Is Amazonia the same as Amazon?

The Amazon rainforest, alternatively, the Amazon jungle or Amazonia, is a moist broadleaf tropical rainforest in the Amazon biome that covers most of the Amazon basin of South America.

Why is the Amazon rainforest called the Amazon?

The Amazon rainforest is named after the Amazon River, which is known as the Rio Amazonas in Spanish and Portuguese. “Amazonas” is derived from an ancient Greek myth about a tribe of mighty women warriors.

Does the Amazon rainforest have a nickname?

The Amazon rainforest has long been referred to as the ​“lungs of the earth”, and it’s easy to see why.

Why is the Amazon rainforest a special place?

The Amazon rainforest plays an important part in regulating the world’s oxygen and carbon cycles. It produces roughly six percent of the world’s oxygen and has long been thought to act as a carbon sink, meaning it readily absorbs large amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

Was there a civilization in the Amazon?

The food of the ancient civilizations of the Amazon also largely consisted of the fruits of palm and Brazilian nut trees. A pre-colonial civilization unknown to scholars that built geometric ceremonial centers and sophisticated road systems. This civilization flourished in the rainforest area 2,000 years ago.

Who named the Amazon?

The first European to explore the Amazon, in 1541, was the Spanish soldier Francisco de Orellana, who gave the river its name after reporting pitched battles with tribes of female warriors, whom he likened to the Amazons of Greek mythology.

What is Amazon forest famous for?

The Amazon Rainforest is the world’s richest and most-varied biological reservoir, containing several million species of insects, plants, birds, and other forms of life, many still unrecorded by science. The luxuriant vegetation encompasses a wide variety of trees.

Why are rainforest called Rainforest?

Why is it called a Rainforest? The reason it is called a “rain” forest is because of the high amount of rainfall it gets per year. Rainforests have an annual rainfall of at least 100 inches (254 centimeters) and often much more.

Is there a forest in Africa?

About 22 percent of Africa is forest and woodland, and only a small percentage of this acreage is protected. From the sprawling, steaming rainforests of the Congo Basin to the sizzling, sepia-toned woodlands of the Tanzania-Zimbabwe frontier, these are some of the most game-rich forests in the world.

How did the Amazon rainforest get its name?

Here’s the story behind how this huge rainforest was named the Amazon. It is widely believed that the Amazon got its name due to a conflict between the Spanish explorer, Francisco de Orellana, and a native Amazon tribe, known as Tapuyas. The Amazon rainforest © Brazilian things. Orellana was the first known person to sail down

Why is the river system important to the Amazon rainforest?

The river system is the lifeline of the forest and its history plays an important part in the development of its rainforests. The Amazon is the world’s biggest rainforest, larger than the next two largest rainforests — in the Congo Basin and Indonesia — combined.

What is the origin of the Amazon legend?

Mayor cites the Scythians as the most likely source of the Amazon legend. Nomadic peoples originally from Iran who migrated to southern Russia and Ukraine around the 8th Century BC, Scythian women were renowned for their horse riding and hunting skills, and participation in warfare.

Is the Amazon rainforest the largest rainforest in the world?

While the Amazon Basin is home to the world’s largest tropical rainforest, the region consists of myriad other ecosystems ranging from natural savanna to swamps. Even the rainforest itself is highly variable, tree diversity and structure varying depending on soil type, history, drainage, elevation, and other factors.