The Amazon Rainforest Is North of the Equator, Not South

Common misconception. The Amazon Basin spans roughly 5°N to 15°S—but ~70% lies north of the equator.

The Geometry

Equator crosses the Amazon's northern sector (Colombia, Brazil, Ecuador). The Amazon River itself runs eastward just south of the equator for much of its course, but the basin's northern tributaries (Rio Negro, Orinoco connection via Casiquiare) and vast forest extend well north.

Country Breakdown

• Brazil: 60% of basin—mostly south of equator (states: Amazonas, Pará, Acre, Rondônia, Roraima, Amapá)
• Peru: 13% — south
• Colombia: 8% — straddles equator (Leticia at 4°S, but northern parks cross north)
• Bolivia, Ecuador, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana: smaller shares, mostly north or straddling

Why It Matters

Climate models, carbon accounting, biodiversity corridors, Indigenous territories—all depend on accurate latitudinal understanding. The "lungs of the Earth" breathe across the line, not below it.