Overview 

        The Amazon Rainforest accounts for more than 40% of South America and stretches across the countries of Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana. Consisting of 1.4 billion acres of rainforest and covering 6% of the world's surface, the Amazon is considered to hold more biodiversity than any other terrestrial biome. There are over 20,000 plant species in the rainforest, 8,000 of which are endemic. Furthermore, there are approximately 1,300 animal species, 567 of which are endemic. Additionally, the Amazon Rainforest makes up half of Earth's remaining tropical forests and serves as a carbon sink, holding 90-140 million tons of carbon, reducing the planet's greenhouse gas emissions. As vegetation and trees contribute largely to the health of the planet through neutralizing climate change effects, deforestation is not only a primary threat to the preservation of this precious biome, but to the Earth as a whole. Therefore, it is crucial that humanity puts forth a strong effort to Amazon Rainforest.

http://www.worldculturepictorial.com/images/content_2/amazon_rainforest.jpg

http://worldwildlife.org/places/amazon