Sierra Leone - Forestry

About 15% of Sierra Leone is covered by forests. Much of Sierra Leone's rainforests have been cleared, with only remnant areas in the south and east; intensive farming gradually eliminated most of the forest area. There are still aboutonemillion hectares (2.5 million acres) of forests, with most of the prime forestland in the government estate in the mountainous eastern half of the country and in the Western Area hills. In 2000, an estimated total of 5.5 million cu m (194 million cu ft) of roundwood was harvested, 98% of it for fuel. Forests comprise both evergreen and semi-deciduous rainforests, swamp forests, mangrove forests, and significant areas of secondary and regenerating forests. The Gola Forest in the southeast is the largest remaining tract of rainforest.