Amazon Rainforest

The Amazon Rainforest is the biggest rainforest in the world. It grows in South America. It is so big that it covers parts of nine countries. Most of it is in a country called Brazil. The forest is warm and wet all year. It is home to millions of plants, bugs, and animals.

A Giant Green Home

The Amazon is often called a jungle. The trees are very tall. Their leaves make a roof high in the sky. This roof is called the canopy. Under the canopy, it is dark and damp. The forest gets lots of rain each day. That is why it is called a rainforest.

The Amazon River

A big river runs through the forest. It is called the Amazon River. It is one of the longest rivers in the world. Pink dolphins swim in its water. Big fish live there too. The river gives the forest its name.

Amazing Animals

Many animals live in the Amazon. You can find jaguars, sloths, monkeys, and toucans. Red frogs hop on the leaves. Big snakes slide through the trees. Colorful parrots fly above. Scientists keep finding new kinds of animals here.

Why It Matters

The Amazon helps our whole planet. Its trees make a lot of the air we breathe. People call it the lungs of the Earth. Sadly, some of the forest is being cut down. Many people work hard to keep it safe.

Fun Facts

• The Amazon Rainforest is about half the size of the United States.
• More than 400 kinds of people, called tribes, live in the forest.
• One out of every ten animals on Earth lives in the Amazon.

Did You Know?

It can rain so much in the Amazon that some trees stand in water for months, and fish swim right between their roots!