CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC
The former French colony of Ubangi-Shari, now known as the Central African Republic, once had the third largest area of rainforest cover in Africa. Today, while tropical forest covers 36 percent of the country, most of this has been degraded by logging. Very little of Central African Republic forest cover can be considered primary forest.
Subsistence agriculture, diamond mining, and forestry form the bulk of the economy of the Central African Republic. Burdened with poor infrastructure and high transportation costs, a largely unskilled work force, and poor economic policies, the Central African Republic is not a particularly attractive source for timber among African producers. Nevertheless, most of the country's forests have been logged for valuable tree species including sapelli, ayous and sipo. Most wood from the Central African Republic is exported to Europe.
Logging roads have opened up much of the Central African Republic to subsistence agriculture and poachers. Bushmeat hunting—some of the most severe in Africa—has taken a heavy toll on the country's once abundant and diverse wildlife. The black rhino is no longer present in the country due to poaching. Fuelwood collection has also put pressure on the Central African Republic's forests.
Deforestation and poor agricultural practices are resulting in desertification in the northern parts of the country.
The Central African Republic had one of the lowest total deforestation rates among tropical countries between 1990 and 2005 when just 1.9 percent of its forests were lost. However, the country's forest degradation rate was considerably higher due to logging.
Today about 16.6 percent of the Central African Republic is under some form of protection, though institutional support for protected areas has historically been weak, and hunters and loggers have continued to operate in national parks. The Central African Republic is home to about 3,600 species of plants, 663 birds, 131 mammals, 187 reptiles, and 29 amphibians.
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Last updated: 4 Feb 2006
