It is estimated that there are over 2.3 million hectares of cork oak forest. About 716,000 hectares are situated in Portugal, which represents 22,5% of the national forest area. Half of the world cork production is Portuguese. The rest is situated in Spain, Italy, France, Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria.
Besides constituting a natural ecosystem which is unique in the world, cork oak forests make a wide range of agricultural, forestry, forest grazing, hunting and economic activities viable: the harvesting of medicinal plants and mushrooms, honey and beeswax production, coal production, hunting, cattle breeding, birdwatching, tourism and horse riding. It also gives rise to the creation of indigenous food products which are certified by the European Union.
In the seven Mediterranean cork-producing countries, over 100,000 people directly or indirectly depend on the economy provided by cork oak forests.
Thanks to the thermal and weak combustion properties of cork, cork oaks are more fire-resistant than other trees. The slow combustion of cork makes it a natural fire retardant, forming a barrier against fires. Its combustion does not release smoke or toxic gases.