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Countries Appendix CONGO (57.2%) Congo is second only to Zaire (the Democratic Republic of Congo) in terms of tropical rainforest coverage among African countries. However, Congo's forests are now threatened by logging, colonization of forest lands, and poaching/overexploitation of animal species. Commercial logging has accelerated up since the government gave up its control over the timber industry to private interests. The most troubling point is that the new logging is not concentrated in the southern region, which is easily accessible and has long been exploited, but new areas of untouched forest in the northern region. The largest firm is German-owned Congolese Wood Industries which has lead the devastating invasion in a shroud of secrecy. The Congo government is keeping quiet about these latest logging activities. The logging roads are opening up new areas for colonists, who damage the surrounding forest by collecting fuelwood, introducing domestic animals, and practicing slash-and-burn agriculture. In addition, the colonists collect animals which are taken, dead or alive, to markets in cities. The native pygmies are driven further back into the forest as their environment is destroyed, the animals they hunt are depleted, and they are infected by the diseases of the colonists. The Congo government benefits little from the increased logging activities because it is unable to collect timber duties from foreign governments and has turned over control of timber transportation to the government of Cameroon. Additionally, it looks like Congo's forest policy of banning raw log exports by 2000 will widely miss its mark, though the government may restrict log exports of some species. . . . . . For current information I highly recommend trying the CIA and FAO links below. |
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