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Teak is a genus of tropical hardwoods with a scientific name of Tectona. Teak is a hardwood native to South and Southeast Asia and is typically part of a monsoon forest, growing on small hills, well away from the shore line. Teak is a deciduous tree, dropping its leaves in the dry season and is not included in a tropical rainforest. It is a huge tree, and can easily grow 30 to 40 meters tall. Teak possesses a big concentration of oils and minerals, making the wood waxy and rubbery. This creates a surface that is waterproof and bug resistant, as well as a dense, straight grain to refuse bending. Teak is often golden to dark brown, however it can have a reddish tone. If left raw and unprotected to the elements, it can dim to a silvery gray, though an annually oil application can keep the natural complexion. Teak is native to Thailand, Burma, Malaysia, The Philippines and India. Teak has been utilized for a minimum of two thousand years and is noted in poetry from that era. Teak logs survive as the main structural component in buildings centuries old in India, and even in centuries old temples. This reflects the amazing ability of Teak to endure when stressed is placed on it. Teak was a major 18th Century export for China, where flooring, cabinets, paneling and multiple other wood elements were exported to Europe. Teak was also used for art objects, though the strong wood made this a difficult process, requiring much resharpening of tools. Later in the Victorian Era, this was hugely overcome and Teak art creations became more common. The strength and salt water repellant characteristics made Teak an asset to the Royal Navy, and following World War I, when many battered warships were being scrapped, the crew members were in awe by the great condition of the Teak decking and determined to save the wood. A lot of it became garden furniture, making the tradition of teak patio furniture. The Royal Navy was not the only user of Teak; the unique qualities of this wood made it popular around the world among ship manufacturers in the age of sailing. The momentous whaling ship, the Charles W. Morgan, stored in Mystic Seaport, Connecticut that was constructed in 1841 and saw hard miles with several around the world journeys but still appears like new. The ever growing ease of Teak fabricating led to Teak becoming a major component of the Danish avant-garde style of furniture, very excepted in the 50s and 60s. This furniture is now undergoing a renaissance in popularity and original Teak furniture from this time is very excepted with collectors and others. It is also heavily manufactured in Indonesia, there Dutch traders created tree farms in 1816. Perum Perhutani, an organization of the Indonesian Government, operates the tree farms now. They strictly control trees taken and new plantings to only keep very high quality wood. Experiments have shown that Indonesia Teak can grow twenty meters in fifteen years. Today Indonesia and Burma, officially known as Myanmar, have become the world’s largest exporters of Teak.
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