Which country has the highest percentage of its geographical area under forests?

The answer is D (Japan). This question tests the difference between percentage of area under forest and absolute forest area. Japan is about 68% forested, the highest share among these four, according to FAO and national forest inventory data.

• Indonesia (C) is heavily forested, with roughly half its land area under forest, but it falls well short of Japan's share.
• China (A) has a much larger absolute forest area, but forest covers only about 22-23% of its land, because most of its territory is dry, mountainous or desert.
• India (B) is about 21-22% forest and tree cover as per the Forest Survey of India's India State of Forest Report. This uses a broad definition that includes tree cover outside recorded forests.

The core concept is the forest-area ratio, which links to the National Forest Policy 1988 target of 33% of geographical area under forest and tree cover, and to Mains questions on forest quality versus forest quantity. Figures change with each assessment cycle, so cite the latest FAO or ISFR numbers if the question is framed around recent data.

Trap: Aspirants pick Indonesia or China because of their large forest area in absolute terms, or because Indonesia is associated with tropical rainforests. The question asks for the percentage of geographical area, not the total forest area.