Jason E. Andersen

Bonus Fun Fact: The Amazon rainforest is the largest tropical rainforest in the world and is about the same area as the continental United States. The Amazon houses an estimated 390 billion trees which convert carbon dioxide into oxygen. Often referred to as ‘the lungs of the world,’ the Amazon produces approximately 20% of the planet’s oxygen supply.

Bonus Bonus (not so) Fun Fact: You may have heard in the news that the Amazon rainforest is seeing a record number of wildfires this year. In a little over a week, more than 9,500 fires have popped up in Brazil, with most of them occurring in the Amazon River basin. Many of these fires are believed to have been illegally set to clear forestland for agriculture and development. The rapidly increasing deforestation of the Amazon will mean dire consequences for not only that region, but for the entire world.