The Amazon biome, the planet’s richest, most heterogenic and unknown ecologic domain, was formed throughout millions of years.

The diversity of trees in the Amazon may vary from 40 and 300 different species per hectare.

[ Click here and see pictures of Amazonia ]

Regarding its origin and population, it was possible to identify traces of human presence in the Amazon since the 10th Century b.C (12 thousand years ago), and those people may have migrated from North America and other places.

The Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics – IBGE considers an “Indian” the individual who declares himself to be one. In the Amazon there are approximately 210 thousand natives (corresponding to 60% of the Brazilian Indian population which is estimated to be 350 thousand people), formed by 150 different peoples representing 0.2% of the Brazilian population.

With 60% of its area located within the Brazilian territory, more than 200 different species of trees per hectare, 1,400 types of fish, 1,300 types of birds and 300 species of mammals, totaling more than 2 million species, Amazon rainforest represents one-third of the entire area of rain forests in the world and is of fundamental importance to the climate and biological diversity of the planet.

Out of the 483 species of mammals existing in Brazil, 324 live in the Amazon rainforest (67%). Out of the 141 species of bats, 125 have been flying in the region. With 30 million species, the insects make up the largest group of living beings on Earth, not taking into account bacteria and microorganisms. One third of them are located in the Amazon rainforest. In the Amazon rainforest there are 300 species of reptiles, ranging from snakes to lizards. In a single day, the Amazon River pours into the Atlantic Ocean more water than the entire discharge of River Thames in London, during a whole year. The Black River Basin, one of the affluents of the Amazon River, has more freshwater than the entire Europe.

Brazilian Indians, who totaled 6 million at the time of discovery of Brazil, are nowadays 300,000. While the total Brazilian population has increased by 27 times, the Indian population has been reduced by 20 times. Currently, there are signs that 53 Indian groups, still isolated and with no contact with civilization and living nomadically are all located in the Amazon region.

With high pluviosity and virtually fire-immune, the original forest has withstood the natural fire spots (caused by lightning and sun heat) and those caused by farmers. However, with the drier woods, the fire spreads wildly.

The greenhouse effect and deforestation altogether maximize changes to the woods. Fires account for 75% of carbon dioxide emissions released by the country. It is approximately 220 million of CO2 every year, a quantity even four times higher than that released by all factories and automobiles in the country.”