RAINFORESTS OF THE WORLD

Rainforests of the world

Temperate and tropical rainforests of the world

Tropical rainforestsTemperate rainforests

Source: adapted from Wikimedia commons. Rainforest location map. Author: Ville Koistinen

Congo River basin tropical rainforests

Southeast Asia tropical rainforests

Amazon river basin tropical rainforests

TROPICS

Pacific temperate rainforest

Valdivian temperate rainforest

Madagascar tropical rainforests

Temperate rainforests in New Zealand

Atlantic forest

Tropical rainforests of the Amazon river basin The Amazon rainforest is a tropical rainforest that covers most of the Amazon river basin. It is one of the three largest and tropical rainforests in the world, covering about 5,500,000 square kilometers. The Amazon rainforest is contained within Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Bolivia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, and Venezuela. Over 30 million people live in the Amazon, which is also one of the most biodiverse places on Earth.

Tropical rainforests of the Congo River basin The rainforest that surrounds the Congo River basin is one of the three largest tropical rainforests on Earth, and it is one of the most important wilderness areas left on the planet. Species like mountain gorillas, bonobos, chimpanzees, and forest elephants inhabit this dense and moist rainforest. Also, the Congo River basin is home to over 75 million people who depend on it for their survival. Like the Amazon rainforest, it is one of the most biodiverse places on Earth.

Tropical rainforests of Southeast Asia Together with the tropical rainforests of the Amazon and Congo basins, these rainforests are some of the largest in the world. Found mainly in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Papua New Guinea. These forests are home to elephants, orangutans, thousands of plant species, and millions of people who depend on them for their survival. Like the Congo and Amazon rainforests, these tropical forests are very diverse.

Pacific temperate rainforest This is one of the largest (some sources say the largest) temperate rainforests on the planet. It lies along the western Pacific coast of North America, covering the coasts of Northern California and British Columbia all the way to Prince William Sound in Alaska. The dominant plants in this rainforest are Sitka spruce and western hemlock, as well as the coastal redwoods (sequoias), coast Douglas firs, western redcedars, and shore pines. The world's largest and tallest trees are found in these rainforests.