E A R T H F R O M A B O V E - P h o t o Storm over Amazonian rain forest, state of Amazonas BRAZIL The Amazonian rain forest covers 42 percent of Brazil's land area. The forest takes up most of Amazonas State, which is geographically the largest in Brazil but has a population density of only 6 people per square mile, or 1.5 per square kilometer. The Amazonian rain forest has one of the most extensive ecosystems in the world, but recently it has been affected by deforestation and slash-and-burn farming. Rain forests around the world are home to 90% of the biological heritage of the earth.