(I) Amazonia, the Amazon region of Brazil, occupies an
area about half the size of the US and contains the
world’s largest rain forest. (II) This vast ecosystem
encompasses about a third of all surviving tropical
forests on Earth and nurtures thousands of animal and
plant species. (III) Like other rain forests around the
world, it makes a vital contribution to the global
atmospheric balance and is a significant source of
medicinal plants. (IV) It is also home to some of the last
remaining Stone Age people on the planet. (V) Brazil’s
politicians tend to support the expansion of Amazonia’s
development rather than the protection of its fragile
environment.