Facts about the Amazon Rainforest For kids

The Amazon rainforest for kids. Where is the Amazon rainforest? The Amazon rainforest is found in South America. The rainforest spreads across nine countries and is so big that if it was a country it would be the ninth biggest in the world. The Amazon rainforest is known as the lungs of the planet. It produces more than 20 percent of the world's oxygen. More than half of all species of plants and animals known to man live in the rainforest. There are around 40,000 plant species, 1,300 bird species, 3,000 types of fish, 430 mammals and 2.5 million different insects. There are also many deadly animals including electric eels, flesh-eating piranhas, poison dart frogs, jaguars and some seriously venomous snakes. The loudest animal in the rainforest is the toucan. It can be heard from almost a kilometer away. In the Amazon it rains about every four days in a week. That's a lot of rain. That can add up to 10 meters of water a year. That is the same height as a three-story building. The top branches and leaves of the trees are so thick that the Amazon floor is always dark. Spooky. In fact it's so thick that when it rains it takes about 10 minutes for the water to reach the ground. The Amazon rainforest is home to the world's largest waterfall, the Santo Angel waterfall, which is 979 meters tall. It is home to the Iguana Falls which has roughly 275 waterfalls. There are around 400 to 500 tribes that call the Amazon rainforest home. Around 50 of these have never had contact with the outside world. The Amazon has lost about 20 percent of its area in the last 30 to 40 years. Over 60 to 80 percent of all trees being cut down is due to cattle ranching. An average of 137 species are driven into extinction every day. It is estimated that within 100 years there will be no rainforest left. The Amazon rainforest is a very precious place on earth and we need to protect it to make sure it survives for years to come.