The undisputed number 1 is probably the most famous forest on earth, the South American Amazon. The forest of all forests, with its fabulous 5, 500, 000 km2, not only has the largest area, but also houses one in ten species existing on earth. There are many reasons to protect our forests. Not only do we depend on them for survival as a source of oxygen, but they also provide critical habitats for animals, livelihoods for humans, and help mitigate climate change.
At the very least, forests serve as an essential reminder of how beautiful the natural world can be, from the immense majesty of the Amazon to its local state park. These are the 10 largest forests in the world. With a size of approximately 2,300,000 square miles, the Amazon rainforest is the largest and most biodiverse forest in the world. It spreads across Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Venezuela and the Republic of Suriname, and is home to one in ten of the known wildlife species (and new species are discovered almost daily).
Only part of the area that makes up the Congo Basin in Africa, the Congo rainforest covers more than 1,400,000 square miles in Cameroon, the Central African Republic, the Republic of the Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea and Gabon. Often known as the “second lung of the Earth after the Amazon”, Congo is protected by five separate national parks that are also declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. New Guinea's rainforests make up more than half of the country's land mass, incorporating vast mountain landscapes spanning 303,500 square miles. Since it is located on an island, New Guinea's rainforest is home to groups of indigenous peoples and native animal species that have had little or no contact with the outside world.
At least 90% of the plant species that live within the Valdivian temperate rainforest in the southern cone of South America are endemic, meaning they are native or restricted to that exact area. One of the oldest forests in the world, the Daintree Rainforest in Australia is believed to be 180 million years old (even older than the Amazon rainforest). At 463 square miles in size, Daintree contains more than half of the country's bat and butterfly species, helping it serve as an important source of pollination for the rest of the region. The largest forest in the world is the Amazon rainforest.
The biggest forest is once again the Amazon rainforest. The Amazon is the largest rainforest in the world. It is home to more than 30 million people and one in ten known species on Earth. See some of the splendor of this region in our new video.
The Amazon rainforest is the largest forest in the world. In addition to being recognized for its size, the Amazon is also recognized as one of the most important forests in the Earth's global climate. This impressive broadleaf humid forest covers the vast majority of the Amazon basin and is home to an astonishing variety of plant and animal life. Outstanding wildlife species include the capybara, the world's largest rodent, and the endangered Amazon River dolphin.
The Amazon rainforest in South America is by far the largest rainforest in the world. It covers about 80% of the Amazon basin, which covers at least 2.3 million square miles (6 million square kilometers), according to NASA's Earth Observatory (opens in a new tab). That's more than half the size of the U.S. UU.
The Amazon spans nine countries in South America, including Brazil, Peru and Colombia. With an area of about 930 square miles (more than 80% of which are covered by forests), China's Xishuangbanna National Nature Reserve has a rare tropical forest ecosystem that includes a large number of virgin forests. At around 2,300 square miles, Germany's Black Forest (or Schwarzwald) is only Germany's second largest forest in terms of area. Located in southeastern Alaska, Tongass is a temperate rainforest that covers 68,062 square kilometers (926,279 square miles).
The rainforest of the Congo Basin in Central Africa is the second largest rainforest, with an area of more than 780,000 square miles (2 million square km), according to WWF (opens in a new tab). The watershed contains many different ecosystems, including several savannah forests, a coastal forest, three large lowland forests, and a swampy forest. The Daintree River, which runs through the rainforest, is full of animals, especially crocodiles and pythons. The vegetation of this temperate rainforest includes evergreen trees and the endemic Monkey Puzzle Tree, as well as understory vegetation such as massive bamboos and ferns.
It is specifically classified as a “halophilic rainforest”, meaning it is highly tolerant of excessive salt content and high water levels. The forest shares its borders with Chile and Argentina and falls into the category of temperate broadleaf and mixed forest. Transitional forests across Nigeria's Niger cover 8,000 square miles of tropical forests and savannah forests. This rich forested area is home to many different species of endemic wildlife, containing more than 50% of Sri Lanka's endemic butterflies and mammals.
The irregular structure of these forests makes them resilient and ensures that they are maintained in a sustainable way. . .