There are numerous beautiful forests in the world, and collectively they cover about one-third of Earth’s total acreage. Every species on Earth is dependent on forests in some way or the other. For the wild animals, forests act as a shelter and for human beings, they are a source of livelihood or a means through which some needs of ours are fulfilled. Forests provide the oxygen we need to breathe as well as sequester carbon, that confounding climate change catalyst.
Forests also protect our world’s water supply; when they disappear, we inevitably get deserts. Despite these commonalities, the biggest forests in the world are impressively diverse. Each offers its own unique combinations of trees and understory plants. Each is home to a diverse array of animals, fungi, mosses, insects, and people. These incredible forests produce all sorts of food for us to eat, and provide medicines that have healed humans for centuries.
Here are the top 10 largest forests in the world.
Rank | Forest | Country | Size |
1. | Amazon Rainforest | Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Bolivia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, Venezuela | 5,500,000 km2 (2,100,000 sq mi) |
2. | Congo Rainforest | Angola, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon | 2,000,000 km2 (770,000 sq mi) |
3. | Atlantic Forest | Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay | 1,315,460 km2 (507,900 sq mi) |
4. | Valdivian Temperate Rainforest | Chile, Argentina | 248,100 km2 (95,800 sq mi) |
5. | Tongass National Forest | United States | 68,000 km2 (26,000 sq mi) |
6. | Rainforest of Xishuangbanna | China | 19,223 km2 (7,422 sq mi) |
7. | Sunderbans | India, Bangladesh | 10,000 km2 (3,900 sq mi) |
8. | Daintree Rainforest | Australia | 1,200 km2 (460 sq mi) |
9. | Kinabalu Park | Malaysia | 754 km2 (291 sq mi) |
10. | Sinharaja Forest Reserve | Sri Lanka | 111.9 km2 (43.3 sq mi) |
