The North comprises 39% of Brazil's total area and contains 6% of its population. The Amazon supplies nearly twenty per cent of the planet's oxygen and every day pours enough water into the Atlantic to supply a city of 10 million inhabitants for a period of nine years. Stretching for 6,700 kilometres (4,200 miles), it contains around 1,500 types of fish while its surrounding area is home to 1,800 species of birds and 250 different mammals. In spite of international criticism, to date no country in the world has preserved nature like Brazil (42% of the country’s area is preserved and protected by law – one quick look at satellite pictures reveals this reality). Manaus, the capital of the Amazonas state, can be reached by daily flights from several Brazilian cities or by flying to Belém, near the mouth of the river, and then taking a cruise upstream. The Belem-Manaus route is navigable for larger vessels, including luxury liners.