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Countries Appendix ANGOLA (17.8%) Angola's rainforests, located in the north of the country, are most threatened by subsistence agriculture which provides food for almost 90% of the population. Population pressures due to an exceedingly high birth rate are leading to overuse of pasture lands and causing Angolans to look increasingly toward rainforest lands for fuelwood and potential farmland. The deforestation and subsequent soil erosion results in desertification and several regions are now prone to extensive flooding. Run off from flooding has resulted in heavy siltation of rivers and dams, not to mention heavy soil loss. In addition, over 20 years of civil war has let much of the country devastated. The government is bankrupt from building its army and hiring expensive mercenary soldiers from South Africa to put down rebellions from minority groups who want more from the government for exploiting their lands for oil and other resources. One such problem area is resource-rich Cambinda, which is separated from Angola by a sliver of Zaire territory. The people of Cambinda live deep in poverty while the government extracts riches from their land. To fund the army, the government has resorted to selling timber concessions to international corporations, increasing oil exploration and expanding mineral extraction. . . . . . For current information I highly recommend trying the CIA and FAO links below. |
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