tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:/xml/guinea-bissau1 2008-12-29T06:42:33Z tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/744 2006-01-22T15:19:39Z 2008-12-29T06:42:33Z West Africa's once verdant and extensive rainforests are now a historical footnote. Gone to build ships and furniture, feed hungry mouths, and supply minerals and gems to the West, the band of tropical forests that once extended from Guinea to Cameroon are virtually gone. The loss of West Africa's rainforests have triggered a number of environmental problems that have contributed to social unrest and exacerbated poverty across the region. Rhett Butler