North America actually has more wilderness than Africa. While almost 40% of North America is wilderness, only about 30% of Africa is. Over 82% of Canadian land is mostly untouched by humans. Although Africa has a smaller amount of wilderness than North America, its rainforests are thought to hold over half of the world's plant and animal species.
More facts about the world's wilderness:
- 24% of the world's wetlands are located in Canada.
- Although over 100 million acres (over 400,000 square meters) in the United States has been declared as wilderness, only about 5% is protected.
- Over 65% of Africa's arable land suffers from soil degradation.
- Africa is being deforested at twice the rate of the rest of the world.