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The blazes are off to their worst start in 20 years for the Amazon rainforest, according to Brazilian government satellite data, following a record-breaking drought
Amazon rainforest
It is the world's largest tropical rainforest
Tropical forests are closed-canopy forests growing within 28 degrees north or south of the equator.
These occupy the drainage basin of the Amazon River and its tributaries in northern South America and covering an area of 6,000,000 square km.
They are very wet places, receiving more than 200 cm rainfall per year, either seasonally or throughout the year.
30 percent of all species on Earth are found in the Amazon rainforest
It is the source of 20% of the oxygen used by the planet.
Temperatures are uniformly high - between 20°C and 35°C.
Comprising about 40% of Brazil’s total area, it is bounded by
the Guiana Highlands to the north,
the Andes Mountains to the west,
the Brazilian central plateau to the south,
the Atlantic Ocean to the east.
Nearly 60% of the rainforest is in Brazil, while the rest is shared among eight other countries—Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, Venezuela and French Guiana
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