What Do You Know: About These 7 Interesting Amazon Rainforest Facts?

The Amazon Rainforest is unlike any other place on earth. A lot of scientists, explorers, and even writers have been inspired by the Amazon because of its enigmatic blend of biodiversity and multiculturalism. This mystery offers a ton of entertainment and numerous shocks. In order to give you a better understanding of this extraordinary environment, we're going to share with you 7 of the most astonishing facts about the Amazon Rainforest in this post.

The Meaning Behind "Amazon"

The term "Amazon Rainforest" comes from the fabled appellation "Rio Amazonas," which was given to the fierce Greek women warriors. After a fight with some local long-haired warriors, a Spanish adventurer by the name of Francisco de Orellana gave the jungle its name.

In the sixteenth century, the attack took place when he was exploring the rain forest. He wasn't sure if the long-haired fighters were men or women, but it was widely believed that they belonged to a clan of female warriors known as the Icamiabas, or "women without spouses." The explorer chose the name "Amazon" for the rainforest because these warriors made him think of the Greek myth of Amazonas.

The largest river in the world by volume is the Amazon River.

Over 1100 tributaries of the Amazon River exist, and 17 of them are 1000 miles (1609 kilometers) or longer. It has a documented average discharge of around 219,000 cubic meters per second and contains 20% of the freshwater on Earth. In case you were unaware, an astounding 55 million gallons of water are dumped into the Atlantic every second. By volume, these factors make the Amazon River the biggest river in the world.

The Amazon River is not only the longest river in the world, but it is also the greatest river in terms of volume. Recent studies by Brazilian scientists indicate that the river actually rises from a snowy peak in southern Peru. With the discovery, the Amazon river's overall length has been increased to around 4225 miles (6800 kilometers), making it roughly 65 miles (105 kilometers) greater than the Nile. The study's findings, however, could be impacted by a number of variables, therefore there is debate over the true length of the Amazon river.

In addition to being the longest river in the world, the Amazon River is also the greatest river in terms of volume. The river actually originates from a snowy peak in southern Peru, according to the most recent research by Brazilian scientists. The Amazon river now has a total length of around 4225 miles (6800 kilometers), making it about 65 miles (105 kilometers) longer than the Nile. The study's findings, however, could be impacted by a number of variables, making the actual length of the Amazon river a contentious issue.

10% of the animal and plant life on Earth is found in the Amazon Rainforest.

It should come as no surprise that the Amazon, the biggest rainforest on earth, is home to a wide variety of plants and animals. The Amazon has 10% of all known biodiversity, and what's more intriguing is that there are new species there on average every three days.

There are, specifically, an estimated 40,000 plant species (of which 16,000 are native), 3,000 fish species, 2,200 bird species (a fifth of all bird species in the world), 430 animal species, and 2.5 million different insect species. It resembles a miniature version of Earth in the Amazon.

The Amazon Rainforest Is Where Much Of The World's Food And Medicine Was Originally Harvested.

With such a variety of animals, it makes sense that the world's majority of food and medication comes from the Amazon Rainforest. The Amazon is the source of more than 80% of the food in the world, including coffee. Although there are more than 3,000 different varieties of fruits in the Amazon, only roughly 200 are presently consumed.

About 25% of all current medications are made with substances sourced from the Amazon Rainforest. And guess what, only 1% of the plant species in the Amazon Rainforest contain those elements. The therapeutic potential of the remaining ones has not yet been investigated. There will undoubtedly be more Amazonian components utilized to create medications in the future after they have been tested.

There Are More Residents Than You Imagine

Although the Amazon Rainforest is seen as a wild, deadly region, it is actually home to some 21 million people. This amount roughly equates to the populations of New York, Los Angeles, and London all together. This amount is just astounding.

They come from 350 distinct indigenous groups and tribes, with 50 of them living in isolated regions with little to no contact with Western culture. If you want to interact with the Amazons, you ready to be a linguist because they speak roughly 300 indigenous languages.

The Amazon is not truly the earth's lungs.

The Amazon Rainforest is one of the world's largest carbon sinks and oxygen producers, with an estimated 400 billion trees. The Amazon Rainforest produces 20% of the oxygen used by the world each day. Comparing this statistic to any other environment, it is undeniably astounding. One of the main justifications for calling the Amazon "the green lungs of the Earth" is because of this.

However, the Amazon Rainforest is not actually the Earth's lungs. Even though the Amazon produces a lot of oxygen, it also releases a similar amount of CO2 at night owing to respiration. In actuality, microbes found in the world's oceans provide the majority of the oxygen we breathe.

The Rainforest Is Quickly Disappearing Before Our Very Eyes

It appears that this issue won't end anytime soon despite the fact that it has been ongoing for some time. Construction, farming, illegal logging, mining, and cattle grazing account for 70% of the Amazon's deforestation. It's terrible that the Amazon Rainforest is said to be losing an area equivalent to the combined area of five football fields per minute. Why? Because, according to Amazon Conservation, the Amazon Rainforest is currently experiencing a 17% deforestation rate. If things stay as they are, the deforestation rate will soon surpass the tipping point (20–25%), rendering the forest incapable of supporting itself and quickly becoming a dry grassland.

Without It, We Cannot Exist

Even if there is still much to be said, the information presented above should demonstrate how crucial the Amazon Rainforest is to human existence. Many large-scale reforestation initiatives have been implemented in an effort to combat climate change and maintain the Amazon rainforest's green color. Better late than never, right? A great mission, however, calls for much more than merely the work of organizations.

To help this cause as much as it can, Tenere collaborates with a variety of reforestation organizations, including 8 Billion Trees, One Tree Planted, and others. By buying with Tenere, you may join the adventure as well. In addition, we'll assist you in planting trees with your purchases. Your little deeds are necessary for this lovely world.