1 Almost Everything About Brazil Is Big Brazil is the sixth-largest country in the world by area Its landscape features vast rainforests long rivers and tall mountains The Amazon rainforest lies in the north This dense jungle is the world’s largest The Amazon River flows through the rainforest At 4,250 miles 6,840 km long the Amazon is the longest river in the world The Pantanal is located in western Brazil It is the world’s largest wetland Brazil also has grasslands forests and mountains A traditional house on the Amazon River 4
Copacabana Beach is one of many popular beaches in Brazil The highest point in Brazil is the Pico da Neblina The name means mist peak in Portuguese The peak is so high that clouds often cover it Pico da Neblina is in the north of Brazil on the border with Venezuela It stands 9,826 feet 2,995 m high Brazil is perhaps most famous for its beaches The country has 4,650 BRAZIL’S ISLANDS Brazil’s land area includes several islands in the Atlantic Ocean The largest of these is Fernando de Noronha The chain of 21 islands is located 225 miles 362 km off Brazil’s east coast The islands are home to many unique animals They are also a popular tourist destination miles 7,483 km of coastline The largest cities are in the southeast The southeastern region makes up just 11 percent of the country’s land area But it is home to 43 percent of the population Most other Brazilians live on or near the coast 10 Number of countries that border Brazil Brazil is the sixth-largest country by area The Amazon River and rainforest are defining geographical features Brazil has jungles wetlands grasslands forests and mountains Brazilian beaches are famous around the world 5
2 Brazil Is Earth’s Most Biologically Diverse Country Brazil has more than 100,000 species of animals It is the most biologically diverse country in the world About 700 new species are discovered each year Rainforests contain much of Brazil’s wildlife They are home to more than 400 mammals including jaguars and sloths Macaws and 1,300 other species of birds can be found among the trees Reptiles like Anaconda snakes and Jesus lizards live here The poison dart frog is among 400 types of rainforest amphibians Unique animals are found in other landscapes of Brazil Alligators and giant snakes populate the Pantanal wetlands So do giant anteaters and capuchin monkeys More than 40,000 species of plants grow in Brazil’s habitats Many species of plants and animals in Brazil are threatened Logging has destroyed some of the rainforest Some sloths stay in the same tree for years Pollution produces acid rain that kills plants The habitats of Brazil’s unique wildlife are disappearing Locations across Brazil experience different kinds of weather The northern portion of the country is near the equator Here it is hot and humid Much of the rainforest lies in the north Temperatures are a little cooler near the coast Northeastern Brazil is dry but not quite desert 6
1.4 billion Area in acres 567 million hectares of tropical forests in the Amazon rainforest Brazil is the most biologically diverse country in the world Many of the country’s animals live in rainforests Environmental threats include logging and air pollution Locations across Brazil experience different kinds of weather Illegal logging threatens the habitats of Brazil’s unique wildlife 7
