Brazil is the largest country in South America, occupying nearly half of the continent. Brazil is classified as the fifth largest country in the world, and has a diverse climate. The country borders with every other country in South America except Chile and Ecuador. Fifty nine percent of the land area is identified as highlands. Approximately half of Brazil is above 1,200 meters! Brazil’s Central Highlands are an expansive territory covering all of Brazil, south of the Amazon basin. Now both on the northern and southern halves of the zone comprise broad rolling landscapes which are surrounded by circular hills. Southerwards there are three mountain ranges. Serra da Mantiqueira, Serra do Espinhaço and the largest range, Serra do Mar. Serra do Mar stretches 1,500 kilometers long!  The lowlands hold one of the most famous and biggest rainforests in the world, the Amazon. In the Amazon, there rests Pico da Neblina which is Brazil’s steepest mountain. Now shifting north, the land is dominated by the Amazon river basin and occupies two fifths of the national territory. The Amazon river takes over Brazil’s river systems, this is the second largest river in the world and the world's largest river in terms of water flow. The 200 rivers of the Amazon system covers a basin of 6,993,000 square kilometers. The river’s major tributaries are the Negro, Juruá, Madeira, Tapajós, and Xingu rivers. The Amazon River is home to catfish, piranhas , river stingrays, and other fishes. The river also has mammals, such as manatees and freshwater dolphins, and reptiles, including caimans (in the alligator family) and the world’s largest freshwater turtle, the yellow-headed sideneck turtle. The climate is muggy and hot, being considered as a tropical environment. The country has both a dry and a rainy season depending on the area of the country and the month. Brazil is a country that is diverse with different famous peaks and rainforests!