Brazil’s Amazon rain forest is being destroyed at an alarming rate. During 2019, an area comparable in size to New York City was destroyed in the month of May alone. If something isn’t done to save the Amazon, it could be damaged beyond repair.
Sixty percent of the 2.6-million square-mile (6.7 million square kilometer) Amazon rain forest is located in Brazil. During the last 40 years, more than 18% of the Brazilian Amazon has been destroyed. Experts predict that if the current rate of deforestation continues, 55% of the Amazon could be gone by the year 2030. The millions of animal, insect, bird, fish, and plant species that live in the rain forest could disappear forever. The Amazon is home to 10% of the Earth’s known plant and animal species.
The destruction of the Brazilian Amazon began in the 1970s, when the Brazilian government built the Trans-Amazonian highway. The government encouraged people living in poverty in the overcrowded northeastern and southern regions of the country to move to the Amazon. Hundreds of thousands moved in search of a better life. Many were peasant farmers who used “slash and burn” farming techniques. They cut and burned all trees and vegetation so they could clear the land and plant crops.
The region’s cattle ranchers have also caused massive destruction to the Brazilian Amazon. They have burned huge tracts of land to plant pasture grasses for cattle grazing. Illegal logging operations have also burned large amounts of land and cut down vast numbers of trees. Brazilian authorities estimate that 90% of the timber removed from the Amazon is removed illegally. Violent confrontations between loggers and environmental activists and enforcement officials have resulted in hundreds of deaths during the last decade.
Denne historien er fra May/June 2020-utgaven av Faces - The Magazine of People, Places and Cultures for Kids.
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Denne historien er fra May/June 2020-utgaven av Faces - The Magazine of People, Places and Cultures for Kids.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Animal Central
From golden frogs to big cats to colorful birds, the national animals of Central America represent the geography and cultures of the region. For a quick sampling of creatures plain and beautiful, common and rare, read on.
31 Countries Biosphere
The Trifinio Fraternidad Biosphere Reserve is located at a spot where El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras converge. A biosphere is the layer of planet Earth where life exists.
THE LEGEND OF THE QUETZAL BIRD
A Mayan Tale retold by Pat Betteley illustrated by Amanda Shepherd
Semana Santa GUATEMALA'S HOLY WEEK
What if Easter preparations meant dyeing sand, collecting pine needles, and staying up all night to work on an art project that you knew would be ruined the very next day? Well, welcome to Guatemala’s Semana Santa, or Holy Week.
ME OH-MAYA!
The Maya are groups of people who live in parts of Mexico, Honduras, and Guatemala. Their ancestors created a great society. At its peak, from 600-900 C.E., the Maya civilization was more advanced than its neighbors in the Americas.
Playing Games Honduras-style
Would you play the same games in Honduras that you do in the United States? You might. Children in Honduras enjoy many of the same games North Americans do. They go fishing and shoot baskets. They play sandlot baseball—called bate (BAH tay). They fly kites and ride bikes. Their parents may go horseback riding or play golf or tennis.
LIVING A LONG LIFE IN THE Blue Zone
Most people would like to live as long a life as possible. No one really knows why some people live longer than others, but did you know that where you live can play a big part in how many years you’ll be alive? If you live in a Blue Zone, chances are that you will live much longer than people in other parts of the world.
ATTENTION WORLD: Belize Saves Their Coral Reef
Sea turtles float in clear waters, colorful corals hug the ocean floor, and aquatic animals glide among the mangrove roots. Welcome to the Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System, the second-largest coral reef in the world (Australia’s Great Barrier Reef is number one). Several years ago, this reef was in crisis, heading toward destruction. But the people of Belize fought back to save their reef’s health.
The Panama Canal
The Panama Canal is a 51-mile long canal that connects the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.
This is Central America!
It’s time to visit Central America. But first, it helps to know exactly where Central America is. Despite its name, it is the southernmost part of North America, which can seem a little confusing. It makes up most of the isthmus dividing the Pacific Ocean from the Caribbean Sea. An isthmus is a narrow strip of land that connects two larger landmasses and has water on both sides.
