Forestry and environment

Georgia is a country rich in forests, which extend from floodplain forests along the Black Sea coasts to sub-alpine stands. They occupy about 40 per cent of the territory, a total of 2,822,500 ha, with an unequal distribution across the regions. Approximately 97 per cent are located on the slopes of the Greater and Smaller Caucasus mountain ranges; the rest are found in the valleys of east Georgia and the Kolkheti lowlands. Compared to adjacent countries in the Caucasus, Georgia is relatively densely wooded. Forests cover 11 per cent of the territory in Azerbaijan and 10 per cent in Armenia, mainly due to unfavourable natural and soil conditions and scarce rainfall.