The table shows forested land in millions of hectares in different parts of the world

The table provides data on forest areas in six regions worldwide—Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, Oceania, and South America—measured in millions of hectares from 1990 to 2005.

Overall, Europe and Asia were the only regions to see an increase in forested land over the period, whereas the other continents experienced declines. By 2005, Europe had the largest forest area, while Oceania had the smallest.

A closer examination reveals that Asia’s forested area expanded from 576 million hectares in 1990 to 584 million hectares in 2005, representing a notable growth. Similarly, Europe’s forest area rose by nearly 20 million hectares, reaching 1,024 million hectares.

In contrast, Africa and South America saw substantial reductions in forest cover, with Africa falling to 691 million hectares and South America to 882 million hectares by 2005. Oceania experienced a modest decline of 15 million hectares over the period, decreasing slightly each year. North America’s forest area decreased by only 3 million hectares during the 15-year period and then remained stable for the final five years.

These trends highlight that while Europe and Asia managed to increase forest coverage, most other continents faced gradual losses in forested areas.