Amazon Forest Area Becomes National Park
A swath of Amazon rain forest bigger than Maryland and containing a treasure trove of animal, insect and plant species became the world’s largest tropical national park.
President Fernando Henrique Cardoso signed a decree creating the Tumucumaque Mountains National Park, covering 9.6 million acres in Amapa state, along Brazil’s northern border.
The forest is inhabited by jaguars, sloths, giant armadillos, anteaters and black spider monkeys. Scientists know of at least eight primate species, 350 bird species and 37 types of lizard in the park.
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