Coffee Around the World
Coffee vegetation is grown around the world in areas which have moderate rainfall and nearly all year round sunlight. Areas such as Africa, Arabia, South usa and Southern Asia are very well suited for growing coffee and are notable for their large plantations. Other tropical regions for example Hawaii and Jamaica are recognized for smaller yields of high quality beans. There are only two different species of coffees which are accustomed to make beverages, Arabica and Robusta. Arabica is considered the better tasting coffee and makes up about about 75 percent from the world’s coffee production, but it is more difficult and expensive to grow. Robusta, is more affordable to grow and can thrive in areas that Arabica cannot be grown, but it is considered to come with an inferior “bitter” flavor.
Mexico & Central America
Mexico began exporting coffee in the late 1800s. The majority of coffee produced in Mexico is exported to the Usa. Unlike many parts of the planet, the majority of the beans grown in Mexico are grown not on large plantations, but small family operated farms. Although smaller than Mexico, Guatemala is also famous for its coffee production. First cultivated within the nineteenth century by German immigrants, Guatemala is recognized as to produce some of the highest quality coffees due to the optimal climate and excellent soil that is located on the southern slopes of the country’s volcanoes. Other Central American countries also produce at least some coffee including Ecuador, Honduras, Panama and nicaragua , and Nicaragua. Jamaica must also be mentioned as the famous Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee is produced there, and it is considered by many people to become one of the finest coffees on the planet.
South America
The climate and geography of South usa, especially the mountainous areas, applies well to coffee production. There are a variety of regions in South usa recognized for their coffee plantations. Brazil is one of the leading producers of coffee on the planet producing over twenty million bags of raw coffee beans annually. The country includes a long history of coffee production and has grown and exported Arabica coffee beans since the 1700s. Both Venezuela and Columbia will also be major South American producers of coffee. While not as well know as the traditional South American coffee producers, Peru is home to numerous coffee plantations, and it is becoming known as a producer of both “generic” and high quality coffees.
Asia
Vietnam has become a major producer of coffee in the last many years, producing nearly 6 000 0000 bags of coffee annually. The climate of Vietnam is not optimal for the more delicate Arabica coffee plants, so the majority of the coffee grown in the country is the hardier Robusta variety. The large islands of Java and Sumatra also both produce significant quantities of Robusta at their lower elevations and Arabica can be successfully grown in the higher elevations from the volcanoes and mountains. Other coffee growing areas in Asia include Timor, East Timor, Papua New Guinea and India.
Africa
Africa was the initial home of Arabica coffee plants, and a number of African countries still produce coffee for export. Ethiopia, considered by many people to become the first site that coffee was cultivated produces around four million bags of Arabica coffee beans each year. Coffee exports are particularly significant to Ethiopia along with other poor African countries and brings in necessary hard currency. Africa is really a large continent and because of the variety of climates and geographical features, it offers various sorts of coffee plantations. Burundi, Rwanda and Kenya all grow mainly Arabica coffee, while Madagascar and Tanzania grow a combination of both Arabica and Robusta with respect to the local climate and soil. Cameroon produces mainly Robusta, although some Arabica is grown there.
