Tropical rainforests are mainly found close to the Equator, in a warm, wet belt that circles the middle of the Earth.

Quick Scoop: Where is the tropical rainforest located?

  • Tropical rainforests grow mostly between about 10° North and 10° South of the Equator, where it is hot and wet all year.
  • They lie between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn, in regions with a stable, warm climate and very high rainfall.
  • The biggest tropical rainforests are:
    • The Amazon rainforest in South America (especially Brazil, but also Peru, Colombia and neighbors).
* The Congo rainforest in Central and West Africa (Democratic Republic of Congo and surrounding countries).

* The rainforests of Southeast Asia and Australasia (Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, parts of India and northern Australia).
  • Smaller tropical rainforest areas are also found in:
    • Central America and the Caribbean.
* Pacific islands and Hawaii.

* Parts of West and East Africa and other suitable tropical coastal regions.

In simple terms, if you look at a world map and draw a band around the middle of the planet near the Equator, that’s where most tropical rainforests are located.