Amazon Basin
Rainforest, rivers, and one of Earth's largest drainage systems.
The Amazon Basin holds the world's largest tropical rainforest and the Amazon River system — together they store carbon, recycle rainfall, and host extraordinary biodiversity.
The map highlights lowland drainage across Brazil, Peru, Colombia, and neighbouring countries. Andean headwaters feed the main stem; the mouth at the Atlantic carries huge sediment loads.
- Deforestation & climate — forest loss affects regional rainfall.
- Settlement frontiers — cities and roads press on protected areas.
- Indigenous lands — long-standing stewardship of forest resources.
See also: Biomes & ecosystems, Major river systems.
- Population growth in the Amazon Basin — People, cities, and forest frontiers.
- Amazon Rainforest fires: human activity and environmental consequences — Deforestation and regional climate feedbacks.
- The Amazon River Basin: a natural highway for transportation and biodiversity — River networks and ecological wealth.