KAWA MULTIMEDIA PUBLICATIONS
Introduction
A forest is a large area of land covered with trees and other forms of undergrowth. Forestry is the science or management of forests including the creation of new forest land for regular supply of timber and associated products and the well being of the environment.
Africa has about a fourth of the world’s forests. However, less than 15% of the forest are to provide timber, plywood, veneers, lumber, and other products. The most valuable trees such hardwood as African wallnut and mahogany and such softwoods as eucalyptus and Okoume. The forest industry is especially important in Cameroon, Gabon, Congo, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Zaire and Swaziland.
Africa has large areas of forests ranging from the rain forests of the Equatorial region through rich savannah woodlands to man made forests of the sub tropical lands.
African timber production is still mainly hardwood, however, soft woods are of commercial importance on Swaziland, the Republic of South Africa, Zimbabwe and Kenya.
For most people, in Africa, it is not the commercial product obtained from forests, that is important but the role of forests and trees in protecting the environment and supplying local energy, building and fencing needs.
Africa's forest cover is estimated at about 700 million hectares and this is 36 percent of the world's tropical forest cover. Of this 160 million hectares are dense Equatorial forests. In tropical Africa most of the forests are located on the western side of the continent. The largest single expanse of forest cover on the continent is the Congo forest which covers the lowlands drained by River Congo and its tributaries like Ubangi and Kasai. It occurs in the Democratic Republic of Congo (Congo-Kinshasa, Congo Republic and extends into the adjoining Gabon.
Other pockets of dense forest are found in Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Cameroon, Central African Republic and Liberia. Madagascar, and some parts of Eastern Africa also have dense equatorial forests. Unfortunately, much of the continent's forest cover is diminishing as a result of increased human activities. Much of the untouched forest lies in the Congo and Cameroon.
For much of the continent's forest resource is found along the Western Coast, commercial timber extraction has become a major economic activity in the countries of Western Africa. The largest producers of logs on the continent are Nigeria and Ivory Coast. The lesser producers are Ghana, Cameroon and Gabon. These countries realise large sums of money from the exports of wood and its other products.
Africa has about a fourth of the world’s forests. However, less than 15% of the forest are to provide timber, plywood, veneers, lumber, and other products. The most valuable trees such hardwood as African wallnut and mahogany and such softwoods as eucalyptus and Okoume. The forest industry is especially important in Cameroon, Gabon, Congo, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Zaire and Swaziland.
Africa has large areas of forests ranging from the rain forests of the Equatorial region through rich savannah woodlands to man made forests of the sub tropical lands.
African timber production is still mainly hardwood, however, soft woods are of commercial importance on Swaziland, the Republic of South Africa, Zimbabwe and Kenya.
For most people, in Africa, it is not the commercial product obtained from forests, that is important but the role of forests and trees in protecting the environment and supplying local energy, building and fencing needs.
Africa's forest cover is estimated at about 700 million hectares and this is 36 percent of the world's tropical forest cover. Of this 160 million hectares are dense Equatorial forests. In tropical Africa most of the forests are located on the western side of the continent. The largest single expanse of forest cover on the continent is the Congo forest which covers the lowlands drained by River Congo and its tributaries like Ubangi and Kasai. It occurs in the Democratic Republic of Congo (Congo-Kinshasa, Congo Republic and extends into the adjoining Gabon.
Other pockets of dense forest are found in Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Cameroon, Central African Republic and Liberia. Madagascar, and some parts of Eastern Africa also have dense equatorial forests. Unfortunately, much of the continent's forest cover is diminishing as a result of increased human activities. Much of the untouched forest lies in the Congo and Cameroon.
For much of the continent's forest resource is found along the Western Coast, commercial timber extraction has become a major economic activity in the countries of Western Africa. The largest producers of logs on the continent are Nigeria and Ivory Coast. The lesser producers are Ghana, Cameroon and Gabon. These countries realise large sums of money from the exports of wood and its other products.