The Amazon contains the single largest tropical rainforest on the planet. Covering some 40% of the South American continent, it spans more than 1.6 billion acres across 9 countries.
Protecting the biodiversity that keeps the Amazon thriving matters to the people who live there, to the countries it encompasses, and to the entire world. Stretching from the foothills of the Andes Mountains, the Amazon covers millions of acres of forests, watersheds, savannas, wetlands, and tropical glaciers that feed the rivers of the Amazon winding across the continent to the Atlantic Ocean, creating the world's largest river basin.
Because of the range of altitudes and ecosystems it covers, the Amazon plays many important roles:
- Sequestering more than 480 million metric tons of carbon in its forests, the western Amazon is a critical carbon sink that serves as an important climate regulator for the entire planet.
- Home to more than 10% of the world's known wildlife species, the Amazon's diverse forests, rivers, and savannas harbor the greatest known richness of species than any other ecosystem, making it the world's most biodiverse region.
- Local and Indigenous communities rely on Amazonian resources for daily needs such as food, water, fiber, and traditional medicine.
- The Tropical Andes, where the Andes meet the Amazon, contains 1/6 of all plant life on the planet and numerous biodiversity hotspots that are home to the world's largest variety of amphibian, bird, and mammal species, including more than 350 endangered and endemic species included on the IUCN Red List.
- Many modern medical treatments and vaccines are derived from Amazonian resources. The U.S. National Cancer Institute has identified that 70% of the plants useful in the treatment of cancer only grow in rainforests.
The Amazon gives us up to 20% of the air we breathe, stores 25% of the world's water, and stabilizes the Earth's climate. Together we can empower people to become champions for our environment, protect millions of acres of wild places, and put science and technology to work for conservation.
Protecting the Amazon's unique biodiversity ensures a healthy future for all of humanity. Sign today and help us protect the Amazon! 
