People have always been a part of the rich biodiversity of Amazonia as it is the ancestral home to more than one million native Indians. The Amazon rainforest today still houses many indigenous tribes, some of which are referred to as “uncontacted” — tribes continuously trying to live by the rules of nature alone.

Yes, approximately 47 million people live within the Amazon region in 2026, with a significant portion residing directly along or near the Amazon River and its major tributaries. This population includes over 2.2 million Indigenous people representing roughly 500 distinct ethnic groups, some of whom remain in voluntary isolation. However, the majority of the Amazon's inhabitants live in large urban centers that have grown significantly along the river's path. Manaus, Brazil, is the largest of these, a bustling metropolis of over 2 million people located at the confluence of the Rio Negro and the Amazon. Other major river cities include Iquitos in Peru and Belém at the river's mouth. These communities rely on the river as their primary "highway" for transportation, commerce, and sustenance. In 2026, the relationship between these residents and the river is at a critical juncture as they balance traditional livelihoods with the increasing pressures of global climate change and regional deforestation.