In the world
Peatlands cover some 400 million hectares of the Earth, which represents 3% of the total land surface area (Joosten, H. and D. Clarke. 2002). Peatlands are more widespread in North America (Canada with 37 %) and in northern Asia and Europe. Ten percent of peatlands are located in the tropics, with 20 million hectares found in Indonesia.
Percentage of the area covered with peatland per country (In Joosten and Clarke, 2002)
Countries/Areas with the largest peatland occurences
| Country/Area | Peat Area in km² |
|---|---|
| Russia – Asian part | 1 176 280 |
| Canada | 1 133 926 |
| Indonesia | 265 500 |
| Russia – European part | 199 410 |
| USA (Alaska) | 131 990 |
| USA (lower 48) | 91 819 |
| Finland | 79 429 |
| Sweden | 65 623 |
| Papua New Guinea | 59 922 |
| Brazil | 54 730 |
| Peru | 49 991 |
| China | 33 499 |
| Sudan | 29 910 |
| Norway | 29 685 |
| Malaysia | 26 685 |
| Mongolia | 26 291 |
| Belarus | 22 352 |
| United Kingdom | 17 113 |
| Germany | 16 668 |
| Congo | 15 999 |
| Zambia | 15 410 |
| Uganda | 13 640 |
| Iceland | 13 366 |
| DR Congo | 11 955 |
| Poland | 11 528 |
| Falklands-Malvinas | 11 408 |
| Ireland | 11 090 |
| Chile | 10 996 |
Source: Joosten, H. and D. Clarke. 2002.
