Flora and Fauna

Equatorial forest cover in Goa stands at 1,500 km2 (579 sq mi),most of which is owned by the government. Government-owned forest is estimated at 1,300 km2 (502 sq mi) while private forest is given as 200 km2 (77 sq mi). Most of the forests in the state are located in the interior eastern regions of the state. The Western Ghats, which form most of eastern Goa, have been internationally recognised as one of the biodiversity hotspots of the world. In the February 1999 issue of National Geographic Magazine, Goa was compared with the Amazon and the Congo basins for its rich tropical biodiversity. Goa's wildlife sanctuaries boast of more than 1512 documented species of plants, over 275 species of birds, over 48 kinds of animals and over 60 genera of reptile.

Forest

Goa has more than 33% of its geographic area under government forests (1,224.38 km2 or 472.74 sq mi) of which about 62% has been brought under Protected Areas (PA) of Wildlife Sanctuaries and National Park. Since there is a substantial area under private forests and a large tract under cashew, mango, coconut, etc. plantations, the total forest and tree cover constitutes 56.6% of the geographic area.