UN FAO, 2010 - Two Sides

Extent of forest resources 13
Table 2.1
distribution of forests by region and subregion, 2010
region/subregion
forest area
1 000 ha % of total forest area
eastern and Southern africa 267 517 7
Northern africa 78 814 2
Western and Central africa 328 088 8
Total Africa 674 419 17
east asia 254 626 6
South and Southeast asia 294 373 7
Western and Central asia 43 513 1
Total Asia 592 512 15
russian Federation 809 090 20
europe excl. russian Federation 195 911 5
Total Europe 1 005 001 25
Caribbean 6 933 0
Central america 19 499 0
North america 678 961 17
Total north and central America 705 393 17
Total Oceania 191 384 5
Total south America 864 351 21
world 4 033 060 100
Figure 2.2
Ten countries with the largest forest area, 2010
(million ha)
russian Federation 809
brazil 520
Canada 310
united States of america 304
China 207
Democratic republic of the Congo 154
australia 149
indonesia 94
Sudan 70
india 68
Others 1 347
remaining 33 percent is spread among 213 countries and areas, while ten countries and
areas (the Falkland Islands (Malvinas), Gibraltar, the Holy See, Monaco, Nauru, Qatar,
Saint Barthélemy, San Marino, Svalbard and Jan Mayen Islands, and Tokelau) reported
that they have no areas that qualify as forests using the FRA 2010 definition.
In 50 countries and areas forests cover more than half the total land area (Figure 2.3)
and in 12 of these forests occupy more than 75 percent of the total land area. Most of
these high forest cover countries are small island states or territories, but the list also
includes three low-lying coastal states in South America and one country in the Congo
Basin (Table 2.2 shows the top ten). At the regional level, South America has the highest
percentage of forest cover, followed by Europe (including the Russian Federation), and
North and Central America. Asia has the lowest percentage of forest cover (Table 2.3).