Amazon rainforest, Peru

© Rhett Ayers Butler/Getty Image

A world within a world. World Rainforest Day

Welcome to the largest tropical rainforest on Earth. Our homepage image was taken in Peru, home to about 13% of the Amazon rainforest. Most of it, about 60%, is in Brazil, while 10% is in Colombia. Bolivia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, and Venezuela also have sections within their borders. Covering nearly 40% of South America, the rainforest is teeming with life, including endangered species like jaguars and giant otters, more than 40,000 plants, and thousands of birds and butterflies. Millions of people also live in the Amazon.

As well as sheltering thousands of species, rainforests absorb a substantial amount of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, helping to combat global warming. But they are threatened by climate change and deforestation. World Rainforest Day was created in 2017 to celebrate these critical natural resources and to raise awareness of their plight. Its founders, the Rainforest Partnership, also hosts a summit to hear from experts and discuss how individuals and communities can help protect rainforests.