While much ofthe Amazon rainforest falls within the borders of Brazil, this ancient tropical rainforest reaches into regions of Guyana, Venezuela, Colombia, Suriname, French Guiana, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia.

The largest remaining tropical forest in the world, the Amazon rainforest is as large as Western Europe, or the whole of the USA.

Ancient forests are in crisis What is at stake?

It is thought to be the most diverse ecosystem on Earth, supporting around 60,000 species of plants, 1,000 species of birds and more than 300 species of mammals.

The forest and its famous river also support more than 2,000 species of freshwater fish and aquatic mammals such as the pink freshwater dolphin and the giant otter.

The Amazon rainforest in Brazil alone is also home to some 20 million people, including an estimated 180,000 indigenous people and many more caboclos, traditional forest dwellers of indigenous and Portuguese ancestry.

These people rely on this ancient forest for their way of life. It provides almost everything from food and shelter to tools and medicines, as well as playing a crucial role in people's spiritual and cultural life.

The threats

In January 2001, the Brazilian government announced its plans for "Avança Brasil" (Advance Brazil). Thi is a US$40 billion plan to cover much of the Amazon rainforest with 10,000 km of highways, plus an array of hydroelectric dams, power lines, mines, gas and oilfields, canals, ports, logging concessions and other industrial developments.

Scientists predict that these planned developments will lead to the damage or loss of between 33 to 42 percent of Brazil's remaining Amazon forest. Even if the Brazilian government and industry only manage to raise a portion of the funds needed for this project, the Avança Brasil proposals give an indication of government attitudes toward this threatened ancient forest and the people and creatures for whom it is home.

But it is not only the Brazilian government who is responsible for the demise of the Amazon rainforest.

Yet despite the publication of these figures by Brazil's National Government in 1997, importing nations such as the US, Italy, France, UK, China and Japan have taken few steps to ensure that the products they import from Brazil come from even legal, let alone ecologically responsible, sources.

Fifteen percent of the Amazon rainforest has already been destroyed.

Since the 1970s and area the size of France has been lost. A significant part of what remains is under direct threat.

Even since 1992, when Brazil hosted the UN Earth Summit in Rio, there has been little action to protect the Amazon rainforest.

Between 1990 and 1995 the Amazon lost several million hectares of natural forest. At the same time, Brazil increased its production of logs by almost one fifth.

Much of this timber came from the destruction and degradation of the Amazon rainforest.