Almost all the unspoilt wilderness left on earth is in these 5 countries

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November 3, 2018 9:56 AM

Australia, the US, Brazil, Russia, and Canada hold most of the planet's wilderness, researchers found. They are calling for urgent action to save them.

These five countries are home to 70% of the world's wilderness.

Just five countries hold 70% of the world’s remaining wilderness, according to new research.

Researchers from Conservation

Australia: Desert

The Tanami Desert in Australia's Northern Territory. BusinessInsider

The researchers identified Australia's deserts as one of the planet's last remaining wilderness areas.

Australia's deserts are the only home for some animals, but the areas are under threat from climate change and mining and agriculture.

"Already we have lost so much. We must grasp this opportunity to secure the wilderness before it disappears forever," the researchers write.

The US: Alaska's arctic tundra

A caribou skull sits on the tundra near the village of Anaktuvuk Pass in Alaska. BusinessInsider

Canada: Boreal forest

Canada's boreal forest runs north towards Whitehorse, Yukon. BusinessInsider

Canada's boreal forests are one of the world's largest remaining wilderness areas, the researchers found.

But the forests are at increased risk from fires and drought due to climate change, as well as from activities like mining and forestry.

Brazil: The Amazon

A villager walks with a child to her home in Brazil's Amazon rainforest. BusinessInsider

Much of Brazil's Amazon rainforest has been destroyed by human activities like logging and rainforest.

But scientists around the globe are concerned over the election of Jair Bolsonaro, who has indicated that he

Russia

A car drives along a forest road in the Krasnoyarsk region, Russia. BusinessInsider

Russia has more wilderness areas than any other country on earth, the researchers found.

They did not include Antartica, because activities like mining are banned there.

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