Where in the World is Coffee Grown?

Coffee Around the Worldworld producing over twenty million bags of raw
Coffee plants are grown throughout the world in areascoffee beans a year. The country has a long history
that have moderate rainfall and nearly year roundof coffee production and has grown and exported
sunlight. Areas such as Africa, Arabia, South AmericaArabica coffee beans since the 1700s. Both
and Southern Asia are well suited for growing coffeeVenezuela and Columbia are also major South
and are notable for their large plantations. OtherAmerican producers of coffee. Although not as well
tropical regions such as Hawaii and Jamaica areknow as the traditional South American coffee
known for smaller yields of high quality beans. Thereproducers, Peru is home to numerous coffee
are only two different species of coffee beans thatplantations, and is becoming known as a producer of
are used to make beverages, Arabica and Robusta.both "generic" and high quality coffee beans.
Arabica is considered the better tasting coffee andAsia
accounts for about 75 percent of the world's coffeeVietnam has become a major producer of coffee in
production, but it is more difficult and expensive tothe last few decades, producing nearly six million bags
grow. Robusta, is less expensive to grow and canof coffee a year. The climate of Vietnam is not
thrive in areas that Arabica cannot be grown, but it isoptimal for the more delicate Arabica coffee plants, so
considered to have an inferior "bitter" flavor.the majority of the coffee grown in the country is the
Mexico & Central Americahardier Robusta variety. The large islands of Java and
Mexico began exporting coffee in the late 1800s. TheSumatra also both produce significant quantities of
majority of coffee produced in Mexico is exported toRobusta at their lower elevations and Arabica can be
the United States. Unlike many regions of the world,successfully grown at the higher elevations of the
most of the beans grown in Mexico are grown not onvolcanoes and mountains. Other coffee growing areas
large plantations, but small family operated farms.in Asia include Timor, East Timor, Papua New Guinea
Although smaller than Mexico, Guatemala is alsoand India.
famous for its coffee production. First cultivated in theAfrica
nineteenth century by German immigrants, GuatemalaAfrica was the original home of Arabica coffee plants,
is considered to produce some of the finest qualityand a number of African countries still produce coffee
coffee beans due to the optimal climate and excellentfor export. Ethiopia, considered by many to be the first
soil that is found on the southern slopes of thesite that coffee was cultivated produces around four
country's volcanoes. Most other Central Americanmillion bags of Arabica coffee beans each year.
countries also produce at least some coffee includingCoffee exports are particularly important to Ethiopia
Ecuador, Honduras, Costa Rica and Nicaragua.and other poor African countries and brings in much
Jamaica must also be mentioned as the famousneeded hard currency. Africa is a large continent and
Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee is produced there, anddue to the variety of climates and geographical
is considered by many to be one of the finest coffeesfeatures, it includes many different types of coffee
in the world.plantations. Burundi, Rwanda and Kenya all grow
South Americamainly Arabica coffee, while Madagascar and
The climate and geography of South America,Tanzania grow a mixture of both Arabica and
especially the mountainous areas, lends itself well toRobusta depending on the local climate and soil.
coffee production. There are a number of regions inCameroon produces mainly Robusta, although some
South America known for their coffee plantations.Arabica is grown there.
Brazil is one of the leading producers of coffee in the