TROPICAL RAINFORESTS: Deforestation

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Deforestation Pictures | part II

Some toilet paper production destroys Indonesian rainforests, endangering tigers and elephants

(02/09/2012) American consumers are unwittingly contributing to the destruction of endangered rainforests in Sumatra by purchasing certain brands of toilet paper, asserts a new report published by the environmental group WWF. The report, Don't Flush Tiger Forests: Toilet Paper, U.S. Supermarkets, and the Destruction of Indonesia's Last Tiger Habitats, takes aim at two tissue brands that source fiber from Asia Pulp & Paper (APP), a paper products giant long criticized by environmentalists and scientists for its forestry practices on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. The brands — Paseo and Livi — are among the fastest growing, in terms of sales, in the United States.

Tropical ecologist: Australia must follow U.S. and EU in banning illegally logged wood

(02/09/2012) Australia should join the widening effort to stamp out illegal logging, according to testimony given this week by tropical ecologist William Laurance with James Cook University. Presenting before the Australian Senate's rural affairs committee, Laurance argued that the massive environmental and economic costs of illegal logging worldwide should press Australia to tighten regulations against importing illegally logged timber at home.

Humans drove rainforest into savannah in ancient Africa

(02/09/2012) Three thousand years ago (around 1000 BCE) several large sections of the Congo rainforest in central Africa suddenly vanished and became savannah. Scientists have long believed the loss of the forest was due to changes in the climate, however a new study in Science implicates an additional culprit: humans. The study argues that a migration of farmers into the region led to rapid land-use changes from agriculture and iron smelting, eventually causing the collapse of rainforest in places and a rise of grasslands. The study has implications for today as scientists warn that the potent combination of deforestation and climate change could flip parts of the Amazon rainforest as well into savannah.

More big companies disclosing impacts on forests

(02/07/2012) More companies are reporting on the impact of their operations on global forests, finds a new report. Eighty-seven global corporations disclosed their "forest footprint" in 2011, according to the third Forest Footprint Disclosure (FFD), which asks companies to report on their impact on forests based on their use of five commodities: soy, palm oil, timber and pulp, cattle, and biofuels. This is a 11 percent rise from the companies that reported in 2010, including the first reports by companies such as the Walt Disney Company, Tesco UK, and Johnson & Johnson. However a number of so-called "green" companies continue to refuse to disclose, including Patagonia, Stonyfield Farms, and Whole Foods Markets Inc.

New meteorological theory argues that the world's forests are rainmakers

(02/01/2012) New, radical theories in science often take time to be accepted, especially those that directly challenge longstanding ideas, contemporary policy or cultural norms. The fact that the Earth revolves around the sun, and not vice-versa, took centuries to gain widespread scientific and public acceptance. While Darwin's theory of evolution was quickly grasped by biologists, portions of the public today, especially in places like the U.S., still disbelieve. Currently, the near total consensus by climatologists that human activities are warming the Earth continues to be challenged by outsiders. Whether or not the biotic pump theory will one day fall into this grouping remains to be seen. First published in 2007 by two Russian physicists, Victor Gorshkov and Anastassia Makarieva, the still little-known biotic pump theory postulates that forests are the driving force behind precipitation over land masses.

Belgium to source only RSPO-certified palm oil by 2015

(01/31/2012) Belgium will source only palm oil certified under the Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) by 2015 under a pledge by an alliance of major processors, manufacturers, and industry associations, reports the RSPO.

Rainforests store 229 billion tons of carbon globally finds new 'wall-to-wall' carbon map

(01/30/2012) Tropical rainforests store some 229 billion tons of carbon in their vegetation — about 20 percent more than previously estimated — finds a new satellite-based assessment published in the journal Nature Climate Change. The findings could help improve the accuracy of reporting CO2 emissions reductions under the proposed REDD program, which aims to compensate tropical countries for cutting deforestation, forest degradation, and peatlands destruction.

Emissions from palm oil biodiesel highest of major biofuels, says EU

(01/30/2012) Greenhouse gas emissions from palm oil-based biodiesel are the highest among major biofuels when the effects of deforestation and peatlands degradation are considered, according to calculations by the European Commission. The emissions estimates, which haven't been officially released, have important implications for the biofuels industry in Europe.

Palm oil does not meet U.S. renewable fuels standard, rules EPA

(01/27/2012) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ruled on Friday that palm oil-based biofuels will not meet the renewable fuels standard due to carbon emissions associated with deforestation.

Sinar Mas Group seeks 'backdoor' public listing in Singapore

(01/27/2012) Sinar Mas Group, an Indonesia-based conglomerate, is working on a deal to list its Indonesian coal assets on the Singapore Exchange by swapping shares with a small forestry firm that is already listed on the stock market, reports Reuters. The move would enable Sinar Mas Group to more easily raise capital for expansion.

Big trees, like the old-growth forests they inhabit, are declining globally

(01/26/2012) Already on the decline worldwide, big trees face a dire future due to habitat fragmentation, selective harvesting by loggers, exotic invaders, and the effects of climate change, warns an article published this week in New Scientist magazine. Reviewing research from forests around the world, William F. Laurance, an ecologist at James Cook University in Cairns, Australia, provides evidence of decline among the world's 'biggest and most magnificent' trees and details the range of threats they face. He says their demise will have substantial impacts on biodiversity and forest ecology, while worsening climate change.

Photo of the Day: Critically Endangered brown spider monkey discovered in park

(01/26/2012) Researchers with The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and Colombia’s National Parks Unit have located at least two individuals of brown-spider monkey (Ateles hybridus) in Colombia's Selva de Florencia National Park. The discovery is important because its the only known population of this particular subspecies (Ateles hybridus brunneus) in a protected area.

Sumatran elephant population plunges; WWF calls for moratorium on deforestation

(01/24/2012) The Sumatran elephant subspecies (Elephas maximus sumatranus) was downgraded to critically endangered on IUCN's Red List of Threatened Species on Tuesday, prompting environmental group WWF to call for an immediate moratorium on destruction of its rainforest habitat, which is being rapidly lost to oil palm estates, timber plantations for pulp and paper production, and agricultural use.

National Association of Music Merchants does 'disservice' to members by misleading them on illegal logging law, says letter

(01/19/2012) The National Association of Music Merchants is doing a 'disservice' to its members by misrepresenting the provisions and spirit of the Lacey Act, a law that aims to curb illegal logging abroad, states a letter published by a coalition of environmental groups. The letter, issued Thursday, urges the National Association of Music Merchants to reconsider its support for the RELIEF Act (HR 3210), introduced by Representatives Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Mary Bono Mack (R-CA), and Jim Cooper (D-TN) last October. The RELIEF Act would weaken key provisions of the Lacey Act aimed to ensure that illegally sourced wood products aren't imported into the United States.

Deforestation, climate change threaten the ecological resilience of the Amazon rainforest

(01/19/2012) The combination of deforestation, forest degradation, and the effects of climate change are weakening the resilience of the Amazon rainforest ecosystem, potentially leading to loss of carbon storage and changes in rainfall patterns and river discharge, finds a comprehensive review published in the journal Nature.

New book series hopes to inspire research in world's 'hottest biodiversity hotspot'

(01/17/2012) Entomologist Dmitry Telnov hopes his new pet project will inspire and disseminate research about one of the world's last unexplored biogeographical regions: Wallacea and New Guinea. Incredibly rich in biodiversity and still full of unknown species, the region, also known as the Indo-Australian transition, spans many of the tropical islands of the Pacific, including Indonesia's Sulawesi, Komodo and Flores, as well as East Timor—the historically famous "spice islands" of the Moluccan Archipelago—the Solomon Islands, and, of course, New Guinea. Telnov has begun a new book series, entitled Biodiversity, Biogeography and Nature Conservation in Wallacea and New Guinea, that aims to compile and highlight new research in the region, focusing both on biology and conservation. The first volume, currently available, also includes the description of 150 new species.

Levi's new forest policy excludes fiber from suppliers linked to deforestation

(01/17/2012) Levi Strauss & Company had issued a new policy that will exclude fiber from controversial sources from its products. The move will effectively bar Asia Pulp & Paper (APP) as a supplier, according to the Rainforest Action Network, a green group that is campaigning to reform APP's sourcing practices, which the NGO says come at the expense of rainforests in Sumatra.

Featured video: plight of orangutans highlighted with new rock song

(01/17/2012) An Indonesian rock band, Navicula, is highlighting the plight of orangutans in their native country through a new song entitled, aptly, "Orangutan." The band has created a music video for the song, including footage of a documentary, Green: The Film that follows a starving female orangutan named Green. The band "dedicated the song to encourage people to do more in orangutan conservation, to protect this endangered species."

New frog trumps miniscule fish for title of 'world's smallest vertebrate'

(01/12/2012) How small can you be and still have a spine? Scientists are continually surprised by the answer. Researchers have discovered a new species of frog in Papua New Guinea that is smaller than many insects and dwarfed by a dime. The frog trumps the previously known smallest vertebrate—a tiny fish—by nearly 1 millimeter.

Indonesia could earn billions from well-designed deforestation-reduction program, finds study

(01/12/2012) Indonesia could have earned $5 billion in revenue and avoided 1 billion tons of carbon dioxide emissions between 2000 and 2005 had a reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation (REDD+) program been in place, reports an assessment published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Science.

Peruvian smugglers traffic illegal rainforest timber from Brazil to America

(01/11/2012) An investigation by Brazil's Federal Police has detailed a significant trade of illegally logged rainforest wood by Peruvian nationals making its way from northern Brazil to the U.S. and Mexico, reports O Globo.

Borneo's most elusive feline photographed at unexpected elevation

(01/11/2012) Although known to science for 138 years, almost nothing is actually known about the bay cat (Pardofelis badia). This reddish-brown wild feline, endemic to the island of Borneo, has entirely eluded researchers and conservationists. The first photo of the cat wasn't taken until 1998 and the first video was shot just two years ago, but basic information remains lacking. A new camera trap study, however, in the Kelabit Highlands of the Malaysian state of Sarawak has added to the little knowledge we have by photographing a bay cat at never before seen altitudes.

Industrial palm oil production expands at expense of rainforests in Peru

(01/10/2012) Intensive palm oil production is expanding at the expense of biolologically-rich lowland rainforests in the Peruvian Amazon, reports a study published in Environmental Research Letters. The research indicates that enthusiasm for oil palm — one of the world's most lucrative crops — is taking a toll on forests outside of Southeast Asia, where the vast majority of palm oil is produced.

Colonization program remains important driver of deforestation in Brazil

(01/10/2012) Government-subsidized colonization of the Amazon rainforest remains an important driver of forest loss in Brazil, but has mixed economic value, argues a paper published in Biological Conservation.

Extreme mouth-sewing protest in Indonesia leads to logging inquiry

(01/09/2012) A protest in which 28 Indonesian sewed their mouths shut has led to an inquiry into a logging concession on Padang Island. The Ministry of Forestry has formed a mediation team to look into the controversial concession, reports Kompas. Around a hundred natives of Padang Island rallied for weeks against the logging concession held by PT Riau Andalan Pulp and Paper (RAPP), which covers 37 percent of the island's total land.

As Amazon deforestation falls, food production rises

(01/09/2012) A sharp drop in deforestation has been accompanied by an increase in food production in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso, reports a new study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Science. The research argues that policy interventions, combined with pressure from environmental groups, have encouraged agricultural expansion in already-deforested areas, rather than driving new forest clearing.

How lemurs fight climate change

(01/09/2012) Kara Moses may have never become a biologist if not for a coin toss. The coin, which came up heads and decided Moses' direction in college, has led her on a sinuous path from studying lemurs in captivity to environmental writing, and back to lemurs, only this time tracking them in their natural habitat. Her recent research on ruffed lemurs is attracting attention for documenting the seed dispersal capabilities of Critically Endangered ruffed lemurs as well as theorizing connections between Madagascar's lemurs and the carbon storage capacity of its forests. Focusing on the black-and-white ruffed lemur's (Varecia variegata) ecological role as a seed disperser—animals that play a major role in spreading a plant's seeds far-and-wide—Moses suggests that not only do the lemurs disperse key tree species, but they could be instrumental in dispersing big species that store large amounts of carbon.

Mouths are sewn shut in protest against deforestation in Indonesia

(01/03/2012) Twenty-eight Indonesians have taken the extreme measure of sewing their mouths shut in a protest turned hunger-strike against a forest concession on Padang Island, reports the Jakarta Globe. Around a hundred protesters, mostly natives of Padang Island, have camped outside the Indonesian Senate building since December 19th to protest a logging concession held by PT Riau Andalan Pulp and Paper (RAPP) on their island, which lies off the east coast of Sumatra.

Small town rises up against deforestation in Pakistan

(01/02/2012) The town of Ayun, home to 16,000 people in the Chitral district of Pakistan, has been rocked by large-scale protests and mass arrests over the issue of corruption and deforestation in recent days. Villagers are protesting forest destruction in the Kalasha Valleys, the home of the indigenous Kalash people.

The year in review for rainforests

(12/28/2011) 2011 was designated as "Year of the Forests" by the United Nations. While there was relatively little progress on intergovernmental forest protection programs during the year, a lot happened elsewhere. Below is a look at some of the biggest tropical forest-related news stories for 2011. We at mongabay readily acknowledge there were a number of important temperate and boreal forest developments, including Britain's decision not to privatize its forests and the severe drought in Texas, but this article will cover only tropical forest news.

CI refutes Cambodian logging story

(12/23/2011) Conservation International (CI) issued a sharp rebuke of a Phnom Pehn Post story that alleged involvement in illegal rosewood logging in Cambodia's Central Cardamom Protected Forest.

Kroger, America's largest grocery chain, stops carrying APP products due to deforestation concerns

(12/22/2011) Kroger, America's largest grocery store chain, will stop carrying products sourced by Asia Pulp & Paper (APP) due to concerns about deforestation, according to a statement on the company's web site. The move comes after a Greenpeace campaign targeting Paseo, a fast-growing toilet paper brand owned by APP.

Top 10 Environmental Stories of 2011

(12/22/2011) Many of 2011's most dramatic stories on environmental issues came from people taking to the streets. With governments and corporations slow to tackle massive environmental problems, people have begun to assert themselves. Victories were seen on four continents: in Bolivia a draconian response to protestors embarrassed the government, causing them to drop plans to build a road through Tipnis, an indigenous Amazonian reserve; in Myanmar, a nation not known for bowing to public demands, large protests pushed the government to cancel a massive Chinese hydroelectric project; in Borneo a three-year struggle to stop the construction of a coal plant on the coast of the Coral Triangle ended in victory for activists; in Britain plans to privatize forests created such a public outcry that the government not only pulled back but also apologized; and in the U.S. civil disobedience and massive marches pressured the Obama Administration to delay a decision on the controversial Keystone XL pipeline, which would bring tar sands from Canada to a global market.

New analysis supports claim that paper giant cleared part of its tiger sanctuary in Indonesia

(12/21/2011) Asia Pulp & Paper (APP)'s supplier PT Ruas Utama Jaya has indeed cleared an area of forest it pledged to set aside as a tiger conservation reserve in Sumatra reports a legal analysis by Greenomics, an Indonesian environmental group. The Greenomics' analysis supports allegations originally set forth in a report published last week by Eyes of the Forest, a coalition of green groups, and seems to refute a press release issued by APP that called the deforestation allegations 'fiction'.

Indonesia grants exemption from logging moratorium for 3.6m ha of forest

(12/21/2011) Indonesia exempted 3.6 million hectares of forests and peatlands from protected status under its two-year moratorium on forest concessions, according to a revised version of its moratorium map released near the end of climate talks in Durban. The new Indicative Map includes 10.7 million hectares of peatlands, down from 15.5 million hectares in the previous version of the map that defines areas off-limits for new concessions. Some 1.2 million hectares of previously unprotected "primary forest" has been added to the moratorium area, resulted in a net decline of 3.6 million hectares under the moratorium, according to analysis by Daemeter Consulting, an Indonesia-based forestry consultancy.

Philippines disaster may have been worsened by climate change, deforestation

(12/20/2011) As the Philippines begins to bury more than a 1,000 disaster victims in mass graves, Philippine President Benigno Aquino has ordered an investigation into last weekend's flash flood and landslide, including looking at the role of illegal logging. Officials have pointed to both climate change and vast deforestation as likely exacerbating the disaster.

WWF: Asia Pulp & Paper misleads public about its role in destroying Indonesia's rainforests

(12/16/2011) Asia Pulp & Paper (APP) continues to mislead the public about its role in destroying rainforests and critical tiger habitat across the Indonesian island of Sumatra, alleges a new report from Eyes on the Forest, a coalition of Indonesian environmental groups including WWF-Indonesia. The report, titled The truth behind APP’s Greenwash, is based on analysis of satellite imagery as well as public and private documentation of forest cleared by logging companies that supply APP, which is owned by the Indonesian conglomerate, Sinar Mas Group (SMG). The report concludes APP's fiber suppliers have destroyed 2 million hectares of forest in Sumatra since 1984.

Environmental groups to Japan: stop importing illegally logged timber

(12/16/2011) A coalition of environmental NGOs have called upon Japan to adopt stronger measures to block illicit timber imports, alleging that Japanese companies are buying illegally logged wood from Samling Global, a Malaysian logging company.

Photos: 208 species discovered in endangered Mekong region in 2010

(12/14/2011) Last year researchers scoured forests, rivers, wetlands, and islands in the vanishing ecosystems of the Mekong Delta to uncover an astounding 208 new species over a twelve month period. A new report by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) highlights a number of the new species—from a new snub-nosed monkey to five new meat-eating pitcher plants to a an all-female, cloning lizard—while warning that many of them may soon be gone as the Mekong Delta suffers widespread deforestation, over-hunting and poaching, massive development projects, the destruction of mangroves, pollution, climate change, and a growing population.

Paper commitments for the Indonesian industry

(12/13/2011) The Indonesian group Asia Pulp & Paper (APP) has been the target of many NGOs for years due to its alleged negative impacts on tropical forests. This culminated in a spectacular campaign launched by Greenpeace in 2011 based on Ken "dumping" Barbie. The rationale was that toy brand Mattel was accused of using APP paper products linked to the clear-cutting of natural forests in the Indonesian archipelago. APP organized a counter-attack in the media with the daily publication of advertisements promoting its sustainable development practices. Journalists from all over the world were also invited to attend guided tours of APP concessions to demonstrate their conservation efforts, and a number of articles were subsequently written.

Controversial pulp and paper companies underwrite Indonesia's climate change pavilion in Durban

(12/10/2011) A 'significant proprtion' of Indonesia's $3.3. million pavilion at climate talks in Durban was funded by Indonesian pulp and paper companies companies, reports Reuters Alertnet.

Evidence mounts that Maya did themselves in through deforestation

(12/08/2011) Researchers have garnered further evidence for a smoking gun behind the fall of the great Maya civilization: deforestation. At the American Geophysical Union (AGU) conference, climatologist Ben Cook presented recent research showing how the destruction of rainforests by the Mayan ultimately led to declines in precipitation and possibly civilization-rocking droughts. While the idea that the Maya may have committed ecological-suicide through deforestation has been widely discussed, including in Jared Diamond's popular book Collapse, Cook's findings add greater weight to the theory.

Brazil passes controversial Forest Code reform environmentalists say will be 'a disaster' for the Amazon

(12/06/2011) The Brazilian Senate tonight passed controversial legislation that will reform the country's 46-year-old Forest Code, which limits how much forest can be cleared on private lands. Environmentalists are calling the move "a disaster" that will reverse Brazil's recent progress in slowing deforestation in the world's largest rainforests.

Jump-starting REDD finance: $3 billion Forest Finance Facility needed to halve deforestation within a decade

(12/06/2011) How to finance a means to reduce deforestation, which contributes emissions equivalent to the entire transport sector combined, has had some encouragement at the UN Climate meeting in Durban this week. An à la carte approach, where no source is ruled out, is emerging, leaving the door open to private sector finance for the first time. And with progress imminent in two other crucial areas of safeguards and reference levels, REDD+, a novel mechanism to halt deforestation, is once more likely to be the biggest winner.

Amazon rainforest loss in Brazil drops to lowest ever reported

(12/05/2011) Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon fell to the lowest level on record between August 2010 and July 2011 according to preliminary data from Brazil's National Institute of Space Research (INPE).

Wildlife official: palm oil plantations behind decline in proboscis monkeys

(12/05/2011) The practice of palm oil plantations planting along rivers is leading to a decline in proboscis monkeys (Nasalis larvatus) in the Malaysian state of Sabah on Borneo, says the director of the Sabah Wildlife Department, Laurentius Ambu. Proboscis monkeys, known for their bulbous noses and remarkable agility, depend on riverine forests and mangroves for survival, but habitat destruction has pushed the species to be classified as Endangered by the IUCN Red List.

World's most endangered primate still losing habitat

(12/04/2011) Just twenty-three Hainan gibbons (Nomascus hainanus) survive in the world. Confined to a single protected area on a lone island, Hainan gibbons are losing their habitat at a steady rate of 20 hectares per day finds a new study by Greenpeace. In all, nearly a quarter of the Critically Endangered lesser ape's habitat has been lost since 2001.

Deforestation and forest degradation slows in Brazil's Amazon since August

(12/02/2011) Deforestation and forest degradation are down moderately from August through October 2011 relative to the same period a year ago, reports a satellite-based assessment released today by Imazon. Imazon's near-real time system found that 512 sq km of rainforest were cleared between Aug 2011 and Oct 2011, the first three months of the deforestation calendar year, which runs from August 1 through July 31. The figure represents a 4 percent decline from the 533 sq km cleared in 2010

Carbon debt for some biofuels lasts centuries

(11/30/2011) It has long been known that biofuels release greenhouse gas emissions through land conversion like deforestation. But an innovative new study by the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) published in Ecology and Society has computed how long it would take popular biofuel crops to payoff the "carbon debt" of land conversion. While there is no easy answer—it depends on the type of land converted and the productivity of the crop—the study did find that in general soy had the shortest carbon debt, though still decades-long, while palm oil grown on peatland had the longest on average.

Global forest cover lower than previously estimated, says UN

(11/30/2011) Global forest cover, as well as forest loss, is lower than previously estimated by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), according to a new satellite-based assessment that replaces the self-reporting system previously used by the U.N. agency.

Brazil's Forest Code vote delayed

(11/30/2011) The Brazilian Senate's much-anticipated vote over proposed changes to the country's Forest Code will take place Tuesday December 6, rather than today. The delay will give lawmakers more time to understand pending revisions to the code, which limits the amount of land private landowners can clear and restricts development in ecologically sensitive areas.

Rare apes saved in India

(11/30/2011) Two Hoolock gibbons have been successfully translocated from a fragmented forest to Mehao Wildlife Sanctuary in the beginning of a desperate bid to save 18 family groups of India's last apes. Living near the village of Dello in northeastern India, the apes were straining to survive amid heavy deforestation and fragmentation.

Deforestation could be stopped by 2020

(11/28/2011) If governments commit to an international program to save forests known as REDD+, deforestation could be nearly zero in less than a decade, argues the Living Forests Report from the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). REDD+, which stands for Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation, is a program that would pay developing nations to preserve forests for their ability to sequester carbon. Government officials begin meeting tomorrow in Durban, South Africa for the 17th UN climate summit, and REDD+ will be among many topics discussed.

Greenpeace NZ: APP misrepresented test results

(11/27/2011) Asia Pulp & Paper (APP) misled the public when the paper products giant claimed a paper testing company had found its fiber clear of rainforest fiber, says Greenpeace.

Brazilian mining giant cuts ties with pig-iron producer over deforestation

(11/27/2011) Brazilian mining giant Vale has cut ties with a pig-iron producer linked to illegal deforestation, reports Reuters.

Photos: two dozen new beetles discovered in Papua New Guinea hotspot

(11/23/2011) Over the past two decades, at least 24 new beetles species have been discovered in a remote mountainous rainforest region of Papua New Guinea by Swedish entomologists Ulf Nylander. Described in the new book Biodiversity, Biogeography and Nature Conservation in Wallacea and New Guinea, the new beetles found in the Aseki Province are all ecologically linked to rotting wood.

Report questions legitimacy of Asia Pulp & Paper's conservation initiatives

(11/22/2011) A new report by an Indonesian environmental group casts doubt on Asia Pulp & Paper's commitment to sustainability. In its corporate social responsibility reports and advertisements, Asia Pulp & Paper (APP), one of Indonesia's largest pulp and paper suppliers, has touted several forest reserves as indicators of its commitment to environmental stewardship. APP has portrayed these as voluntary, goodwill efforts to conserve Sumatra's endangered wildlife. But in a new report, Greenomics-Indonesia, a Jakarta-based NGO, says that at best these projects represent compliance with existing Indonesian laws or are in areas where commercial exploitation isn't viable.

One night only: new orchid species surprises scientists

(11/22/2011) A mysterious new orchid blooms for one night only, opening around 10 PM and closing at 10 AM. Discovered on the island of New Britain near Papua New Guinea, the new species is the world's first orchid that flowers only at night. Scientists found the new flower, named Bulbophyllum nocturnum, in a logging concession on the tropical island.

War of words between Greenpeace, Asia Pulp & Paper over deforestation allegations

(11/16/2011) Greenpeace and Asia Pulp & Paper (APP), a giant global paper supplier, are locked in a heated battle over the activist group's allegations that APP products contain fiber sourced from the destruction of forests in Indonesia. At stake is APP's access to some of the world's most lucrative markets. Until APP provides solid evidence refuting Greenpeace's accusation that its pulp and paper production isn't coming at the expense of natural forests in Indonesia, APP will have a difficult time winning over critics.

Photos: five wild cat species documented in Sumatran forest imperiled by logging

(11/16/2011) A single forest corridor in Sumatra has yielded camera trap photos of five wild cats species, including the Critically Endangered Sumatran tiger (Panthera tigris sumatrae). Photos were also taken of the Sunda clouded leopard (Neofelis diardi), the marbled cat (Pardofelis marmorata), the Asian golden cat (Pardofelis temminckii), and the leopard cat (Prionailurus bengalensis). The five species were all filmed by a WWF camera trap survey in a single forest corridor linking the forest of Bukit Tigapuluh and the Rimbang Baling Wildlife Sanctuary in Riau Province. Unfortunately this forest remains unprotected.

Giant rat plays big ecological role in dispersing seeds

(11/16/2011) Rats are rarely thought of as heroes. In fact, in many parts of the world they are despised, while in others they serve largely as food. But, scientists are now discovering that many tropical forest rodents, including rats, serve as heroic seed dispersers, i.e. eating fruits and nuts, and carrying seeds far from the parent tree, giving a chance to a new sapling. While this has been documented with tropical rodents in South America like agoutis and acouchis, a new study in Biotropica documents the first successful seed dispersal by an African rodent: the Kivu giant pouched rat (Cricetomys kivuensis), one of four species of giant African rats.

Critically Endangered lemurs disperse seeds, store carbon

(11/13/2011) Many tropical plants depend on other species to carry their progeny far-and-wide. Scientists are just beginning to unravel this phenomenon, known as seed dispersal, which is instrumental in supporting the diversity and richness of tropical forests. Researchers have identified a number of animal seed dispersers including birds, rodents, monkeys, elephants, and even fish. Now a new study in the Journal of Tropical Ecology adds another seed disperser to that list: the Critically Endangered black-and-white ruffed lemur (Varecia variegata). Capable of dispersing big tree species, the black-and-white ruffed lemur may even play a big role in carbon sequestration.

Monarch butterflies decline at wintering grounds in Mexico, Texas drought adds to stress to migration

(11/10/2011) Every fall, millions of monarch butterflies travel south to Mexico and take refuge in twelve mountain sanctuaries of oyamel fir forests. Now, declining numbers of the overwintering butterflies expose the migration’s vulnerability and raise questions about threats throughout the monarch’s lifecycle. A study published online last spring in Insect Conservation and Diversity shows a decrease in Mexico’s overwintering monarch butterflies between 1994 and 2011. The butterflies face loss of wintering habitat in Mexico and breeding habitat in the United States. Extreme weather, like winter storms in Mexico and the ongoing drought in Texas, adds yet another challenge.

First ever survey shows Sumatran tiger hanging on as forests continue to vanish

(11/10/2011) The first-ever Sumatran-wide survey of the island's top predator, the Sumatran tiger (Panthera tigris sumatrae), proves that the great cat is holding on even as forests continue to vanish. The study, carried out by eight NGOs and the Indonesian government, shows that the tiger is still present in 70 percent of the forests surveyed, providing hope for the long-term survival of the subspecies if remaining forests are protected.

Indigenous do not have right to free, prior and informed consultation on Amazon dam, rules Brazilian court

(11/09/2011) Indigenous communities do not have the right to free, prior and informed consultation on the Belo Monte dam because its infrastructure and reservoirs would not be physically located on tribal lands, ruled a Brazilian court.

Madagascar interim president: sell rosewood stocks

(11/09/2011) Madagascar should sell its stocks of illegally logged rainforest timber, Madagascar's interim leader Andry Rajoelina told the BBC in an interview.

Malaysia to spend $7.7M to defend palm oil from criticism

(11/09/2011) The Malaysian government will spend 24 million ringgit ($7.7 million) in 2011 and 2012 to counter criticism over the social and environmental impact of palm oil, reports ANTARA.

Palm oil biofuel from peatlands has big climate impact, finds study

(11/08/2011) Biofuels produced from oil palm plantations established on tropical peatlands are a substantial source of greenhouse gas emissions, reports a comprehensive new assessment conducted for the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT).

Peruvian authorities raid illegal gold mining operations

(11/07/2011) Peru's Defense Ministry destroyed at least 75 illegal dredges and seized 15 vehicles from gold miners operating illegally in one of the most biodiverse parts of the Amazon rainforest.

Aloha, and welcome to the planet's extinction capital

(11/07/2011) Hawaii evokes images of a tropical paradise where fragrant flowers, vivid colors, exotic plants, birds, and fish abound. Unfortunately, much of Hawaii's original native flora and fauna has disappeared since the arrival of Europeans in the 18th Century. Hawaii now has the dubious distinction as having become the planet’s extinction capital, having lost more than 55 endemic species (mostly native forest birds) which account for nearly one third of recorded of bird extinctions since the 1700s.

Environmental news - month in review: climate deniers denied, 7 billion people

(11/07/2011) Mongabay.com provides a quick review of forest-related news for October 2011.

Greenpeace legally registered in Indonesia, despite assertions to the contrary

(11/06/2011) Dispelling claims by critics that it operates illegally in Indonesia following two high-profile incidents with its non-Indonesian campaigners, Greenpeace Indonesia said it is legally registered to operate in the country.

Cooper-Blackburn bill seeks exemptions for illegal wood imports

(11/05/2011) A proposed bill would gut the Lacey Act, undermining an amendment that bans import of illegally logging forest products, says a coalition of environmentalists and woodworkers in a letter addressed to members of Congress. The bill, introduced last month by Jim Cooper, Marsha Blackburn, and Mary Bono Mack, would grant an exemption to pulp and paper importers from Lacey Act requirements, while reducing fines for non-compliance to a pittance for "first time" offenders no matter the size of the infraction.

Saving Ghana's vanishing frogs

(11/02/2011) Frogs need all the help they can get. With the IUCN Red List estimating that 41 percent of amphibians are endangered, frogs are currently the world's most imperiled animal family. Scientists estimate that around 200 amphibian species have been lost to extinction in recent decades to habitat loss, pollution, and a devastating fungal disease. Yet as the frog emergency worsens, there have been positive movements in conservation. The most recent comes from the small West African country of Ghana. Partnering with the enthusiastic US-based organization, SAVE THE FROGS!, two Ghanaian herpetologists, Gilbert Baase Adum and Caleb Ofori, have started a sister branch in their country: SAVE THE FROGS! Ghana.

11 challenges facing 7 billion super-consumers

(10/31/2011) Perhaps the most disconcerting thing about Halloween this year is not the ghouls and goblins taking to the streets, but a baby born somewhere in the world. It's not the baby's or the parent's fault, of course, but this child will become a part of an artificial, but still important, milestone: according to the UN, the Earth's seventh billionth person will be born today. That's seven billion people who require, in the very least, freshwater, food, shelter, medicine, and education. In some parts of the world, they will also have a car, an iPod, a suburban house and yard, pets, computers, a lawn-mower, a microwave, and perhaps a swimming pool. Though rarely addressed directly in policy (and more often than not avoided in polite conversations), the issue of overpopulation is central to environmentally sustainability and human welfare.

Vietnamese rhino goes extinct

(10/25/2011) In 2009 poachers shot and killed the world's last Vietnamese rhinoceros (Rhinoceros sondaicus annamiticus), a subspecies of the Javan rhino, confirms a report from International Rhino Foundation (IRF) and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). The Vietnamese rhino was the last Javan rhino to survive on the Asian mainland and the second subspecies to vanish, following the extinction of the Indian Javan rhino (rhinoceros sondaicus inermis). The Javan rhino is the world's most imperiled rhino species with now only around 50 individuals surviving in a single park on its namesake island in Indonesia.

Malaysian sustainable timber certification fails Dutch standards

(10/23/2011) An independent panel in the Netherlands has found that the Malaysian Timber Certification Scheme (MTCS) falls short of Dutch standards for sustainable forestry. The final decision comes after a series of judgements and appeals with the latest panel concluding that MTCS still allows natural forest to be destroyed for monoculture plantation and that the scheme ignores the rights of indigenous people.

Second Greenpeace activist deported from Indonesia

(10/20/2011) Andy Tait became the second Greenpeace campaigner deported from Indonesia in less than a week.

World's largest beef company breaks commitment on avoiding Amazon deforestation

(10/19/2011) In a campaign launched in Italy on Wednesday, Greenpeace accused Brazilian beef giant JBS-Friboi of breaking its commitment to exclude cattle connected with illegal deforestation and slave labor from its supply chain.

Brazil plans $120 billion in infrastructure investments in the Amazon by 2020

(10/19/2011) Brazil's push to expand infrastructure in the Amazon region will require at least 212 Brazilian reals ($120 billion) in public and private sector investment by 2020, reports Folha de Sao Paulo.

Old trees necessary for nesting animals

(10/17/2011) Aged, living trees are essential for over 1,000 birds and mammals that depend on such trees for nesting holes, according to a study in Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment. In much of the world, tree-nesting animals depend on holes formed through maturity and decay—and not woodpeckers—requiring standing old trees.

Soy moratorium in Amazon maintaining its effectiveness

(10/14/2011) The moratorium on clearing Amazon rainforest for soy farms in Brazil appears to be maintaining its effectiveness for a fifth straight year, reports the Brazilian Association of Vegetable Oil Industries (ABIOVE).

Indonesia denies Greenpeace director entry despite official visa

(10/14/2011) Greenpeace director John Sauven was today denied entry into Indonesia despite obtaining a business visa two weeks ago, reports Greenpeace.

Five ways to feed billions without trashing the planet

(10/13/2011) At the end of this month the UN predicts global population will hit 7 billion people, having doubled from 3.5 billion in less than 50 years. Yet even as the Earth hits this new milestone, one billion people do not have enough food; meanwhile the rapid expansion of agriculture is one of the leading causes of global environmental degradation, including greenhouse gas emissions, destruction of forests, marine pollution, mass extinction, water scarcity, and soil degradation. So, how do we feed the human population—which continues to rise and is expected to hit nine billion by 2050—while preserving the multitude of ecosystem services that support global food production? A new study in Nature proposes a five-point plan to this dilemma.

Meat consumption jumps 20 percent in last decade with super-sized environmental impacts

(10/11/2011) Meat consumption and production remains on the rise, according to a new report Worldwatch Institute, with large-scale environmental impacts especially linked to the spread of factory farming. According to the report, global meat production has tripled since 1970, and jumped by 20 percent since 2000 with consumption rising significantly faster than global population.

Should public or private money finance efforts to save forests?

(10/11/2011) The 11th Rights and Resources Initiative Dialogue on Forests, Governance and Climate Change in London, which will focus on The Status and Role of Public and Private Finance to Reduce Forest Loss and Degradation. The goal of the RRI Dialogue is to examine the current state of public and private financial mechanisms for REDD+ and adaptation and contribute to developing an updated vision for the optimal design and deployment of finance to reduce forest loss and degradation - while respecting the rights and development needs of local people. RRI has partnered with Mongabay.com to present two diverging viewpoints on issues to be discussed at length at the dialogue, featuring Vicky Tauli-Corpuz (Executive Director, Tebtebba) and Scott Poynton (Executive Director, The Forest Trust).

Tea Party rallies in favor of Gibson Guitar, ignores reasons instrument-maker is under investigation

(10/10/2011) This weekend around 500 people showed up for a rally and concert in Nashville, Tennessee. The rally was in support of Gibson Guitars, a US-company currently under investigation for allegedly importing illegally logged wood into the country, an action that breaks a recent bipartisan amendment to the Lacey Act. While the Tea Party-affiliated groups that held the rally were expressing frustration with perceived over-regulation by the federal government, the issue at stake—a global effort to help stem illegal logging—was actually overlooked by the organizers.

Indonesia's forestry sector failed to pay $18.8 billion for deforestation, alleges anti-corruption group

(10/09/2011) The plantation and forestry sectors in Indonesia failed to pay as much as $18.8 billion (169.8 trillion rupiah) for timber exploitation between 2004-2007, alleges Indonesian Corruption Watch, an anti-grant activist group, which urged the country's Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) and Ministry of Forestry to conduct a full investigation.

Activists protest Australian forest destruction from top of the Sydney Opera House

(10/09/2011) A series of actions protesting forest destruction in Australia led to seven arrests last week. Led by a new NGO, The Last Stand, the activists targeted Australian retail giant Harvey Norman for allegedly being complicit in the destruction of native forests in Australia, which harbor many imperiled species found no-where else.

Brazil: Amazon deforestation higher than initially stated

(10/09/2011) Brazil revised upward its estimate of how much Amazon rainforest was destroyed last year, reports the Associated Press.

2010 Amazon drought released more carbon than India's annual emissions

(10/09/2011) The 2010 drought that affected much of the Amazon rainforest triggered the release of nearly 500 million tons of carbon (1.8 billion tons of carbon dioxide) into the atmosphere, or more than the total emissions from deforestation in the region over the period, estimates a new study published in the journal Environmental Research Letters.

Paper suppliers risk damaging Indonesia's reputation, argues report

(10/07/2011) Indonesia needs to re-evaluate forest areas and peatlands granted for pulp and paper plantations to reduce the risk of damaging the international reputation of its forest products and undermining its commitment to greenhouse gas emissions reductions, argues a new report published by an Indonesian activist group.

Little-known animal picture of the day: Thomas's leaf monkey

(10/06/2011) With unmistakable coloring and a philosophical, at times almost melancholy expression, the Thomas's leaf monkey (Presbytis thomasi) is one of Asia's little-known primates. Thomas's leaf monkey (also known as Thomas's langur) is found only on the island of Sumatra in Indonesia. The monkeys roam forests eating fruits and flowers, and sometimes snails, mushrooms, and coconut stalks.

Toy giant Mattel drops paper from APP and other 'controversial sources'

(10/05/2011) The world's biggest toy-maker Mattel has pledged to overhaul its paper sourcing policies after a hard-hitting campaign from Greenpeace linked the toy giant to rainforest destruction in Indonesia by Asia Pulp and Paper (APP). Today, Mattel pledged to increase the use of recycled paper and sustainably-certified fiber to 70 percent by the year's end, and 85 percent by 2015. In addition, the company has said any 'controversial' company engaged in natural forest destruction will be kept out of its supply line, referring to, but not naming directly, APP. Surprisingly, APP told mongabay.com that it 'applauds' Mattel's new commitments.

Tea party versus Madagascar's forests

(10/02/2011) The Tea Party and the African island-nation of Madagascar are having dueling concerts over the issue of illegal logging, reports the Associated Press. A concert in Madagascar over the weekend was meant to highlight the problem of illegal deforestation in one of the world's poorest countries. Meanwhile the Tea Party is holding a rally and concert on October 8th to support Gibson Guitar, a musical instruments company currently under investigation for breaking US law by allegedly purchasing illegally logged wood products from Madagascar.

After protracted campaign, Girl Scouts pledges to cut out some palm oil

(10/02/2011) Girl Scouts USA has announced that it will lessen palm oil in its ubiquitous cookies by using alternatives when possible and cutting overall usage. The organization also committed to purchasing GreenPalm certificates for all of its palm oil in order to financially support more environmentally sustainable palm oil, even if the palm oil in the cookies is not.

Madagascar asks CITES to regulate rosewood and ebony

(09/29/2011) Following a logging crisis in 2009 where a number of Madagascar's remaining forests were illegally cut, the African nation has turned to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) to help regulate 91 species of rosewood and ebony. "Regulating trade in these high-value timber species under CITES will help ensure that the benefits of trade flow to local people and it will also serve the global community by helping conserve these species, which will be to the benefit of entire ecosystems."

Featured video: new documentary puts human face on logging in Papua New Guinea

(09/27/2011) A new documentary, filmed single-handily by filmmaker David Fedele, covers the impact of industrial logging on a community in Papua New Guinea. Entitled Bikpela Bagarap(or 'Big Damage' in English), the film shows with startling intimacy how massive corporations, greedy government, and consumption abroad have conspired to ruin lives in places like Vanimo, Papua New Guinea.

Tribal leader to the UN: Indigenous peoples of the Amazon are in danger

(09/22/2011) Amazonian indigenous peoples and their traditional territories are living under constant threat.

Amazon deforestation up moderately in August, but forest degradation falls

(09/22/2011) Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon continues to be slightly higher than this time last year, reports a new bulletin from Imazon, a Brazilian NGO.

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Country / Area	Land area				Forest
	Forest		Other wooded land	Total area	Area		Annual change rate									Area of primary forest			Annual change rate		Area of forest plantations
	2005				1990	2000	1990-2000		2000-2005		Primary	Modified natural	Semi-natural	Production plantation	Protection plantation	1990	2000	2005	1990-2000	2000-2005	1990	2000	2005
Country / Area	1000 ha	% of land area	1000 ha	1000 ha	1000 ha	1000 ha	1000 ha/yr	%	1000 ha/yr	%	1000 ha	1000 ha	1000 ha	1000 ha	1000 ha	1000 ha	1000 ha	1000 ha	ha/yr	ha/yr	1000 ha	1000 ha	1000 ha

Angola	59,104	47.4	-	124,670	60,976	59,728	-125	-0.2	-125	-0.2	0	58,973	0	131	0	0	0	0	0	0	140	134	131
Botswana	11,943	21.1	34,791	58,173	13,718	12,535	-118	-0.9	-118	-1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
British Indian Ocean Territory	3	32.5	0	8	3	3	0	0	0	0	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Comoros	5	2.9	-	186	12	8	n.s.	-4	-1	-7.4	0	4	0	1	-	0	0	0	0	0	2	2	1
Kenya	3,522	6.2	34,920	58,037	3,708	3,582	-13	-0.3	-12	-0.3	704	2,616	-	202	-	742	716	704	-2,520	-2,400	238	212	202
Lesotho	8	0.3	31	3,035	5	7	n.s.	3.4	n.s.	2.7	1	-	-	7	-	1	1	1	0	0	4	6	7
Madagascar	12,838	22.1	17,054	58,704	13,692	13,023	-67	-0.5	-37	-0.3	10,347	2,198	-	234	59	10,503	10,381	10,347	-12,200	-6,800	293	293	293
Malawi	3,402	36.2	-	11,848	3,896	3,567	-33	-0.9	-33	-0.9	1,132	2,067	-	204	-	1,727	1,330	1,132	-39,700	-39,600	132	180	204
Mauritius	37	18.2	15	204	39	38	n.s.	-0.3	n.s.	-0.5	0	22	n.s.	11	4	0	0	0	0	0	16	15	15
Mayotte	5	14.7	-	37	6	6	n.s.	-0.4	n.s.	-0.4	-	5	-	n.s.	-	-	-	-	-	-	n.s.	n.s.	n.s.
Mozambique	19,262	24.6	40,919	80,159	20,012	19,512	-50	-0.3	-50	-0.3	-	19,224	-	38	-	-	-	-	-	-	38	38	38
Namibia	7,661	9.3	8,473	82,429	8,762	8,033	-73	-0.9	-74	-0.9	-	7,661	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
RÈunion	84	33.6	55	251	87	87	n.s.	-0.1	-1	-0.7	55	6	18	2	2	55	55	55	-30	-20	5	5	5
Seychelles	40	88.9	-	45	40	40	0	0	0	0	2	33	-	5	-	2	2	2	0	0	5	5	5
South Africa	9,203	7.6	21,409	121,909	9,203	9,203	0	0	0	0	-	7,777	-	1,426	-	-	-	-	-	-	1,204	1,352	1,426
Swaziland	541	31.5	289	1,736	472	518	5	0.9	5	0.9	-	395	31	114	-	-	-	-	-	-	135	121	114
Uganda	3,627	18.4	1,150	24,104	4,924	4,059	-86	-1.9	-86	-2.2	-	3,591	-	36	-	-	-	-	-	-	33	35	36
UR Tanzania	35,257	39.9	4,756	94,509	41,441	37,318	-412	-1	-412	-1.1	-	35,107	-	150	-	-	-	-	-	-	150	150	150
Zambia	42,452	57.1	3,161	75,261	49,124	44,676	-445	-0.9	-445	-1	-	42,377	-	75	-	-	-	-	-	-	60	75	75
Zimbabwe	17,540	45.3	-	39,075	22,234	19,105	-313	-1.5	-313	-1.7	-	17,385	-	154	-	-	-	-	-	-	154	154	154
Total Eastern and Southern Africa	226,534	27.8	167,023	834,380	252,354	235,047	-1,731	-0.7	-1,702	-0.8
Algeria	2,277	1	1,595	238,174	1,790	2,144	35	1.8	27	1.2	-	1,206	316	12	742	-	-	-	-	-	620	652	754
Burkina Faso	6,794	29	7,427	27,400	7,154	6,914	-24	-0.3	-24	-0.3	0	5,918	800	71	5	0	0	0	0	0	33	63	76
Chad	11,921	9.5	9,152	128,400	13,110	12,317	-79	-0.6	-79	-0.7	190	11,716	-	-	15	209	196	190	-1,300	-1,200	11	14	15
Djibouti	6	0.2	220	2,320	6	6	0	0	0	0	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Egypt	67	0.1	20	100,145	44	59	2	3	2	2.6	-	-	-	1	66	-	-	-	-	-	44	59	67
Eritrea	1,554	15.4	7,257	11,760	1,621	1,576	-4	-0.3	-4	-0.3	-	1,526	-	14	14	-	-	-	-	-	10	22	28
Ethiopia	13,000	11.9	44,650	110,430	15,114	13,705	-141	-1	-141	-1.1	-	12,509	-	491	-	-	-	-	-	-	491	491	491
Libya	217	0.1	330	175,954	217	217	0	0	0	0	-	-	-	-	217	-	-	-	-	-	217	217	217
Mali	12,572	10.3	16,532	124,019	14,072	13,072	-100	-0.7	-100	-0.8	-	-	-	-	-	-	13,012	-	-	-	-	60	-
Mauritania	267	0.3	3,110	102,552	415	317	-10	-2.7	-10	-3.4	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	10	-
Morocco	4,364	9.8	406	44,655	4,289	4,328	4	0.1	7	0.2	-	3,754	47	563	-	-	-	-	-	-	478	523	563
Niger	1,266	1	3,740	126,700	1,945	1,328	-62	-3.7	-12	-1	220	936	-	-	110	220	220	220	0	0	-	72	110
Somalia	7,131	11.4	-	63,766	8,282	7,515	-77	-1	-77	-1	-	7,128	-	3	-	-	-	-	-	-	3	3	3
Sudan	67,546	28.4	-	250,581	76,381	70,491	-589	-0.8	-589	-0.8	13,509	47,282	1,351	4,728	675	15,276	14,098	13,509	-117,807	-117,807	6,111	5,639	5,404
Tunisia	1,056	6.8	170	16,361	643	959	32	4.1	19	1.9	-	320	238	150	348	-	-	-	-	-	226	423	498
Western Sahara	1,011	3.8	-	26,600	1,011	1,011	0	0	0	0	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Total Northern Africa	131,048	8.6	94,609	1,549,817	146,093	135,958	-1,013	-0.7	-982	-0.7
Benin	2,351	21.3	3,959	11,262	3,322	2,675	-65	-2.1	-65	-2.5	-	2,237	-	114	-	-	-	-	-	-	98	109	114
Burundi	152	5.9	722	2,783	289	198	-9	-3.7	-9	-5.2	0	67	0	86	0	-	0	0	-	0	-	86	86
Cameroon	21,245	45.6	14,758	47,544	24,545	22,345	-220	-0.9	-220	-1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Cape Verde	84	20.7	-	403	58	82	2	3.6	n.s.	0.4	-	-	-	67	17	-	-	-	-	-	58	82	84
Central African Republic	22,755	36.5	10,122	62,298	23,203	22,903	-30	-0.1	-30	-0.1	-	22,750	-	5	-	-	-	-	-	-	2	4	5
Congo	22,471	65.8	10,547	34,200	22,726	22,556	-17	-0.1	-17	-0.1	7,464	14,957	-	51	-	7,548	7,492	7,464	-5,647	-5,647	51	51	51
CÙte d'Ivoire	10,405	32.7	2,626	32,246	10,222	10,328	11	0.1	15	0.1	625	9,443	0	337	0	625	625	625	0	0	154	261	337
DR Congo	133,610	58.9	83,277	234,486	140,531	135,207	-532	-0.4	-319	-0.2	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Equatorial Guinea	1,632	58.2	31	2,805	1,860	1,708	-15	-0.8	-15	-0.9	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Gabon	21,775	84.5	-	26,767	21,927	21,826	-10	n.s.	-10	n.s.	-	-	-	36	-	-	-	-	-	-	36	36	36
Gambia	471	41.7	125	1,130	442	461	2	0.4	2	0.4	-	471	-	n.s.	-	-	-	-	-	-	n.s.	n.s.	n.s.
Ghana	5,517	24.2	0	23,854	7,448	6,094	-135	-2	-115	-2	353	5,004	-	160	-	353	353	353	0	0	50	60	160
Guinea	6,724	27.4	5,850	24,586	7,408	6,904	-50	-0.7	-36	-0.5	63	6,568	60	30	3	63	63	63	0	0	17	22	33
Guinea-Bissau	2,072	73.7	236	3,612	2,216	2,120	-10	-0.4	-10	-0.5	940	1,132	-	0	n.s.	940	940	940	0	0	n.s.	n.s.	1
Liberia	3,154	32.7	0	11,137	4,058	3,455	-60	-1.6	-60	-1.8	129	3,017	-	8	-	129	129	129	0	0	8	8	8
Nigeria	11,089	12.2	5,495	92,377	17,234	13,137	-410	-2.7	-410	-3.3	326	10,414	0	349	0	1,556	736	326	-82,000	-82,000	251	316	349
Rwanda	480	19.5	61	2,634	318	344	3	0.8	27	6.9	0	62	-	367	52	0	0	0	0	0	248	282	419
Saint Helena	2	6.5	0	31	2	2	0	0	0	0	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Sao Tome and Principe	27	28.4	29	96	27	27	0	0	0	0	12	16	-	-	-	12	12	12	0	0	-	-	-
Senegal	8,673	45	5,001	19,672	9,348	8,898	-45	-0.5	-45	-0.5	1,598	6,710	-	332	33	1,759	1,653	1,598	-10,600	-11,000	205	306	365
Sierra Leone	2,754	38.5	384	7,174	3,044	2,851	-19	-0.7	-19	-0.7	-	2,751	-	3	-	-	-	-	-	-	2	3	3
Togo	386	7.1	1,246	5,679	685	486	-20	-3.4	-20	-4.5	0	348	-	30	8	0	0	0	0	0	24	34	38
Total Western and Central Africa	277,829	44.1	144,468	646,776	300,914	284,608	-1,631	-0.6	-1,356	-0.5
Total Africa	635,412	21.4	406,100	3,030,974	699,361	655,613	-4,375	-0.7	-4,040	-0.6
China	197,290	21.2	87,615	959,805	157,141	177,001	1,986	1.2	4,058	2.2	11,632	114,332	39,957	28,530	2,839	11,632	11,632	11,632	0	0	18,466	23,924	31,369
DPR Korea	6,187	51.4	-	12,054	8,201	6,821	-138	-1.8	-127	-1.9	852	-	5,335	-	-	1,129	939	852	-19,000	-17,400	-	-	-
Japan	24,868	68.2	-	37,780	24,950	24,876	-7	n.s.	-2	n.s.	4,591	9,955	-	-	10,321	3,764	4,054	4,591	29,000	107,400	10,287	10,331	10,321
Mongolia	10,252	6.5	2,388	156,650	11,492	10,665	-83	-0.7	-83	-0.8	4,733	5,407	-	112	-	5,540	4,923	4,733	-61,700	-38,000	30	75	112
Republic of Korea	6,265	63.5	-	9,926	6,371	6,300	-7	-0.1	-7	-0.1	-	4,901	-	1,364	-	-	-	-	-	-	748	1,188	1,364
Total East Asia	244,862	21.3	90,003	1,176,215	208,155	225,663	1,751	0.8	3,840	1.6
Bangladesh	871	6.7	58	14,400	882	884	n.s.	n.s.	-2	-0.3	-	592	-	195	84	-	-	-	-	-	239	276	279
Bhutan	3,195	68	611	4,700	3,035	3,141	11	0.3	11	0.3	413	2,529	251	2	0	413	413	413	0	0	1	1	2
Brunei Darussalam	278	52.8	160	577	313	288	-2	-0.8	-2	-0.7	278	-	-	-	-	313	288	278	-2,500	-2,000	-	-	-
Cambodia	10,447	59.2	270	18,104	12,946	11,541	-140	-1.1	-219	-2	122	10,266	0	59	-	766	456	122	-31,000	-66,800	67	72	59
India	67,701	22.8	4,110	328,726	63,939	67,554	362	0.6	29	n.s.	-	32,943	31,532	1,053	2,173	-	-	-	-	-	1,954	2,805	3,226
Indonesia	88,495	48.8	-	190,457	116,567	97,852	-1,872	-1.7	-1,871	-2	48,702	-	36,394	3,399	-	70,419	55,941	48,702	-1,447,800	-1,447,800	2,209	3,002	3,399
Lao PDR	16,142	69.9	4,643	23,680	17,314	16,532	-78	-0.5	-78	-0.5	1,490	14,428	-	223	1	1,490	1,490	1,490	0	0	4	99	224
Malaysia	20,890	63.6	-	32,975	22,376	21,591	-78	-0.4	-140	-0.7	3,820	-	15,497	1,573	-	3,820	3,820	3,820	0	0	1,956	1,659	1,573
Maldives	1	3	0	30	1	1	0	0	0	0	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Myanmar	32,222	49	10,834	67,658	39,219	34,554	-466	-1.3	-466	-1.4	0	31,373	0	696	153	0	0	0	0	0	394	696	849
Nepal	3,636	25.4	1,897	14,718	4,817	3,900	-92	-2.1	-53	-1.4	349	384	2,850	43	10	391	384	349	-700	-7,000	49	52	53
Pakistan	1,902	2.5	1,389	79,610	2,527	2,116	-41	-1.8	-43	-2.1	-	1,584	-	318	-	-	-	-	-	-	234	296	318
Philippines	7,162	24	3,611	30,000	10,574	7,949	-262	-2.8	-157	-2.1	829	5,713	-	304	316	829	829	829	0	0	1,780	852	620
Singapore	2	3.4	0	68	2	2	0	0	0	0	2	0	0	0	0	2	2	2	0	0	0	0	0
Sri Lanka	1,933	29.9	0	6,561	2,350	2,082	-27	-1.2	-30	-1.5	167	1,571	-	171	24	257	197	167	-6,000	-6,000	242	221	195
Thailand	14,520	28.4	-	51,312	15,965	14,814	-115	-0.7	-59	-0.4	6,451	4,970	-	1,997	1,102	6,451	6,451	6,451	0	0	2,640	3,077	3,099
Timor-Leste	798	53.7	-	1,487	966	854	-11	-1.2	-11	-1.3	-	755	-	-	43	-	-	-	-	-	29	43	43
Viet Nam	12,931	39.7	2,259	33,169	9,363	11,725	236	2.3	241	2	85	10,151	-	1,792	903	384	187	85	-19,700	-20,400	967	2,050	2,695
Total South and South-east Asia	283,127	33.4	29,842	898,232	323,156	297,380	-2,578	-0.9	-2,851	-1
Afghanistan	867	1.3	-	65,209	1,309	1,015	-29	-2.5	-30	-3.1	-	867	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Armenia	321	11.4	44	2,980	336	344	1	0.2	-5	-1.4	16	295	0	0	10	17	17	16	40	-280	14	11	10
Azerbaijan	936	11.3	54	8,660	936	936	0	0	0	0	400	516	-	-	20	400	400	400	0	0	20	20	20
Bahrain	n.s.	0.6	0	71	n.s.	n.s.	n.s.	5.6	n.s.	3.8	-	-	-	-	n.s.	-	-	-	-	-	n.s.	n.s.	n.s.
Cyprus	174	18.9	214	925	161	173	1	0.7	n.s.	0.2	22	111	36	0	5	22	22	22	0	0	3	3	5
Georgia	2,760	39.7	50	6,970	2,760	2,760	n.s.	n.s.	n.s.	n.s.	500	2,200	0	0	60	500	500	500	0	0	54	60	60
Iran	11,075	6.8	5,340	164,820	11,075	11,075	0	0	0	0	200	10,031	228	616	-	200	200	200	0	0	616	616	616
Iraq	822	1.9	927	43,832	804	818	1	0.2	1	0.1	0	809	0	0	13	0	0	0	0	0	15	15	13
Israel	171	8.3	85	2,106	154	164	1	0.6	1	0.8	-	70	-	-	101	-	-	-	-	-	84	94	101
Jordan	83	0.9	52	8,921	83	83	0	0	0	0	0	37	6	0	40	0	0	0	0	0	40	40	40
Kazakhstan	3,337	1.2	15,622	272,490	3,422	3,365	-6	-0.2	-6	-0.2	0	2,428	0	0	909	0	0	0	0	0	1,034	1,056	909
Kuwait	6	0.3	0	1,782	3	5	n.s.	3.5	n.s.	2.7	-	-	-	-	6	-	-	-	-	-	3	5	6
Kyrgyzstan	869	4.5	313	19,990	836	858	2	0.3	2	0.3	241	562	-	24	42	237	240	241	250	260	46	59	66
Lebanon	136	13.3	106	1,040	121	131	1	0.8	1	0.8	0	129	0	8	0	-	-	0	-	-	-	-	8
Oman	2	n.s.	1,303	21,246	2	2	0	0	0	0	-	-	-	-	2	-	-	-	-	-	2	2	2
Palestine	9	1.5	-	621	9	9	0	0	0	0	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Qatar	n.s.	n.s.	n.s.	1,100	n.s.	n.s.	0	0	0	0	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Saudi Arabia	2,728	1.3	34,155	214,969	2,728	2,728	0	0	0	0	-	2,728	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Syria	461	2.5	35	18,518	372	432	6	1.5	6	1.3	-	198	-	-	264	-	-	-	-	-	175	234	264
Tajikistan	410	2.9	142	14,255	408	410	n.s.	n.s.	0	0	297	12	35	22	44	297	297	297	0	0	76	66	66
Turkey	10,175	13.2	10,689	77,482	9,680	10,052	37	0.4	25	0.2	975	5,925	738	1,916	621	739	897	975	15,800	15,600	1,839	2,304	2,537
Turkmenistan	4,127	8.8	0	48,810	4,127	4,127	0	0	0	0	104	4,023	-	0	-	104	104	104	0	0	0	0	0
United Arab Emirates	312	3.7	4	8,360	245	310	6	2.4	n.s.	0.1	0	0	0	0	312	0	0	0	0	0	245	310	312
Uzbekistan	3,295	8	904	44,740	3,045	3,212	17	0.5	17	0.5	57	2,643	534	5	56	57	57	57	0	0	30	51	61
Yemen	549	1	1,406	52,797	549	549	0	0	0	0	-	161	388	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Total Western and Central Asia	43,626	4	71,446	1,102,695	43,166	43,558	39	0.1	14	n.s.
Total Asia	571,615	18.5	191,291	3,177,142	574,477	566,601	-788	-0.1	1,003	0.2
Albania	794	29	261	2,875	789	769	-2	-0.3	5	0.6	85	621	0	3	86	85	85	85	0	0	103	96	88
Andorra	16	35.6	-	45	16	16	0	0	0	0	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Austria	3,862	46.7	118	8,386	3,776	3,838	6	0.2	5	0.1	-	-	-	-	-	117	119	-	200	-	988	1,003	-
Belarus	7,894	38	914	20,760	7,376	7,848	47	0.6	9	0.1	400	5,712	1,780	2	-	400	400	400	0	0	2	2	2
Belgium	667	22	27	3,053	677	667	-1	-0.1	0	0	0	0	392	275	0	0	0	0	0	0	303	284	275
Bosnia and Herzegovina	2,185	43.1	549	5,120	2,210	2,185	-2	-0.1	0	0	2	1,184	857	142	-	-	2	2	-	0	-	142	142
Bulgaria	3,625	32.8	27	11,099	3,327	3,375	5	0.1	50	1.4	-	-	-	-	-	267	396	-	12,900	-	40	48	-
Channel Islands	1	4.1	0	19	1	1	0	0	0	0	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Croatia	2,135	38.2	346	5,654	2,116	2,129	1	0.1	1	0.1	10	2,063	0	61	0	10	10	10	0	0	56	60	61
Czech Republic	2,648	34.3	0	7,887	2,630	2,637	1	n.s.	2	0.1	0	14	2,634	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Denmark	500	11.8	136	4,309	445	486	4	0.9	3	0.6	0	6	179	281	34	0	0	0	0	0	291	305	315
Estonia	2,284	53.9	82	4,523	2,163	2,243	8	0.4	8	0.4	142	1,390	751	1	0	-	137	142	-	1,000	-	1	1
Faeroe Islands	n.s.	0.1	-	140	n.s.	n.s.	0	0	0	0	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Finland	22,500	73.9	802	33,814	22,194	22,475	28	0.1	5	n.s.	1,419	0	21,081	0	0	1,491	1,418	1,419	-7,300	200	0	0	0
France	15,554	28.3	1,708	55,150	14,538	15,351	81	0.5	41	0.3	30	-	13,556	1,968	-	30	30	30	0	0	1,842	1,936	1,968
Germany	11,076	31.7	-	35,703	10,741	11,076	34	0.3	0	0	0	0	11,076	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Gibraltar	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	-	0	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Greece	3,752	29.1	2,780	13,196	3,299	3,601	30	0.9	30	0.8	0	3,618	0	0	134	0	0	0	0	0	118	129	134
Holy See	0	0	0	n.s.	0	0	0	-	0	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Hungary	1,976	21.5	0	9,303	1,801	1,907	11	0.6	14	0.7	0	415	1,016	454	91	0	0	0	0	0	431	528	545
Iceland	46	0.5	104	10,300	25	38	1	4.3	2	3.9	0	17	0	17	12	0	0	0	0	0	8	21	29
Ireland	669	9.7	41	7,027	441	609	17	3.3	12	1.9	0	0	90	579	0	1	0	0	-100	0	350	519	579
Isle of Man	3	6.1	0	57	3	3	0	0	0	0	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Italy	9,979	33.9	1,047	30,134	8,383	9,447	106	1.2	106	1.1	-	-	-	146	-	160	160	-	0	-	289	144	146
Latvia	2,941	47.4	115	6,460	2,775	2,885	11	0.4	11	0.4	14	2,282	644	1	0	-	15	14	-	-280	-	n.s.	1
Liechtenstein	7	43.1	0	16	6	7	n.s.	0.6	0	0	2	5	-	n.s.	-	2	2	2	0	0	n.s.	n.s.	n.s.
Lithuania	2,099	33.5	77	6,530	1,945	2,020	8	0.4	16	0.8	26	1,548	384	100	41	20	21	26	100	1,000	124	137	141
Luxembourg	87	33.5	1	259	86	87	n.s.	0.1	0	0	-	-	58	28	-	-	-	-	-	-	28	28	28
Macedonia	906	35.8	82	2,571	906	906	0	0	0	0	0	876	-	30	-	0	0	0	0	0	30	30	30
Malta	n.s.	1.1	0	32	n.s.	n.s.	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	n.s.	0	0	0	0	0	n.s.	n.s.	n.s.
Monaco	0	0	0	n.s.	0	0	0	-	0	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Netherlands	365	10.8	0	4,153	345	360	2	0.4	1	0.3	0	0	361	4	0	0	0	0	0	0	4	4	4
Norway	9,387	30.7	2,613	32,376	9,130	9,301	17	0.2	17	0.2	250	-	8,875	262	-	250	250	250	0	0	222	255	262
Poland	9,192	30	-	31,269	8,881	9,059	18	0.2	27	0.3	53	-	9,107	32	-	30	51	53	2,100	400	32	32	32
Portugal	3,783	41.3	84	9,198	3,099	3,583	48	1.5	40	1.1	55	-	2,494	1,067	167	55	55	55	0	0	550	1,034	1,234
Republic of Moldova	329	10	31	3,384	319	326	1	0.2	1	0.2	0	328	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	1
Romania	6,370	27.7	258	23,839	6,371	6,366	0	n.s.	1	n.s.	233	651	5,339	92	57	233	233	233	0	0	149	149	149
Russian Federation	808,790	47.9	74,185	1,707,540	808,950	809,268	32	n.s.	-96	n.s.	255,470	536,358	-	11,888	5,075	241,726	258,131	255,470	1,640,510	-532,200	12,651	15,360	16,962
San Marino	n.s.	1.6	0	6	n.s.	n.s.	0	0	0	0	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Serbia and Montenegro	2,694	26.4	808	10,217	2,559	2,649	9	0.3	9	0.3	4	115	2,536	39	0	4	4	4	0	0	39	39	39
Slovakia	1,929	40.1	-	4,901	1,922	1,921	n.s.	n.s.	2	0.1	24	946	940	17	2	24	24	24	0	0	23	20	19
Slovenia	1,264	62.8	44	2,027	1,188	1,239	5	0.4	5	0.4	119	1,107	38	0	0	63	95	119	3,200	4,800	0	0	0
Spain	17,915	35.9	10,299	50,599	13,479	16,436	296	2	296	1.7	812	11,582	4,050	1,471	0	621	748	812	12,700	12,800	1,126	1,356	1,471
Sweden	27,528	66.9	3,257	44,996	27,367	27,474	11	n.s.	11	n.s.	4,726	-	22,135	667	0	4,348	4,600	4,726	25,200	25,200	523	619	667
Switzerland	1,221	30.9	67	4,129	1,155	1,199	4	0.4	4	0.4	14	15	1,188	4	0	3	6	14	300	1,600	3	4	4
Ukraine	9,575	16.5	41	60,370	9,274	9,510	24	0.3	13	0.1	59	4,729	4,399	81	307	59	59	59	0	0	325	367	388
United Kingdom	2,845	11.8	20	24,291	2,611	2,793	18	0.7	10	0.4	0	646	275	1,902	22	0	0	0	0	0	1,877	1,934	1,924
Total Europe	1,001,394	44.3	100,925	2,297,719	989,320	998,091	877	0.1	661	0.1
Anguilla	6	71.4	-	8	6	6	0	0	0	0	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Antigua and Barbuda	9	21.4	16	44	9	9	0	0	0	0	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Aruba	n.s.	2.2	0	19	n.s.	n.s.	0	0	0	0	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Bahamas	515	51.5	36	1,388	515	515	0	0	0	0	-	515	-	0	0	-	-	-	-	-	0	0	0
Barbados	2	4	-	43	2	2	0	0	0	0	-	2	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Bermuda	1	20	0	5	1	1	0	0	0	0	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
British Virgin Islands	4	24.4	2	15	4	4	n.s.	-0.1	n.s.	-0.1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Cayman Islands	12	48.4	4	26	12	12	0	0	0	0	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Cuba	2,713	24.7	260	11,086	2,058	2,435	38	1.7	56	2.2	-	2,319	-	230	164	-	-	-	-	-	347	342	394
Dominica	46	61.3	n.s.	75	50	47	n.s.	-0.5	n.s.	-0.6	27	19	0	n.s.	-	28	28	27	-86	-84	-	n.s.	n.s.
Dominican Republic	1,376	28.4	678	4,873	1,376	1,376	0	0	0	0	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Grenada	4	12.2	5	34	4	4	n.s.	n.s.	0	0	1	3	-	n.s.	-	1	1	1	-22	-23	n.s.	n.s.	n.s.
Guadeloupe	80	47.2	2	171	84	81	n.s.	-0.3	n.s.	-0.3	19	58	2	1	0	19	19	19	0	0	3	1	1
Haiti	105	3.8	-	2,775	116	109	-1	-0.6	-1	-0.7	-	81	-	24	-	-	-	-	-	-	12	20	24
Jamaica	339	31.3	188	1,099	345	341	n.s.	-0.1	n.s.	-0.1	-	325	-	8	6	-	-	-	-	-	15	14	14
Martinique	46	43.9	-	110	46	46	0	0	0	0	-	45	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	1	1
Montserrat	4	35	-	10	4	4	0	0	0	0	-	4	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Netherlands Antilles	1	1.5	33	80	1	1	0	0	0	0	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Puerto Rico	408	46	-	895	404	407	n.s.	0.1	n.s.	n.s.	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Saint Kitts and Nevis	5	14.7	6	36	5	5	0	0	0	0	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Saint Lucia	17	27.9	5	62	17	17	0	0	0	0	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	11	27.4	2	39	9	10	n.s.	0.8	n.s.	0.8	-	10	-	n.s.	-	-	-	-	-	-	n.s.	n.s.	n.s.
Trinidad and Tobago	226	44.1	74	513	235	228	-1	-0.3	n.s.	-0.2	14	197	0	15	0	14	14	14	0	0	15	15	15
Turks and Caicos Islands	34	80	-	43	34	34	0	0	0	0	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
United States Virgin Islands	10	27.9	-	34	12	10	n.s.	-1.3	n.s.	-1.8	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Total Caribbean	5,974	26.1	1,310	23,482	5,350	5,706	36	0.6	54	0.9
Belize	1,653	72.5	115	2,296	1,653	1,653	0	0	0	0	612	1,041	-	-	-	612	612	612	0	0	-	-	-
Costa Rica	2,391	46.8	10	5,110	2,564	2,376	-19	-0.8	3	0.1	180	1,319	888	1	3	255	180	180	-7,500	0	-	3	4
El Salvador	298	14.4	201	2,104	375	324	-5	-1.5	-5	-1.7	6	286	-	6	-	6	6	6	0	0	6	6	6
Guatemala	3,938	36.3	1,672	10,889	4,748	4,208	-54	-1.2	-54	-1.3	1,957	1,859	-	122	-	2,359	2,091	1,957	-26,789	-26,834	32	88	122
Honduras	4,648	41.5	710	11,209	7,385	5,430	-196	-3	-156	-3.1	1,512	2,261	845	-	30	1,512	1,512	1,512	0	0	31	26	30
Nicaragua	5,189	42.7	1,022	13,000	6,538	5,539	-100	-1.6	-70	-1.3	1,849	3,289	-	51	-	1,849	1,849	1,849	0	0	4	46	51
Panama	4,294	57.7	1,288	7,552	4,376	4,307	-7	-0.2	-3	-0.1	3,023	1,210	0	60	1	3,706	3,239	3,023	-46,700	-43,200	10	42	61
Total Central America	22,411	43.9	5,018	52,160	27,639	23,837	-380	-1.6	-285	-1.3
Canada	310,134	33.6	91,951	997,061	310,134	310,134	0	0	0	0	165,424	144,710	-	-	-	165,424	165,424	165,424	0	0	-	-	-
Greenland	n.s.	n.s.	8	41,045	n.s.	n.s.	0	0	0	0	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Mexico	64,238	33.7	19,908	195,820	69,016	65,540	-348	-0.5	-260	-0.4	32,850	30,330	-	72	986	38,775	34,825	32,850	-395,000	-395,000	-	1,058	1,058
Saint Pierre and Miquelon	3	13	-	24	3	3	0	0	0	0	-	3	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
United States of America	303,089	33.1	-	962,909	298,648	302,294	365	0.1	159	0.1	104,182	175,523	6,323	17,061	-	105,268	105,258	104,182	-1,000	-215,200	10,305	16,274	17,061
Total North America	677,464	32.7	111,866	2,196,859	677,801	677,971	17	n.s.	-101	n.s.
Total North and Central America	705,849	32.9	118,194	2,272,501	710,790	707,514	-328	n.s.	-333	n.s.
American Samoa	18	89.4	-	20	18	18	n.s.	-0.2	n.s.	-0.2	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Australia	163,678	21.3	421,590	774,122	167,904	164,645	-326	-0.2	-193	-0.1	5,233	156,679	-	1,766	-	-	5,233	5,233	-	0	1,023	1,485	1,766
Cook Islands	16	66.5	-	23	15	16	n.s.	0.4	0	0	-	14	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	0	1	1
Fiji	1,000	54.7	-	1,827	979	1,000	2	0.2	0	0	894	5	-	101	-	895	894	894	-100	0	80	101	101
French Polynesia	105	28.7	-	400	105	105	0	0	0	0	-	95	-	10	-	-	-	-	-	-	10	10	10
Guam	26	47.1	0	55	26	26	n.s.	n.s.	0	0	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Kiribati	2	3	-	73	2	2	0	0	0	0	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Marshall Islands	-	-	-	18	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Micronesia	63	90.6	-	70	63	63	0	0	0	0	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Nauru	0	0	0	2	0	0	0	-	0	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
New Caledonia	717	39.2	787	1,858	717	717	0	0	0	0	431	277	-	10	-	431	431	431	0	0	10	10	10
New Zealand	8,309	31	2,557	27,053	7,720	8,226	51	0.6	17	0.2	3,506	2,951	-	1,832	20	3,506	3,506	3,506	0	0	1,261	1,769	1,852
Niue	14	54.2	-	26	17	15	n.s.	-1.3	n.s.	-1.4	-	14	-	n.s.	-	-	-	-	-	-	n.s.	n.s.	n.s.
Northern Mariana Islands	33	72.4	-	46	35	34	n.s.	-0.3	n.s.	-0.3	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Palau	40	87.6	-	46	38	40	n.s.	0.4	n.s.	0.4	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Papua New Guinea	29,437	65	4,474	46,284	31,523	30,132	-139	-0.5	-139	-0.5	25,211	4,134	-	92	-	29,210	26,462	25,211	-274,800	-250,200	63	82	92
Pitcairn	4	83.3	0	4	4	4	0	0	0	0	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Samoa	171	60.4	22	284	130	171	4	2.8	0	0	n.s.	110	29	21	11	-	n.s.	n.s.	-	0	-	32	32
Solomon Islands	2,172	77.6	-	2,890	2,768	2,371	-40	-1.5	-40	-1.7	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Tokelau	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	-	0	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Tonga	4	5	1	75	4	4	0	0	0	0	-	4	-	n.s.	-	-	-	-	-	-	n.s.	n.s.	n.s.
Tuvalu	1	33.3	0	3	1	1	0	0	0	0	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Vanuatu	440	36.1	476	1,219	440	440	0	0	0	0	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Wallis and Futuna Islands	5	35.3	1	14	6	5	n.s.	-0.8	n.s.	-2	n.s.	4	0	1	0	0	n.s.	n.s.	-2	-6	n.s.	0	1
Total Oceania	206,254	24.3	429,908	856,414	212,514	208,034	-448	-0.2	-356	-0.2
Argentina	33,021	12.1	60,961	278,040	35,262	33,770	-149	-0.4	-150	-0.4	-	31,792	-	1,229	-	-	-	-	-	-	769	1,078	1,229
Bolivia	58,740	54.2	2,473	109,858	62,795	60,091	-270	-0.4	-270	-0.5	29,360	29,360	-	20	-	31,388	30,036	29,360	-135,200	-135,200	20	20	20
Brazil	477,698	57.2	-	851,488	520,027	493,213	-2,681	-0.5	-3,103	-0.6	415,890	56,424	-	5,384	-	460,513	433,220	415,890	-2,729,300	-3,466,000	5,070	5,279	5,384
Chile	16,121	21.5	13,241	75,663	15,263	15,834	57	0.4	57	0.4	4,142	9,292	26	2,661	0	4,152	4,145	4,142	-700	-600	1,741	2,354	2,661
Colombia	60,728	58.5	18,202	113,891	61,439	60,963	-48	-0.1	-47	-0.1	53,062	7,337	-	312	16	53,854	53,343	53,062	-51,050	-56,160	136	254	328
Ecuador	10,853	39.2	1,448	28,356	13,817	11,841	-198	-1.5	-198	-1.7	4,794	5,895	-	164	-	4,794	4,794	4,794	20	-40	-	162	164
Falkland Islands	0	0	0	1,217	0	0	0	-	0	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
French Guiana	8,063	91.8	0	9,000	8,091	8,063	-3	n.s.	0	0	7,701	361	0	1	0	7,909	7,761	7,701	-14,800	-12,000	1	1	1
Guyana	15,104	76.7	3,580	21,497	15,104	15,104	n.s.	n.s.	0	0	9,314	5,789	-	-	-	-	9,314	9,314	-	0	-	-	-
Paraguay	18,475	46.5	-	40,675	21,157	19,368	-179	-0.9	-179	-0.9	1,850	16,582	-	43	-	1,850	1,850	1,850	0	0	23	36	43
Peru	68,742	53.7	22,132	128,522	70,156	69,213	-94	-0.1	-94	-0.1	61,065	6,923	0	754	-	62,910	62,188	61,065	-72,200	-224,600	263	715	754
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands	0	0	0	409	0	0	0	-	0	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Suriname	14,776	94.7	-	16,327	14,776	14,776	0	0	0	0	14,214	550	5	7	0	14,214	14,214	14,214	0	0	7	7	7
Uruguay	1,506	8.6	4	17,622	1,123	1,409	29	2.3	19	1.3	296	444	-	751	15	239	296	296	5,700	0	419	669	766
Venezuela	47,713	54.1	7,369	91,205	52,026	49,151	-288	-0.6	-288	-0.6	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Total South America	831,540	47.7	129,409	1,783,770	891,036	852,796	-3,824	-0.4	-4,251	-0.5
Total World	3,952,063	30.3	1,375,828	13,418,518	4,077,498	3,988,649	-8,885	-0.2	-7,317	-0.2

Copyright Rhett Butler 1994-2005

"Rainforest" is used interchangeably with "rain forest" on this site.
Same for "rainforests" and "rain forests". "Jungle" is generally not used.