Where is the largest wetlands area?

   During the past 25 years, wetlands have gained a place of importance in the understanding of the health of the planet. Acting as natural water purification systems, wetlands reduce storm damage, recharge groundwater aquifers, and supply nourishment for many different species. Most wetlands are located along major river sys­tems like the Nile, Amazon, and Congo, but the largest, the Siberian Lowlands (380,000 square miles), is a large peat bog with little drainage.
   Stretching across the subarctic Siberian plain east of the Ural Mountains, the Siberian Lowlands are in the country of Kazakhstan. Accumulated layers of peat moss now support grasses, willows, and sedges. Where the peat is dry and as deep as 30 feet, entire forests are growing. The large buildup of carbon in the undecayed remains of plants in this wetlands helps control the planet's temperature by reducing potential atmospheric carbon, known to cause global warming.