Location:
Angola's rainforests are located in the country's north (see map) along it's border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Congo River Basin.
The Resource:
"Angola is moderately forested with around 18 percent forest cover and an additional 43 percent of other wooded land. Angola´s closed forests are predominantly lowland, semi-deciduous forests and occur mainly in the north of the country, particularly in the Mayombe forest in the enclave of Cabinda." - FAO
Cause of Problem:
Deforestation of tropical rain forest, in response to both international demand for tropical timber and to domestic use as fuel is resulting in loss of biodiversity.
Other Envirnmental Issues:
"overuse of pastures and subsequent soil erosion attributable to population pressures; desertification; deforestation of tropical rain forest, in response to both international demand for tropical timber and to domestic use as fuel, resulting in loss of biodiversity; soil erosion contributing to water pollution and siltation of rivers and dams; inadequate supplies of potable water" - CIA
Rhett A. Butler's Assessment :
Angola's rainforests, located in the north of the country, are most threatened by subsistence agriculture which provides food for almost 90% of the population. Population pressures due to an exceedingly high birth rate are leading to overuse of pasture lands and causing Angolans to look increasingly toward rainforest lands for fuelwood and potential farmland... Read More
