Location: The Democratic Republic of the Congo is in Central Africa, northeast of Angola and south of the Democratic Republic of Africa. The rainforest occupies nearly all of the country (see map).
The Resource: "Zaire has the greatest extent of tropical rainforests in Africa, covering over 100 million hectares. The forests in the eastern sector are amazingly diverse"..."Almost 50% of Zaire is covered by primary forest"..."Zaire has the greatest extent of tropical rainforests in Africa"..."The forests in the eastern sector are amazingly diverse as one of the few forest areas in Africa to have survived the ice age. Almost 50% of Zaire is covered by primary forest..." Read More
Cause of Problem: The future of Zaire's forests is threatened due to a population increase exceeding 3%. There is a high demand for fuelwood and demand will exceed availability. The growing population is expected to accelerate slash-and-burn agriculture. Plantation agriculture and commercial mining threats Zaire's extensive forests.
Other Envirnmental Issues: "poaching threatens wildlife populations; water pollution; deforestation; refugees responsible for significant deforestation, soil erosion, and wildlife poaching; mining of minerals (coltan - a mineral used in creating capacitors, diamonds, and gold) causing environmental damage" - CIA
Rhett A. Butler's Assessment : Unfortunately, Zaire's wildlife and forests are threatened by refugees fleeing civil strife in Rwanda and Sudan...These refugees freely entered the (country) to cut wood for fuel and construction. Read More
