The most significant environmental problems in the Congo are deforestation, increases in urban population, and the protection of its wildlife. The Congo's forests are endangered by fires set to clean the land for agricultural purposes. The forests are also used as a source of fuel. The most accessible forest, that of the Kouilou-Mayombé Mountains, has been overexploited. During 1981-85, deforestation in the Congo proceeded at a rate of 22,000 hectares (54,400 acres) a year. As of 2000, the Congo had nine protected areas, covering some 1.5 million hectares. The two largest, the 7,800-sq-km (3,000-sq-mi) Léfini Reserve and the 2,600-sq-km (1,000-sq-mi) Odzala National Park, were established during the French colonial era. The country has one
