Unknown facts about Amazon Rainforest

The Amazon rainforest is unarguably one of the mysteries and wonders of nature. Spanning over an area of 2.1 million square miles, this is the largest broadleaf rainforest of the world. Located in South America, the Amazon rainforest also stretches into countries including Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana. Here are some amazing facts about Amazon Rainforest that you might not have known.

Amazon River

In the north of the Amazon rainforest runs the Amazon River. This is actually a river system that has a network of several hundreds of waterways that stretch to a distance of about 6,992 km. a number of scientists believe that Amazon is the second longest river on the earth after the River Nile.

In terms of the volume of water contained, Amazon River is the clear champion of all Rivers since it carries more water than the waters of the rivers Mississippi, Nile, and Yangtze combined. An awesome study shows that during every second, the Amazon River delivers 55 million gallons of water into the Atlantic Ocean.

The name Amazon

The name Amazon was coined by the Spanish explorer Francisco Orellana following the event when he was attacked by a band of female warriors called as theIcamiabas, translated as 'women without husbands'. Francisco Orellana compared them to the Amazons figuring in the Greek mythology.

The massive home to tribal population

More than 500 indigenous Amerindian tribes inhabit the Amazon rainforest. It is said that more than 50 of these tribes never had any contact with the external world.

The most versatile and the biggest eco-system on the land

Amazon’s eco-system is very rich. It is a home to over 40,000 plant species, 3,000 kinds of fish, 430 types of mammals, 1,300 bird species, and an awesome number of 2.5 million types of insects. This forest is also the home to some of the most awesome and deadly creatures on the earth like electric eels, poison dart frogs, jaguars, flesh eating piranhas and some seriously poisonous snakes.

Makes our lives on the earth possible

Amazon rainforest produces 20% of the world’s oxygen. Since Amazon rain forest makes up 40% of the world’s tropical forest cover and produces the most significant quantity of oxygen, it is rightly described as the lungs of the earth.

What the forest produces

More than 25% of the western pharmaceuticals are manufactured from the ingredients sourced from Amazon rainforests. Nevertheless, less than 1% of the trees and plants in this forest has ever been tested by the scientists. The forest houses more than 3,000 types of fruit trees. The world consumes not more than 200 of them. More than 80% of the food products of the world has its origin in Amazon rainforest.

The alarming concern

Due to deforestation, we are losing 1.5 acres of Amazon forest with every passing second. Every day, about 137 species are becoming extinct. Given this rate of destruction, it is for sure that the complete rainforest of Amazon will disappear in about 40 years if the deforestation is not stopped.