Amazon Rainforests and Amazon River Interesting facts

 

·         Amazon rainforest is the biggest forest in the world and everyone knows about it.

·         This forest is having total area of 6.9 million square kilometers i.e. 2.7 million square miles.  This forest is larger than the next two largest rainforests of Congo Basin and Indonesia.

·         It is called as rainforest as conditions here are rainy. This forest existed from more than 55 million years.

*Image Sources- Google Images

·         It covers following parts Northern America mainly in Brazil, Parts of Peru, Colombia, Bolivia, Ecuador, Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana.

·         This rainforest contributes to 8.2 billion dollars in Brazil economy as it is major producer of rubber and timber.

·         It covers nearly 40% of South America continent. 58.4% of this forest falls in Brazil and only 1% in Ecuador.

·         This rainforest is called as lungs of the planet and it produces 20% of oxygen of our planet.

·         There are about 390 billion trees in this rainforest with 16000 species.

·         This forest of house of the following

(a)   427 mammal species

(b)   1300 bird species

(c)   378 reptile species

(d)   400 species of amphibians

*Source- https://www.amazonconservation.org/what-we-do/protect-wild-places/birds-wildlife/#:~:text=The%20Amazon%20Rainforest%20is%20known,still%20being%20discovered%20every%20year.

·         Amazon rainforest houses the Amazon river. This is largest river by volume. It carries about 0.2 million litre of freshwater into the ocean. This carries about 5 times the volume of the Congo river or twelve time that of Mississippi river. This freshwater is roughly 20% of all river waters.

·         About 145 Million years ago amazon river was flowing towards Pacific Ocean i.e. Opposite to the direction of today flow. This happens due to rise of Andes Mountain in the west.

·         This is second longest river in the world after Nile river. It has length of about 4000 miles i.e. about 6840 km length and have 17 tributaries.

·         Amazon river and Amazon rainforest is named by Francisco de Orellana, the first Europe Explorer reached this area. Amazon is group of Nomadic female warriors roamed around the black sea.

·         This river passes through Brazil, Columbia, Peru and Venezuela.

·         There are about 400-500 Original Amerindian Tribes live in Amazon rainforests.  Approx. 50 out of 400-500 of them are having their own language and culture and they never ever came in contact with outside world.

·         In Amazon rainforest and Amazon river you can find unique and deadly animals. You can find here following:-

·         Pink Dolphin which is found only in fresh waters

·         Green Anacondas

·         Poisonous dart frogs

·         Bullet Ants

·         Electric Eels

·         Flash eating Piranhas fishes

·                 Forest is so much thick that when it rains here it takes about 10 minutes to reach water of rain on ground. It so thick that ground here remains in dark permanently.

·                 There are about 3000 of fruits which grow here are edible. There are fruits such as Coconuts, Mangoes, Pineapples, Lemons, Camu Camu, Maracuya, Acai, Bacaba, Cupucu, Aguaje etc.

·                  25% of Western modern medicine are derived from this forest.

·                 Amazon rainforests had lost about 2 million hectares in 2020 alone.  In 2019 loss was about 1.7 million hectares.

·                 Martin Strel swam across the entire length of river in Year 2007. He completed this in 66 days for swam about 10 hours a day.

·                 Ed Stafford becomes the first man to cross the whole Amazon forest to walk across length of river. It takes 859 days to complete the journey.