Discover the 20 Most Forested Countries in the World

Forested land covers 31% of the Earth’s surface, which is about 9.8 billion acres! While that seems excessive, 57% of the world was once covered in forests. Unfortunately, the world has lost about one-third of its forests. Efforts exist to save these remaining essential ecosystems. Check out this list of the 20 most forested countries in the world and discover how profound they are to each region.

Argentina

The beautiful country of Argentina is located in the southern region of South America. With more than one million square miles, it is also the second-largest country on the continent. With 28,573 hectares of forestland, more than 12% of Argentina is covered in forests. The Gran Chaco covers 250,000 square miles and is the country’s largest forest.

Papua New Guinea

Papua New Guinea is a country in Oceania. It has Indonesia to its west, Australia to its south, and the Solomon Islands to its east. This lush and mountainous island country is home to many undocumented plant and animal species. About 80% of Papua New Guinea is forest land, including the third-largest tropical forest area.

Mozambique

The Republic of Mozambique is a Southeast African country with expanses of natural resources and breathtaking scenery. Forests and woodlands cover about 43% of the country, which harbors immense biodiversity. Mozambique is home to Southern Africa’s largest medium-altitude rainforest.

Zambia

The landlocked country of Zambia is in South-Central Africa, where it features a tropical climate, hills, mountains, and river valleys. Exactly 66.5% of Zambia is forested. This is the equivalent of about 45,000 hectares. The country’s forests are either designated as production or protection forests.

Tanzania

This East African country sits within the African Great Lakes region where it borders the Indian Ocean. Located in Northeast Tanzania is Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest mountain. Nearly 38% of the country is forested, which is about 45,000 hectares.

Venezuela

Located on the northern coast of South America, Venezuela comprises 353,841 square miles of land mass, islands, and islets. More than half of Venezuela is covered in forest, about 52% or 46,000 hectares. However, the country loses about 0.55% of its forests each year.

Bolivia

Located in West-Central South America, Bolivia is a landlocked country with immense beauty. It features a diverse landscape of Andes Mountains and lowland rainforests. It is the fifth-largest country in South America. Roughly 52% of its land contains forests. This country features cloud forests, waterfalls, and breathtaking peaks.

Colombia

Columbia is a country in South America, with some regions residing in North America. It borders the Caribbean Sea and is home to the highest level of biodiversity in the world. Not only does this country contain rainforests, but it also features grasslands, highlands, and deserts. About 55% of Columbia is forested.

Mexico

Located in the southern region of North America, Mexico shares borders with the United States and Central America. It is the 13th largest country in the world and a highly biodiverse region. Nearly 34.5% of Mexico is forest land, including tropical, temperate, cloud, evergreen, deciduous, and riparian forests.

Angola

The Republic of Angola sits on Africa’s west-central coast, where it is the seventh-largest country on the continent. Nearly 47% of Angola’s land contains forests. It is one of the most densely forested countries in the region, featuring tropical rainforests.

India

The South Asian country of India is the seventh-largest country by area and the most populous country on Earth. India features 80.9 million hectares of forest, which is about 24% of its total land area. Madya Pradesh has the most forest cover in the country.

Peru

The Republic of Peru is in Western South America. This megadiverse country features wide-ranging habitats of mountains, plains, and tropical rainforests. More than 60% of Peru is tropical forests and the Amazon rainforest accounts for most of it.

Indonesia

Indonesia is a Southeast Asian and Oceanic country that includes more than 17,000 islands, featuring lush forests and dramatic sea cliffs. A little more than 52% of Indonesia is forested, half of which is some of the most biodiverse and carbon dense in the world.

Democratic Republic of the Congo

The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a huge country in Central Africa. The Congo is the second-largest country in Africa and the 11th-largest in the world. This country also has rich biodiversity, with forests spanning 65% of its landscape.

Australia

The sovereign country of Australia includes the mainland continent and numerous islands. Australia is a megadiverse country with wide-ranging habitats and unique fauna and flora. It contains 125 million hectares of forest, which covers 16% of the country’s land area.

China

This East Asian country is the second-most populous and the third largest by area in the world, featuring 3.7 million square miles. With 2,016 million hectares of forests, nearly 24% of China features forests. The country ranks fifth in terms of the most forested countries in the world, comprising a majority of the world’s temperate forests.

United States

The United States is a North American country and the world’s third-largest by land area and third most populous. 304 million hectares of forests resides in the country, accounting for more than 33% of its land area. With 17 million acres in Alaska, the Tongass National Forest is the largest in America.

Canada

North of the United States, Canada is a North American country, the world’s second-largest by total area. Not surprisingly, Canada contains ten percent of the world’s forested land, accounting for 42% of the country’s land. Canada’s boreal forest is the world’s largest intact forest, stretching 1.2 billion acres.

Brazil

This country is an impressive South American country, including its title as the world’s fifth-largest country and seventh most populous. It’s home to the Amazon basin, which includes vast tropical forest. Its forested land accounts for 519.5 million hectares and 62.4% of the country’s total land area.

Russia

Spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia, Russia is the largest country is the world by area and ninth most populous. Due to its location and immense size, Russia is the most forested country in the world. About 809 million hectares of Russia contains forests. This accounts for nearly 50% of the country’s total land area.