The Amazon jungle is a huge and very complex place where nature created a unique set of ecological, biological and geological cycles, rarely seen in other places, and where mankind has developed different cultures, languages, and art. The Amazon rainforest is not only the biggest forest in the world but also the planet’s last big space filled with tropical plants and animals. Located in the north of the South American continent, it is shared by 9 countries: Brazil, Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, Suriname, French Guiana and Guiana. The largest part is located in Brazil (60%) and covers almost half of the country.

When the European explorers reached the Americas, they were all looking for gold, silver and gems. The Portuguese explorers who colonized Brazil believed that somewhere in that huge forest they would find the "Eldorado", an entire city made of gold that has an almost intangible value. This hoax came along with the myth that the Eldorado was guarded by the women warrior race of the Amazons. Expeditions went up the Amazon River trying to find the Eldorado. There was a race to find the gold before the Spanish and French arrived. They never found the Eldorado or the Amazons, but the name remained.

The name "rain" forest refers to the humidity found in tropical and equatorial forests, but it doesn't rain all the time. Tropical rainforests are always located near the equator, and are very hot. The heat combined with large bodies of water create a lot of evaporation into the air. The forest also retains water in tree branches, roots and soil, and it makes the tropical forests very humid. Yet all of this heat, rain and humidity make these forests very rich ecosystems and habitats for many organisms. There are trees, but they are very different from the temperate forest found in other places. Here, the trees can reach up to 120 feet, are entangled in thousands of different species of plants, and create a home for all sorts of rainforest animals: frogs, insects, birds, reptiles, amphibians and mammals.

The rainforest’s biodiversity is unparalleled, yet despite this apparent chaos, it is actually a very balanced system, a product of millions of years of evolution and natural selection. The Amazon Indians are part of the equilibrium that existed here for thousands of years. The indigenous tribes of the forest live off the land as their ancestors have for thousands of years. Non native people have settled here for different reasons, too, and are always looking for opportunities in this unexplored land. This usually has a negative impact on the rainforest. Deforestation is one of the dangers facing the Amazon, and while logging and forest clearing may be profitable in the short run, in the long run it affects not only the Amazonia, but also the rest of the planet.

All this heat, rain and humidity make these forests a very rich ecosystem or habitat for many organisms. A rainforest has trees, like any other forest, but they are very different from the temperate forest you are used to seeing in colder places like in US, Europe and parts of Asia. There are 120 foot trees, thousands of different species of plants, and all sort of rainforest animals including the red eyed tree frog, insects, birds, reptiles, amphibians and mammals. The rainforest canopy is home to thousands of animal species.

The bio diversity one can experience here is unparalleled. And the most amazing part is that all this apparent chaos is actually a very balanced system, a product of million of years of evolution and natural selection. But the forest is not only populated by animals and plants, there are many humans there too. The Indians are part of the equilibrium that existed there for thousands of years. The indigenous tribes of the forest live off the land as their ancestors have for thousands of years. The other humans, not native, have settled there for different reasons, but are always looking for opportunities in this unexplored land. Sometimes (usually) this has a negative impact over the forest. The idea of learn how to live from the forest by the forest is something that is not easy, but not impossible either.

There are many examples of sustainable use. This type of information needs to become more popular, as deforestation is becoming a danger to the existence of the forest. While logging and forest clearing may be profitable in the short run, in the long run it is a danger to the amazon. It is also a danger the growing eco tourism that is a major attraction to the Amazon for tourists. Amazonia is a huge and very complex place where nature created a unique set of biological and geological cycles, hardly seen in other places, and where mankind developed different cultures, languages, and art. The mysteries and awe around the Amazon jungle is something we should know and need to protect. There are several programs where on can buy an acre to save the land from harm.

Adapted from http://www.amazon-rainforest.org/