In beauty and utility no other tree can surpass the coconut tree. It is the most extensively grown nut in the world, the most important palm. It provides people basic needs such as food, drink, shelter, fuel, furniture, medicine, decorative materials and much more. They are a necessity and a luxury. It is the "heavenly tree", "tree of life", "tree of abundance" and "nature's supermarket. Total world coconut area in 1996 was estimated at 11 million hectares and around 93 percent is found in the Asian and Pacific region. The two biggest producers Indonesia and the Philippines have about 3.7 million ha and 3.1 million ha respectively. India is the third largest producer. In the South Pacific countries, Papua New Guinea is the leading producer. In Africa, Tanzania is the largest producer while in Latin America Brazil accounts for more than one half of the total coconut area of that region.