The Amazon in South America is the largest, most diverse tropical rainforest on Earth, covering an area of five and a half million square kilometres (2.1 million sq mi).
It accounts for more than half of the planet’s remaining rainforest and is home to more than half the world's species of plants and animals.
But over the last 40 years, this great verdant tract has been increasingly threatened by deforestation. Clearing of the forest began in the 1960s and reached a peak in the 90s when an area the size of Spain was cleared, primarily to make space for cattle and soybean production.
See full Article: http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20130226-amazon-lungs-of-the-planet
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