
life forms are driven into extinction
every day; or 50,000 each year.
Amazon River
The Amazon River is the lifeline of Amazonia, carrying an astounding
16 percent of all the river water in the world over its 6,500
miles. A fifth of all river water discharged into the world's
oceans is conveyed through the Amazon, 10 times that of the Mississippi
River.
Back to Top