Brazil holds about one-third of the world's remaining rainforests, far more than any other country. Because these forests cover such a huge areas of the Amazon rainforest, they are incredibly diverse and hold many of the world's species and indigenous peoples. However the destruction of these vast forests has accelerated since 1970 (coinciding with the construction of the Trans-Amazonian highway) when only 2.4% of the Amazon's forests had been lost. Today, 12-15% of Brazil's forest are gone, and each year roughly another 19,800 square kilometers (8,000 sq. miles) are lost and another 11,000 square km (4,200 sq. miles) are degraded by logging beneath the forest canopy. continued
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