South America Facts
- In South America forest originally covered more than 9.7 million square kilometers.
- Frontier forest in South America extends over 4.4 million square kilometers.
- Frontier forests make up 46% of original forest and two-thirds of current forest in South America, the highest ratios of any region in the world.
- 54% of South America's frontier forest is under moderate or high threat.
- The biggest threats to South America's frontier forests are logging and mining, roads, and other infrastructural development.
- In this study, six of the eight countries with the best frontier forest index scores are located in South America (Brazil, Colombia, French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, Venezuela).
- The Northern Amazon Basin and the Guyana Shield house the largest block of tropical frontier
forest in the world.
- Chile and Argentina house the largest contiguous block of temperate frontier forest in the world.