Canoe in the Congo Photograph by Michael Nichols, National
Geographic Canoes are vital for transportation on the rain
forest rivers of the Republic of the Congo. The Congo Basin’s
500 million acres of tropical forest, second-largest in the
world after the Amazon, are known for an incredible array of
wildlife including great apes, forest elephants, and some 700
species of river fish. But people have also lived here for over
50,000 years. The Congo Basin currently provides water and food
to about 75 million Africans. Photograph by Annie Griffiths
Belt, National Geographic A scarlet macaw is caught munching a
snack in Brazil's Amazon rain forest. These birds are best known
for their loud cackles, four-toed feet, and brilliant plumage.
Photograph by Timothy G. Laman, National Geographic Limited
space in dense rain forests results in many unique plants, like
this fig tree in the Philippines, which produces fruit on
runners that come from its trunk instead of on its branches.
Lizard on a Leaf Photograph by Brian St