Comparison of Forests in Britain and Latvia

Britain and Latvia are two different countries each having its own culture, politics and nature. All these features have been developing each in its own way throughout the history. However, comparing the two countries in any aspect, it is possible to trace not only numerous tendencies in which Britain and Latvia differ, but also some in which they are alike. The forests in the two countries, too, have many differences and something in common at the same time. Forests in Britain and Latvia can be compared in various aspects, such as the volume and percentage of woodland territory, the most common plant species and the importance of forests for the economy.

One of the most obvious aspects to compare is the territory occupied by woodland in each country. In Britain, forests occupy 1 900 000 hectares of country territory, whereas in Latvia they take 2 961 222 hectares. According to these data, in Latvia, the territory occupied by forests is about 1.5 times bigger than in Britain. The difference expressed here is significant; however, not only the amount of forest territory matters, but also the proportion between forests and the rest of the state territory. If we outline the percentage of woodland in each country, the difference turns out to be even more crucial: in Britain, forest territory is approximately 10% of the country territory, while in Latvia forests occupy nearly 45% - almost a half of the whole area.