World Mapping: Continents and Civilizations

Just a question.  If there is a continent in a northern, colder climate, complete with snow and coniferous fauna, could you reasonable expect most (if not all) of the land to be covered in trees if there are only five settlements, all of which are villages?

Villages of what size? How much agriculture takes place? Is wood used as fuel? Are homes built from wood? How big are the villages? How long have the inhabitants been there?

I'd expect it to be covered with forests and optionally mountains, especially if the villages are small ones