The wetlands cover about 66,100 square miles and are located in the Brazilian province Mato Grosso do Sul. 3,500 types of plants and more than 500 different species of animals inhabit the Pantanal. Due to its ecological significance, the Pantanal Conservation Area has declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Due to ecotourism, nearly 1 million tourists visit the wetlands each year. Since 80% of the floodplains submerge during the rainy season it also has a great array of aquatic plants and animals.