Editing Brazil (section)

== Geography ==
{{Main|Geography of Brazil}}
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| caption1          = [[Serra dos Órgãos National Park]], [[Teresópolis]], [[Rio de Janeiro state]]
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| caption2          = Satellite image of the [[Amazon Delta]]
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Brazil occupies a large area along the eastern coast of South America and includes much of the continent's interior,<ref name="Encarta 6">{{Cite encyclopedia |title=Land and Resources |encyclopedia=Encarta |publisher=MSN |url=http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761554342/Brazil.html |access-date=11 June 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091028044617/http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761554342/Brazil.html |archive-date=28 October 2009 }} {{Dubious|date=January 2010}}<!-- tertiary source --></ref> sharing land borders with [[Uruguay]] to the south; [[Argentina]] and [[Paraguay]] to the southwest; [[Bolivia]] and [[Peru]] to the west; [[Colombia]] to the northwest; and [[Venezuela]], [[Guyana]], [[Suriname]] and France (French overseas region of [[French Guiana]]) to the north. It shares a border with every South American country except [[Ecuador]] and [[Chile]].<ref name="CIA Geo" />

The Brazilian territory also encompasses a number of oceanic [[archipelago]]s, such as [[Fernando de Noronha]], [[Rocas Atoll]], [[Saint Peter and Saint Paul Archipelago]], and the islands of [[Trindade and Martim Vaz]].<ref name="CIA Geo" /> Its size, relief, climate, and natural resources make Brazil geographically diverse.<ref name="Encarta 6" /> Including its [[Atlantic Ocean|Atlantic]] islands, Brazil lies between latitudes [[6th parallel north|6°N]] and [[34th parallel south|34°S]], and longitudes [[28th meridian west|28°]] and [[74th meridian west|74°W]].<ref name="CIA Geo" />

Brazil is the [[List of countries and outlying territories by total area|fifth largest]] country in the world, and third largest in the Americas, with a total area of {{convert|8515767.049|km2|sqmi|0|abbr=on}},<ref name="Official Area">[http://www.ibge.gov.br/home/geociencias/cartografia/default_territ_area.shtm Official Area (In Portuguese)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120106154550/http://www.ibge.gov.br/home/geociencias/cartografia/default_territ_area.shtm |date=6 January 2012 }} IBGE: Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística. Retrieved 8 January 2010.</ref> including {{convert|55455|km2|sqmi|0|abbr=on}} of water. North to South, Brazil is also the longest country in the world, spanning 4,395&nbsp;km (2,731&nbsp;mi) from north to south,<ref name="CIA Geo" /> and the only country in the world that has the [[equator]] and the [[Tropic of Capricorn]] running through it.<ref name="CIA Geo" /> It spans four [[time zone]]s; from [[UTC-05|UTC−5]] comprising the state of [[Acre (state)|Acre]] and the westernmost portion of [[Amazonas (Brazilian state)|Amazonas]], to [[UTC−04|UTC−4]] in the western states, to [[UTC−03|UTC−3]] in the eastern states (the [[Time in Brazil|national time]]) and [[UTC−02|UTC−2]] in the [[List of islands of Brazil|Atlantic islands]].<ref name="timezones">{{Cite web |title=Hora Legal Brasileira |url=http://pcdsh01.on.br/Fusbr.htm  |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110722173247/http://pcdsh01.on.br/Fusbr.htm |archive-date=22 July 2011 |access-date=28 December 2014 |publisher=Observatório Nacional}}</ref>

=== Climate ===
{{Main|Climate of Brazil}}
[[File:Köppen climate types of Brazil.svg|thumb|Brazil map of [[Köppen climate classification]] zones]]

The climate of Brazil comprises a wide range of weather conditions across a large area and varied topography, but most of the country is tropical.<ref name="CIA Geo" /> According to the [[Köppen climate classification|Köppen system]], Brazil hosts six major climatic subtypes: [[Desert climate|desert]], [[Tropical rainforest climate|equatorial]], [[tropical climate|tropical]], [[Semi-arid climate|semiarid]], [[Oceanic climate|oceanic]] and [[Humid subtropical climate|subtropical]]. The different climatic conditions produce environments ranging from [[Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests|equatorial rainforests]] in the north and semiarid deserts in the northeast, to [[temperate coniferous forest]]s in the south and [[tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands|tropical savannas]] in central Brazil.<ref name="BBC Weather">{{Cite web |title=Brazil |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/world/country_guides/results.shtml?tt=TT005220 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110208034235/http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/world/country_guides/results.shtml?tt=TT005220 |archive-date=8 February 2011 |access-date=11 June 2008 |website=Country Guide |publisher=BBC Weather}}</ref>

In Brazil, [[forest cover]] is around 59% of the total land area, equivalent to 496,619,600 hectares (ha) of forest in 2020, down from 588,898,000 hectares (ha) in 1990. In 2020, naturally regenerating forest covered 485,396,000 hectares (ha) and planted forest covered 11,223,600 hectares (ha). Of the naturally regenerating forest, 44% was reported to be [[primary forest]] (consisting of native tree species with no clearly visible indications of human activity) and around 30% of the forest area was found within protected areas. For 2015, 56.% of the forest area was reported to be under [[State ownership|public ownership]] and 44% [[Private property|private ownership]].<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://openknowledge.fao.org/server/api/core/bitstreams/a6e225da-4a31-4e06-818d-ca3aeadfd635/content |title=Terms and Definitions FRA 2025 Forest Resources Assessment, Working Paper 194 |publisher=Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations |year=2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Global Forest Resources Assessment 2020, Brazil |url=https://fra-data.fao.org/assessments/fra/2020/BRA/home/overview |website=Food Agriculture Organization of the United Nations}}</ref>

Many regions have starkly different [[microclimate]]s.<ref name="Encarta 9">{{Cite encyclopedia |title=Natural Regions |encyclopedia=Encarta |publisher=MSN |url=http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761554342_2/Brazil.html |access-date=11 June 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091029034943/http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761554342_2/Brazil.html |archive-date=29 October 2009 }} {{Dubious|date=January 2010}}<!-- tertiary source --></ref><ref name="BT">{{Cite web |title=Temperature in Brazil |url=http://www.v-brazil.com/information/geography/temperature-graphs.html  |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080612200827/http://www.v-brazil.com/information/geography/temperature-graphs.html |archive-date=12 June 2008 |access-date=11 June 2008 |publisher=Brazil Travel}}</ref> An equatorial climate characterizes much of northern Brazil. There is no real [[dry season]], but there are some variations in the period of the year when most rain falls.<ref name="BBC Weather" /> Temperatures average {{convert|25|°C}},<ref name="BT" /> with more significant temperature variation between night and day than between seasons.<ref name="Encarta 9" /> Over central Brazil, rainfall is more seasonal, characteristic of a savanna climate.<ref name="Encarta 9" /> This region is as extensive as the Amazon basin but has a very different climate as it lies farther south at a higher altitude.<ref name="BBC Weather" /> In the interior northeast, seasonal rainfall is even more extreme.<ref name="Rain" /> South of Bahia, near the coasts, and more southerly most of the state of São Paulo, the distribution of rainfall changes, with rain falling throughout the year.<ref name="BBC Weather" /> The south enjoys subtropical conditions, with cool winters and average annual temperatures not exceeding {{convert|18|°C|1}};<ref name="BT" /> winter frosts and [[Snow in Brazil|snowfall]] are not rare in the highest areas.<ref name="BBC Weather" /><ref name="Encarta 9" />

The semiarid climatic region generally receives less than {{convert|800|mm|1|sp=us}} of rain,<ref name="Rain">{{Cite web |last=Embrapa |author-link=Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária |title=Annual averages of Mandacaru Agro-meteorological station |url=http://www.cpatsa.embrapa.br/servicos/dadosmet/cem-anual.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070820215606/http://www.cpatsa.embrapa.br/servicos/dadosmet/cem-anual.html |archive-date=20 August 2007 |access-date=21 October 2008 |language=pt}}</ref> most of which generally falls in a period of three to five months of the year<ref>{{Cite web |title=CPD: South America, Site SA19, Caatinga of North-eastern Brazil, Brazil |url=http://botany.si.edu/projects/cpd/sa/sa19.htm  |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090606055642/http://botany.si.edu/projects/cpd/sa/sa19.htm |archive-date=6 June 2009 |access-date=29 October 2009 |publisher=Botany.si.edu}}</ref> and occasionally less than this, creating long periods of drought.<ref name="Encarta 9" /> Brazil's 1877–78 ''[[Grande Seca]]'' (Great Drought), the worst in Brazil's history,<ref>[http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/15/6/07-1331_article.htm "Drought, Smallpox, and Emergence of Leishmania braziliensis in Northeastern Brazil"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131129144751/http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/15/6/07-1331_article.htm |date=29 November 2013 }}. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).</ref> caused approximately half a million deaths.<ref>[http://press.princeton.edu/chapters/s8857.html "Ó Gráda, C.: Famine: A Short History"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160112061115/http://press.princeton.edu/chapters/s8857.html |date=12 January 2016 }}. Princeton University Press.</ref> A similarly devastating drought occurred in 1915.<ref>[http://www.fao.org/DOCREP/005/W8514E/W8514E29.htm "Inland fishery enhancements"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140306225557/http://www.fao.org/DOCREP/005/W8514E/W8514E29.htm |date=6 March 2014 }}. FAO.</ref> In 2024, for the first time, "a drought has covered all the way from the North to the country’s Southeast". It is the strongest drought in Brazil since the beginning of measurement in the 1950s, covering almost 60% of the country's territory. The drought is linked to deforestation and [[climate change]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Maisonnave |first1=Fabiano |title=Brazil faces its worst drought as wildfires rage and Amazon River falls to record low |url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/brazil-faces-its-worst-drought-as-wildfires-rage-and-amazon-river-falls-to-record-low |access-date=16 September 2024 |agency=PBS News |publisher=Associated Press |date=10 September 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=McCoy |first1=Terrence |title=More than half of Brazil is racked by drought. Blame deforestation. |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/09/12/brazil-drought/ |access-date=16 September 2024 |agency=Washington Post |date=12 September 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Brazil Endures Worst Drought on Record, Affecting 58% of the Country |url=https://www1.folha.uol.com.br/internacional/en/scienceandhealth/2024/09/brazil-endures-worst-drought-on-record-affecting-58-of-the-country.shtml |access-date=16 September 2024 |agency=Folha de S.Paulo |date=5 September 2024}}</ref>

[[File:20211026 Cumulative carbon dioxide CO2 emissions by country - bar chart.svg |thumb|Since 1850, the Brazil has cumulatively contributed an amount of {{CO2}} placing it among the top emitters in the world, mainly due to its land use and forestry practices.<ref name=CarbonBrief_20211005>{{cite web |last1=Evans |first1=Simon |title=Analysis: Which countries are historically responsible for climate change? / Historical responsibility for climate change is at the heart of debates over climate justice. |url=https://www.carbonbrief.org/analysis-which-countries-are-historically-responsible-for-climate-change |website=CarbonBrief.org |publisher=Carbon Brief |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211026094104/https://www.carbonbrief.org/analysis-which-countries-are-historically-responsible-for-climate-change |archive-date=26 October 2021 |date=5 October 2021 |quote=Source: Carbon Brief analysis of figures from the Global Carbon Project, CDIAC, Our World in Data, Carbon Monitor, Houghton and Nassikas (2017) and Hansis et al (2015). |url-status=live}}</ref>]]
[[Climate change in Brazil]] is causing higher temperatures and longer-lasting heatwaves, changing precipitation patterns, more intense wildfires and heightened fire risk.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-10-19 |title=Brazil |url=https://www.g20climaterisks.org/brazil/ |access-date=2025-02-26 |website=G20 Climate Risk Atlas |language=en-US}}</ref> Brazil's hydropower, agriculture and urban water supplies will be affected.<ref name=":13">{{Cite web |title=Brazil |url=https://www.worldbank.org/en/programs/lac-green-growth-leading-the-change-we-need/brazil |access-date=2025-02-26 |website=World Bank |language=en}}</ref> Brazil's [[rainforest]]s, and the [[Amazon rainforest|Amazon]], are particularly at risk to climate change. At worst, large areas of the [[Amazon basin|Amazon River basin]] could turn into savannah, with severe consequences for global climate and local livelihoods.<ref>{{Cite web |last=UNDP Climate Change Adaptation |date=2012-08-13 |title=Brazil |url=https://www.adaptation-undp.org/explore/latin-america-and-caribbean/brazil |access-date=2025-02-26 |website=www.adaptation-undp.org |language=en}}</ref> [[Extreme weather]] events like droughts and flash floods are causing annual losses of around R$13 billion (US$2.6 billion), equivalent to 0.1% of the country's 2022 GDP. Climate impacts could exacerbate poverty.<ref name=":13"/>

Brazil's [[List of countries by greenhouse gas emissions per capita|greenhouse gas emissions per person are higher than the global average]], and Brazil is among the top 10 [[List of countries by greenhouse gas emissions|highest emitting countries]]. [[Greenhouse gas emissions]] by Brazil are over 4% of the annual world total.<ref name=":3">{{Citation |last1=Jones |first1=Matthew W. |title=National contributions to climate change due to historical emissions of carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide |date=2024-11-13 |url=https://zenodo.org/records/14054503 |access-date=2025-02-26 |doi=10.5281/zenodo.14054503 |last2=Peters |first2=Glen P. |last3=Gasser |first3=Thomas |last4=Andrew |first4=Robbie M. |last5=Schwingshackl |first5=Clemens |last6=Gütschow |first6=Johannes |last7=Houghton |first7=Richard A. |last8=Friedlingstein |first8=Pierre |last9=Pongratz |first9=Julia}}</ref> In 2024 Brazil revised its [[Nationally determined contribution|Nationally Determined Contribution]] (NDC), setting a goal to cut [[Greenhouse gas emissions|greenhouse emissions]] by 59% to 67% compared to 2005 levels by 2035.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Brazilian Government |date=2024 |title=Brazil's NDC National determination to contribute and transform |url=https://unfccc.int/sites/default/files/2024-11/Brazil_Second%20Nationally%20Determined%20Contribution%20(NDC)_November2024.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250211211914/https://unfccc.int/sites/default/files/2024-11/Brazil_Second%20Nationally%20Determined%20Contribution%20%28NDC%29_November2024.pdf |archive-date=11 February 2025 |access-date=2025-02-26 |website=unfccc.int |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Climate Watch |title=Brazil |url=https://www.climatewatchdata.org/countries/BRA?end_year=2021&start_year=1990 |access-date=2025-02-26 |website=www.climatewatchdata.org}}</ref> It has an indicative target of reaching [[carbon neutrality]] by 2060 if the country receives 10 billion dollars per year.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Felin |first=Bruno |date=10 December 2020 |title=STATEMENT: Brazil Sets Weak 2030 Emission Reduction Target |url=https://www.wri.org/news/2020/12/statement-brazil-sets-weak-2030-emission-reduction-target |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210413193227/https://www.wri.org/news/2020/12/statement-brazil-sets-weak-2030-emission-reduction-target |archive-date=13 April 2021 |access-date=3 January 2021 |website=World Resources Institute}}</ref>

=== Topography and hydrography ===
{{See also|List of rivers of Brazil}}
[[File:Brazil topo.jpg|thumb|Topographic map of Brazil]]

Brazilian topography is also diverse and includes hills, mountains, plains, highlands, and scrublands. Much of the terrain lies between {{convert|200|m|sp=us}} and {{convert|800|m|sp=us}} in elevation.<ref name="Encarta 7">{{Cite encyclopedia |title=Natural Regions |encyclopedia=Encarta |publisher=MSN |url=http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761554342/Brazil.html |access-date=11 June 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091028044617/http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761554342/Brazil.html |archive-date=28 October 2009 }} {{Dubious|date=January 2010}}<!-- tertiary source --></ref> The main upland area occupies most of the southern half of the country.<ref name="Encarta 7" /> The northwestern parts of the plateau consist of broad, rolling terrain broken by low, rounded hills.<ref name="Encarta 7" />

The southeastern section is more rugged, with a complex mass of ridges and mountain ranges reaching elevations of up to {{convert|1200|m|sp=us}}.<ref name="Encarta 7" /> These ranges include the [[Mantiqueira Mountains|Mantiqueira]] and [[Espinhaço Mountains|Espinhaço]] mountains and the [[Serra do Mar]].<ref name="Encarta 7" /> In the north, the [[Guiana Shield|Guiana Highlands]] form a major drainage divide, separating rivers that flow south into the [[Amazon Basin]] from rivers that empty into the [[Orinoco]] River system, in Venezuela, to the north. The highest point in Brazil is the [[Pico da Neblina]] at {{convert|2994|m|sp=us}}, and the lowest is the Atlantic Ocean.<ref name="CIA Geo" />

Brazil has a dense and complex system of rivers, one of the world's most extensive, with eight major drainage basins, all of which drain into the Atlantic.<ref name="Encarta 8">{{Cite encyclopedia |title=Rivers and Lakes |encyclopedia=Encarta |publisher=MSN |url=http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761554342/Brazil.html |access-date=11 June 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091028044617/http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761554342/Brazil.html |archive-date=28 October 2009 }} {{Dubious|date=January 2010}}<!-- tertiary source --></ref> Major rivers include the [[Amazon River|Amazon]] (the world's second-longest river and the largest in terms of volume of water), the [[Paraná River|Paraná]] and its major tributary the [[Iguazu River|Iguaçu]] (which includes the [[Iguazu Falls]]), the [[Rio Negro (Amazon)|Negro]], [[São Francisco River|São Francisco]], [[Xingu River|Xingu]], [[Madeira River|Madeira]] and [[Tapajós]] rivers.<ref name="Encarta 8" />

=== Biodiversity and conservation ===
{{Main|Environment of Brazil|Wildlife of Brazil|Conservation in Brazil}}
{{Further|Environmental issues in Brazil|Protected areas of Brazil}}
[[File:Toco Toucan (Ramphastos toco) - 48153967707.jpg|thumb|The [[toco toucan]] is an animal typical of the [[Cerrado|Brazilian savannas]].]]
The [[wildlife of Brazil]] comprises all naturally occurring [[animal]]s, [[plant]]s, and [[fungus|fungi]] in the [[South America]]n country. Home to 60% of the [[Amazon Rainforest|Amazon rainforest]], which accounts for approximately one-tenth of all [[species]] in the world,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Amazon – World's largest tropical rain forest and river basin |url=http://www.worldwildlife.org/what/wherewework/amazon/index.html |access-date=3 June 2010 |publisher=[[World Wide Fund for Nature]] |archive-date=5 August 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120805092911/http://www.worldwildlife.org/what/wherewework/amazon/index.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Brazil is considered to have the greatest [[biodiversity]] of any country on the planet, containing over 70% of all animal and plant species catalogued.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Brazil |url=https://iucngreenlist.org/country/brazil/ |access-date=19 November 2022 |website=IUCN Green List |language=en-US |archive-date=19 November 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221119014359/https://iucngreenlist.org/country/brazil/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Brazil has the most known species of [[plant]]s (55,000), freshwater [[fish]] (3,000) and [[mammal]]s (over 689).<ref name="DannyP_2007_shoestring">{{Cite book |last=Palmerlee |first=Danny |title=South America on a Shoestring |publisher=[[Lonely Planet]] Publications |year=2007 |isbn=978-1-74104-443-0 |page=275 |oclc=76936293}}</ref> It also ranks third on the list of countries with the most [[bird]] species (1,832) and second with the most [[reptile]] species (744).<ref name="DannyP_2007_shoestring" /> The number of fungal species is unknown but is large.<ref name="Silva, M 1995">Da Silva, M. and D.W. Minter. 1995. ''Fungi from Brazil recorded by Batista and Co-workers''. Mycological Papers 169. CABI, Wallingford, UK. 585 pp.</ref> Brazil is second only to [[Indonesia]] as the country with the most [[endemic]] species.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Chapman |first=A.D |date=September 2005 |title=Numbers of Living Species in Australia and the World: A Report for the Department of the Environment and Heritage |work=Australian Biological Resources Study |publisher=Australian Biodiversity Information Services |url=http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/abrs/publications/other/species-numbers/05-comparisons.html |access-date=26 November 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071101090709/http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/abrs/publications/other/species-numbers/05-comparisons.html <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date=1 November 2007}}</ref>

Brazil's large territory comprises different ecosystems, such as the Amazon rainforest, recognized as having the greatest [[Biodiversity|biological diversity]] in the world,<ref name="WWF">{{Cite web |date=6 August 2007 |title=One fifth of the world's freshwater |url=http://wwf.panda.org/what_we_do/where_we_work/amazon/about_the_amazon/ecosystems_amazon/rivers/ |access-date=12 June 2008 |website=Amazon |publisher=World Wide Fund for Nature |archive-date=1 March 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110301055230/http://wwf.panda.org/what_we_do/where_we_work/amazon/about_the_amazon/ecosystems_amazon/rivers/ |url-status=live }}</ref> with the [[Atlantic Forest]] and the [[Cerrado]] sustaining the greatest biodiversity.<ref name="Encarta 10">{{Cite encyclopedia |title=Plant and Animal Life |encyclopedia=Encarta |publisher=MSN |url=http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761554342_2/Brazil.html |access-date=12 June 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091029034943/http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761554342_2/Brazil.html |archive-date=29 October 2009 }}</ref> In the south, the [[Araucaria moist forests]] grow under temperate conditions.<ref name="Encarta 10" /> The rich wildlife of Brazil reflects the variety of natural habitats. Scientists estimate that the total number of [[Wildlife of Brazil|plant]] and [[Wildlife of Brazil|animal species]] in Brazil could approach four million, mostly invertebrates.<ref name="Encarta 10" /> Larger mammals include carnivores [[Cougar|pumas]], [[jaguar]]s, [[ocelot]]s, rare [[bush dog]]s, and [[fox]]es, and herbivores [[peccary|peccaries]], [[tapir]]s, [[anteater]]s, [[sloth]]s, [[opossum]]s and [[armadillo]]s. [[Deer]] are plentiful in the south, and many species of [[New World monkey]]s are found in the northern [[Rainforest|rain forests]].<ref name="Encarta 10" /><ref>{{Cite news |date=1 October 2004 |title=Atlantic Forest, Brazil |work=Map: Biodiversity hotspots |publisher=BBC News |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/3707888.stm#brazil |access-date=12 June 2008 |archive-date=19 July 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080719212941/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/3707888.stm#brazil |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[File:20220910 Amazon deforestation and degradation, by country - Amazon Watch.svg|thumb|Cumulatively, Brazil has the highest percentage of deforested and highly degraded rainforest of any Amazonia nation.<ref name="AmazonWatch_202209">{{Cite web |date=September 2022 |title=Amazon Against the Clock: A Regional Assessment on Where and How to Protect 80% by 2025 |url=https://amazonwatch.org/assets/files/2022-amazonia-against-the-clock-executive-summary.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220910025229/https://amazonwatch.org/assets/files/2022-amazonia-against-the-clock-executive-summary.pdf |archive-date=10 September 2022 |website=Amazon Watch |page=8 |quote=Graphic 2: Current State of the Amazon by country, by percentage / Source: RAISG (Red Amazónica de Información Socioambiental Georreferenciada) Elaborated by authors.}}</ref>]]

More than one-fifth of the Amazon rainforest in Brazil has been completely destroyed, and more than 70 mammals are endangered.<ref name="DannyP_2007_shoestring" /> The threat of extinction comes from several sources, including [[Deforestation in Brazil|deforestation]] and [[poaching]]. Extinction is even more problematic in the [[Atlantic Forest]], where nearly 93% of the forest has been cleared.<ref>{{Cite web |year=2007 |title=Places We Work: The Atlantic Forest of Brazil |url=http://www.nature.org/wherewework/southamerica/brazil/work/art5080.html  |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100702223313/http://www.nature.org/wherewework/southamerica/brazil/work/art5080.html |archive-date=2 July 2010 |access-date=5 December 2007 |publisher=[[The Nature Conservancy]]}}</ref> Of the 202 endangered animals in Brazil, 171 are in the Atlantic Forest.<ref name="mre.gov">{{Cite web |last=Capobianco |first=João Paulo |title=Biodiversity in the Atlantic Forest |url=http://www.mre.gov.br/cdbrasil/itamaraty/web/ingles/meioamb/biodiv/matatlan/biodiv/index.htm  |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071215123917/http://www.mre.gov.br/cdbrasil/itamaraty/web/ingles/meioamb/biodiv/matatlan/biodiv/index.htm |archive-date=15 December 2007 |access-date=5 December 2007 |website=Brazil on CD-ROM and Internet |publisher=Ministry of External Relations}}</ref> The Amazon rainforest has been under direct threat of deforestation since the 1970s because of rapid [[economic]] and [[demographic]] expansion. Extensive legal and [[Illegal logging|illegal]] [[logging]] destroy [[forest]]s the size of a small country per year, and with it a diverse series of species through [[habitat destruction]] and [[habitat fragmentation]].<ref name="usda">[[United States Department of Agriculture|USDA]] Forest Service website, [http://www.fs.fed.us/global/globe/l_amer/brazil.htm Forest Service International Programs: Brazil] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200406090854/https://www.fs.usda.gov/about-agency/international-programs |date=6 April 2020 }}, retrieved February 2007.</ref> Since 1970, over {{convert|600,000|km2|sqmi|sp=us}} of the Amazon rainforest have been cleared by logging.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Butler |first=Rhett A. |date=28 March 2006 |title=Brazil to Protect Amazon Rainforest |publisher=MongaBay.com |url=http://news.mongabay.com/2006/0328-amazon.html |access-date=28 November 2007 |archive-date=5 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200405222718/http://news.mongabay.com/2006/0328-amazon.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 2017, preserved native vegetation occupied 61% of the Brazilian territory. Agriculture occupied only 8% of the national territory and pastures 19.7%.<ref>{{Cite web |date=27 January 2017 |title=Preserved native vegetation occupies 61% of Brazil's area, says Embrapa |url=https://g1.globo.com/mato-grosso-do-sul/noticia/2017/01/vegetacao-nativa-preservada-ocupa-61-da-area-do-brasil-diz-embrapa.html |access-date=14 August 2021 |archive-date=12 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112015832/http://g1.globo.com/mato-grosso-do-sul/noticia/2017/01/vegetacao-nativa-preservada-ocupa-61-da-area-do-brasil-diz-embrapa.html |url-status=live }}</ref> For comparison, in 2019, although 43% of the entire European continent has forests, only 3% of the total forest area in Europe is of native forest.<ref>{{Cite news |title=How Europe has multiplied its forests and why this can be a problem |work=BBC News Brasil |url=https://www.bbc.com/portuguese/internacional-50162105 |access-date=14 August 2021 |archive-date=14 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210814031104/https://www.bbc.com/portuguese/internacional-50162105 |url-status=live }}</ref> Brazil has a strong interest in conservation, as its agriculture sector directly depends on its forests.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ruiz |first=Sarah |date=12 November 2021 |title=Climate change is pushing Brazil's farmland out of agricultural suitability range |url=https://www.woodwellclimate.org/brazils-farms-losing-agricultural-suitability/ |access-date=22 September 2022 |website=Woodwell climate research center |publisher=Nature Climate Change |archive-date=22 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220922162632/https://www.woodwellclimate.org/brazils-farms-losing-agricultural-suitability/ |url-status=live }}</ref>