Amazon Day is commemorated most of all in Brazil with special celebrations. The Day was established in 1850 to mark the creation of the Province of Amazonas; and later it has assumed a more environmental meaning to rise more awareness about the status of the forests of the State of Amazonas.

With an area of more that 6 million square kilometres, covered by forest, the Amazon today is one of humanity’s most precious natural heritages. This incredible rich domain of biodiversity spreads out over 60% of Brazil’s total land surface and it also touches several South American countries: i.e. Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Suriname, Venezuela, and it reaches one overseas territory, namely French Guyana.

Despite of its inestimable environmental importance for the planet for its biodiversity and its important role as regulator of the global climate patterns, and as a rich source of raw nutritional, medicinal, mineral and other forest-based raw materials, the Amazon is nevertheless under serious threat from predatory human activities such as logging, mining, infrastructure construction and the conversion of standing forest into areas of pasture or cropland.