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.

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