Rainforest: Quick Facts

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The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

Nov. 1, 2026

News •

Protests in Indonesia Demand Action to Stop Rainforest Fires • Oct. 23, 2026, 3:00 AM ET (New York Times)

Facts

Also Known As	rain forest

Photos and Videos

Ecuador: rainforest

World map using color codes to show the distribution of tropical rainforests, dry or deciduous forests, and deforested areas in the early 21st century. Dense green highlights rainforests in regions like the Amazon Basin, Central Africa, Southeast Asia, and parts of Central America, while yellow and orange indicate dry forests and areas affected by deforestation.

temperate rainforest

Malaysia: rainforest

Cameroon: rainforest

Tall palm trees with lush green fronds rise above dense tropical rainforest vegetation in Malaysia.

Dense green jungle vegetation with a small muddy stream running through the wild Darien jungle near the Colombia and Panama border in Central America.

Why are rainforests so important?

Which came first—the rain or the rainforest?

The struggle to protect the Congo basin rainforest

Glimpse the Amazon Rainforest's diverse wildlife, from anacondas and sloths to macaws and capybaras

Coatis' first adventure in the South American rainforest

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Topics

mangrove forest equatorial rain forest Tropical rainforest Why are rainforests so important?Temperate rainforest Cloud forest Tropical dry forest jungle evergreen forest

Chutes d'Ekom - a waterfall on the Nkam river in the rainforest near Melong, in the western highlands of Cameroon in Africa.

Ecosystems