Half of the world's plant and animal species can be found in the rainforests, which cover only 2% of Earth's total surface area. rainforests receive more than 70 inches of rain each year, on average, as the name suggests.
There are two categories of rainforests: tropical and temperate. The NASA Earth Observatory states that tropical rainforests are hot, lush forests located close to the equator. The largest rainforest on Earth is an honorable mention at the end.
It's difficult to compare rainforest sizes because where they start and finish is not always clear, and a single forest can span several countries. There's no doubt about the largest and second-largest rainforests on this list, but the rest are based on estimates and expert opinion.
There are over 850,000 indigenous people in the Amazon rainforest. The image is from Shutterstock.
The largest rainforest in the world is in South America. It covers 80% of the Amazon basin, which spans at least 2.3 million square miles, according to the NASA Earth Observatory. It's three times larger than the next- largest rainforest in the US and half the size of the U.S. The Amazon is spread across nine countries in South America.
At least 10% of Earth's total biodiversity is included in the forest, according to the World Wide Fund. This includes many species, such as sloths, harpy eagles, Brazil nut trees and jaguars. Brazil has more than 1.2 million square miles of primary rainforest. These forests haven't been disturbed in a while. According to data from Global Forest Watch, Brazil is the top country for forest loss, with a decline of more than 100,000 square miles since 2001.
Elizabeth Goldman, a research manager for Global Forest Watch, told Live Science that a lot of this is due to agricultural expansion. "Fires will be set to clear land, and sometimes those fires will escape into neighboring forests."
Goldman says that Amazon clearing is usually for larger-scale industrial agriculture, such as growing animals like cattle and crops like soy. Climate change can be caused by fires, as the forests become hotter and drier. That creates a destructive feedback loop. The Amazon rainforest has been destroyed by humans since 1978, according to a nonprofit news website.
The Amazon rainforest is creating more greenhouse gases than it is absorbing.
2. The Basin of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo has a river. The UN photo is by Marie Frechon.
The second- largest rainforest in the world is located in Central Africa. The rainforest spans six countries in West and Central Africa, including the Republic of the Congo and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. According to Global Forest Watch data, the Democratic Republic of the Congo has more primary rainforest than any other country except Brazil.
The Congo rainforest is home to many species of animals. Many of these species are found nowhere else on Earth. Deforestation is a threat to the Congo Basin. In contrast to the industrial agriculture in the Amazon, the Congo rainforest is usually cut down for smaller-scale agriculture, such as by subsistence farmers who grow food to feed their families or to supply local markets, Goldman said.
Goldman said that it is often cultivated for a few years until the soil's nutrition is degraded. The forest will come back as a secondary forest and then be cut again. You can see the cycle of loss and regrowth in those areas. The forest is threatened by expansion of urban areas, mining and industrial logging.
The world's deepest river is the Congo.
An aerial photograph of a rainforest. Andrew Tan is the image credit.
The western half of Newguinea is part of Indonesia, while the eastern half is part of New Zealand, according to the WWF. The island is home to at least 5% of the world's plant and animal species, including tree kangaroos and crowned pigeons.
It becomes harder to rank the largest rainforests after the Amazon rainforest and the Congo Basin. Goldman said it's easier to measure rainforest cover by countries with clearly defined borders. According to Global Forest Watch data, the primary rainforest of the country of Papua New Guinea is over 30,000 square miles. The forests of northern Australia were once connected with New Guinea, but they became separated by the ocean about 11,700 years ago.
Commercial logging and agriculture are decimating New Guinea's forests. The area that is most likely to be converted to industrial plantations is the one that starts withselective logging of commercially valuable timber.
The Musi River in South Sumatra, Indonesia is a sight to behold.
The Sundaland rainforest is the next biggest rainforest, with about 510,000 square miles. The rainforest includes the Malay Peninsula on mainland Southeast Asia and the nearby islands of Sumatra, Java and Borneo. Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, Thailand and Singapore are included. Indonesia is home to two separate rainforest blocks: Sundaland and the New Guinea rainforest. According to Global Forest Watch data, Indonesia has the third- largest primary rainforest cover in the world.
Orangutans, Bornean rainbow toads, and corpse flowers are some of the species found in the Sundaland rainforest. According to Global Forest Watch data, Indonesia's primary rainforest has declined by more than 100,000 square miles since 2001. Goldman considers the country one of the brighter spots when it comes to the environment.
Goldman said that there has been a lot of commercial oil palm plantation establishment. In the past four years, we've seen a decrease in primary forest loss in Indonesia and Malaysia. She said that the Indonesian government has been very active in trying to reduce the amount of forest destruction.
orangutans flee for safety after fires in Indonesia.
5. The basin of the river.
The falls are part of the river. Thirada Srinil is the image's credit.
The longest river in Southeast Asia is the Mekong River, which is over 3000 miles long. According to Global Forest Watch, the most forested country in the Mekong River basin region is Myanmar, with over 134,000 square miles of primary rainforest within its borders.
The WWF says that the Mekong River contains more than 1,000 freshwater fish species, including rare ones. The rainforests around the river contain a variety of other species. According to a report by the WWF, large-scale agriculture is the main driver of destruction in the Greater Mekong region.
There are 126 new Mekong species.
The National Forest of Tongass was honorable mention.
A photo was taken in the National Forest on Baranof Island. Earleliason is credited via the following images.
The largest rainforest in the world is in Alaska. It is smaller than the tropical rainforests on this list at about 68,000 square miles. Tropical rainforests cover a lot of land, but truncation rainforests are found in cooler climates.
Salmon, brown bears, black bears, and bald eagles can be found in the National Forest. According to the National Audubon Society, the National Forest has declined over the last century due to logging. The forest is vulnerable to climate change and is in danger of being dried out.
