Where does tea grow?

Tea is mainly grown in the intertropical zone, in more than 30 countries around the world. Despite favourable climatic conditions, tea plantations only occupy specific, often small areas, in these countries.

The largest tea producers are located in Asia, including India, China, Japan, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Taiwan, Pakistan, Malaysia, Myanmar, Vietnam, Iran and Turkey. In India well-known tea regions include Assam and Darjeeling, as well as Dooars, Nilgiri, Sikkim, Terai and Travancore.

In China tea cultivation is mainly located in the western provinces bordering Tibet, and the eastern coastal provinces such as Zhejiang, Hunan, Sichuan, Fujian, Yunnan, Fukien and Anhui.

Japan specialises in the production of green tea which is grown mainly in the Shizuoka province, near Mount Fuji. In Sri Lanka, also known as Ceylon, the best teas come from the provinces of Uva in the east, Dimbula in the west and Nuwara Eliya.

In Indonesia tea is grown in Java and Sumatra, while in Taiwan the conditions for growing tea are particularly favourable in the central region of the island, especially in Nantou County.

In Africa tea is grown, for example, in Cameroon, Kenya, Sudan, Uganda, Tanzania, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Congo, Rwanda, Burundi, Mali, South Africa and the islands of Mauritius and the Azores. The vast majority of production is black teas, used mainly for blends and catering to local markets, with little export.

In South America tea is grown in Brazil, Argentina, Ecuador, Peru, and on a smaller scale in Chile, Colombia and Bolivia. In Central America plantations are found in Mexico, Guatemala and Jamaica.

Northern Australia (Queensland), Oceania, New Guinea (Papua) and the Fiji Islands also have tea plantations. Georgia, particularly in the Batumi region, also produces tea, although the current production covers only 10% of domestic demand.