The forests of North America occupied about 25 percent of the land area by the beginning of the 21 st Century. Conifers comprised about 72 percent, temperate hardwoods about 20 percent and tropical hardwoods about 8 percent of the forests. The northern portion of North America (Alaska, Canada and Newfoundland) is primarily coniferous, with 90 percent of the softwoods and 7 percent of temperature hardwoods. The United States had about 62 percent conifers and 38 percent temperate hardwoods. Mexico had about 47 percent conifers, 34 percent temperate hardwoods and 19 percent tropical hardwoods. In Central America tropical hardwoods accounted for 75 percent and conifers 25 percent of the forests. The West Indies had an even higher percentage of tropical hardwoods (ca. 85 percent), with the remainder in conifers. The forest area present by the 21 st Century was only about half that of the original forests that existed at the time of the first European settlements that began in the 16 th Century.