Forests and the forestry sector |
Resources
Cameroon has an area of 465 400 km2, 60 percent of it covered by forest formations (28 million hectares). And 42 percent (12 million hectares) of these are tropical rain forest. With its 28 million hectares, Cameroon¿s forest production has steadily increased, growing from less than 1 million cubic metres in the 1970s to 2.5 million cubic metres in 1997/1998. This marked increase can be attributed in part to the devaluation of the CFA franc. Forest harvesting is in the hands of about one hundred companies and is not confined to logging but also includes the gathering of non-wood forest products such as medicinal plants. Biological diversity, especially that of wildlife, is also remarkable and provides rural inhabitants with most of their animal protein, as well as medicinal ingredients.
Products
The forestry sector is the State¿s third source of hard currency (after agricultural and petroleum exports). It accounts for 8.9 percent of the gross domestic product and 28.2 percent of all non-petroleum exports.
Last updated: January 2003