ANGOLA Angola's rainforests, located in the north of the country, are most threatened by subsistence agriculture which provides food for almost 90 percent of the population. Overgrazing and cutting forest for fuelwood are also significant causes of forest clearing and degradation.

Overall, Angola has a low deforestation rate relative to its total forest cover. Between 1990 and 2005, the country lost only 3 percent of its forests and the rate of forest conversion has kept fairly steady.

Some areas are reportedly showing the effects of land clearing, including severe soil erosion, heavy siltation of rivers and dams, and desertification.

More than 20 years of civil war have let much of Angola damaged. The government, which has hired pricey mercenaries from South Africa to put down uprisings in the resource-rich Cabinda and other areas, is heavily indebted and had sold a number of timber concessions to foreign timber companies. Oil and minerals are also important sources of revenue that could have an adverse impact on the environment.

On paper 10 percent of Angola is protected. The country has some 5,185 species of plants, 930 birds, 235 mammals, 296 reptiles, and 85 amphibians.

Suggested reading - Books

• Angola: Promises and Lies
• No One Can Stop the Rain: The Chronicles of Two Volunteers During Angola's Civil War
• Bay of Tigers: An Odyssey through War-Torn Angola

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Last updated: 4 Feb 2006