The Amazon (also referred to as continental Amazon or pan-Amazônia) extends its limits beyond the Amazon River basin, including part of the Tocantins and Orinoco river basins and some other small basins. Its territory includes eight South American countries (Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Venezuela, and Suriname) over an area of approximately 7.5 million square kilometers (most of which is located in Brazil), comprising approximately 44 percent of the territory of South America. The Amazon contains the largest freshwater reserve and forest cover on the planet, sheltering a mosaic of ecosystems with a great variety of species of fauna and flora, some of which are still unknown to science, and it is home to diverse indigenous communities, holders of ancestral knowledge and cultures. This region provides sustenance to its inhabitants, such as food, building materials, medicines, and other products, and has great potential as a field for scientific research and the development of the pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and food industries. The Amazon has recognized global importance because it plays a vital role in maintaining biodiversity, regional hydrology, and terrestrial carbon storage capacity. Due to its conspicuous ecological characteristics, the Amazon benefits not only the basin States, but also the international community at large.

Despite the unique natural wealth and economic potential, the Amazon forests are being rapidly cleared, with a consequent loss of biodiversity and impact on climate change.