The world is covered in various forests, from temperate to mangroves, alpine to Mediterranean, and rainforests. Rainforests are some of Earth’s oldest living ecosystems, with some surviving in their present form for at least 70 million years. They are characterized by a continuous tree canopy, mostly evergreen trees, moisture-dependent vegetation, high rainfall, and no wildfires.
Some countries contain only small swaths of these beautiful forests, while others are covered in lush vegetation as far as the eye can see. If you enjoy rainforests and the amount of land they dominate, learn more about the five countries with the largest rainforest coverage here.
5. Colombia – 258,688
One of the countries with the largest rainforest coverage is Colombia, made of two major rainforest ecosystems: the Amazonia and the Choco. Around 10% of the Amazon Forest is within Colombia’s borders, with most trees easily growing over 100 feet and rare species reaching as high as 200 feet. The Amazonia is filled with a plethora of species including spider monkeys, toucans, tapir, puma, dolphins, and manatees.
The Choco rainforest is home to over 120 palm species, 40 species of poisonous frogs, and over 1,000 species of birds, turtles, and lizards. Both of these rainforests have been threatened in recent years, mostly due to illegal logging, hunting, and infrastructure development. Both rainforests account for 258,688 square miles of Colombia.
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4. Peru – 289,688 square miles
Fourth on our countries with the largest rainforests list is Peru, located in the western part of South America between Ecuador and Chile. Though the Amazon does not reach Peru, the country still has around 289,688 square miles of rainforest. The area is rich in biodiversity, with approximately 3,000 known species of amphibians, birds, mammals, and reptiles. There are also over 17,000 species of vascular plants in Peru’s rainforests.
The biggest threat to Peru’s rainforests is human involvement in agriculture, logging, mining, and contamination, leading to a deforestation rate of 0.3 to 0.5% annually. Logging is a large business, with companies searching for mahogany groves for their timber value.
3. Indonesia – 490,349 miles
Ranking third on our countries with the largest rainforests list is Indonesia. These rainforests have the highest concentrations of palm trees in the world with most of them reaching over 100 feet. Indonesia also has a rich selection of flora and fauna species, roaming across 490,349 square miles.
Unfortunately, Indonesia’s rainforests are among the most deforested in the world. In the early 1900s, the rainforests covered 84% of the country, but experts have speculated that the forest could be decimated in less than two decades. Indonesia’s deforestation is due to illegal logging, farming, pollution, and illegal palm oil extraction, but conservation efforts have been created.
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2. Democratic Republic of the Congo – 683,400 square miles
Entering the top two countries with the largest rainforests is the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Democratic Republic of the Congo is home to the largest percentage of the Congo rainforest, which spreads over six countries. There are more than 600 trees and 10,000 animal species in the rainforest, with some of them playing a fundamental role in shaping the forest’s identity.
Like the other forests on this list, the Congo is prone to threats of logging, agriculture, charcoal burning, urban settlements, mining, and hunting. Wildlife conservationists and environmentalists are working hard to protect these areas, but the process is slow-going.
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1. Brazil – 2,057,188 square miles
Brazil holds the number one spot for countries with the largest rainforest coverage with 2,057,188 square miles. The Amazon Rainforest dominates the country and is the biggest and most biodiverse rainforest in the world with nearly 10% of all the world’s species present. Some of the rarest species hidden in the rainforest include the black caiman, cougar, anaconda, electric eels, piranha, and vampire bats.
The leading threats to the Amazon are growing human settlements, with other threats being farming, transportation routes, hunting, and logging. The Amazon is the biggest rainforest in the world and the most-watched, with several conservation plans in action.
