Brazil is a country of superlatives in
every waya land of extremes, it is
the largest tropical country on
earth. Larger than the continental
U.S., and far larger than all of
Europe, Brazil is classified by
scientists as one of six
"megadiversity" countries. No other
country can boast of as many
species of primates, parrots,
amphibians, freshwater fish,
terrestrial vertebrates, or flowering
plants. Coursing through the
country is the largest river system
on earth by far, the vast Amazon
Basin. Brazil also contains the
major portion of the world's largest
wetland (the Pantanal), the most
biologically diverse savanna (the
Cerrado), and more mangroves
than any other country.