Facts. The Congo Basin makes up one of the most important wilderness areas left on Earth. At 500 million acres, it is larger than the state of Alaska and stands as the world’s second-largest tropical forest. A mosaic of rivers, forests, savannas, swamps and flooded forests, the Congo Basin is teeming with life.
Where is the Congo basin actually located?
Congo basin, basin of the Congo River, lying astride the Equator in west-central Africa. It is the world’s second largest river basin (next to that of the Amazon), comprising an area of more than 1.3 million square miles (3.4 million square km).
What is the Congo basin called?
Congo River Basin The land area that drains into the Congo River is known as the Congo River Basin, or the Congo Basin. It’s the world’s second-largest river basin, at 1.3 million square miles (3.4 million square km), after the Amazon River Basin, which is nearly 3 million square miles (7.5 million square km).
Is the Congo basin the same as the Congo rainforest?
The Congo Basin, which has approximately 1.2 million square miles of primary rainforest, is home to the world’s second-largest rainforest and is vital for regulating the world’s climate. The Congo Rainforest makes up 18% of the world’s remaining rainforest.
Why is the Congo Basin being destroyed?
Unsustainable and illegal logging in the Congo Basin forest by both big and small companies is leading to deforestation, destruction of wildlife habitat, diminished resilience to climate change, and damaging local communities.
Is Congo the heart of Africa?
It was once known as Republic of the Congo and it was meant to be a pro-Western government at independence (30 June 1960). …
Where is the Congo River the deepest?
Where does the Congo river flow through? The Congo is the deepest river in the world. Its headwaters are in the north-east of Zambia, between Lake Tanganyika and Lake Nyasa (Malawi), 1760 metres above sea level; it flows into the Atlantic Ocean.
Do lions live in the Congo rainforest?
The Congo rainforest is known for its high levels of biodiversity, including more than 600 tree species and 10,000 animal species. Some of its most famous residents include forest elephants, gorillas, chimpanzees, okapi, leopards, hippos, and lions.
Which is the largest rain forest in the world?
The Amazon The Amazon is the world’s largest rainforest. It’s home to more than 30 million people and one in ten known species on Earth. See some of this region’s splendor in our new video.
How was the Congo Basin rainforest formed?
About 10,000 years ago, as the last Ice Age ended, glaciers receded and rainfall increased. The changing climate allowed savannas to be reclaimed by trees, and the forest grew to reach its current size.
Which river cut Tropic of Capricorn twice?
The river Limpopo The river Limpopo which lies in the south part of Africa crosses the ‘Tropic of Capricorn’ two times.
How does the Congo Basin differ from most other parts of sub Saharan Africa?
How does the Congo basin differ from most other parts of Sub Saharan Africa? The Congo basin provides vegetation like rainforests while other places have deserts. Why does Southern Africa have the highest standards for living in sub Saharan Africa? It is wealthier.
What is the largest jungle in Africa?
The Congo Basin The Congo Basin is Africa’s largest contiguous forest and the second-largest tropical rainforest in the world. Covering about 695,000 square miles, this swamp-struck tropical forest covers portions of Cameroon, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea and Gabon.
What is the main feature of the forest found in Congo?
rainforest of the Congo Basin share many characteristics with the Amazon rainforest and other tropical forests worldwide: high diversity, dense vegetation, and multiple layers of forest structure. The forest canopy is usually about 30 meters tall, with emergent trees such as the great maobi reaching up to 50-60 meters.
What is happening in Congo with respect to climate change?
The DRC will be subject to increasing temperatures and inconsistent rain. However, socioeconomic threats are even higher. Food security will be affected due to crop losses and failures, increased livestock mortality, negative impacts on fisheries, and damage to infrastructure, it summarizes.
How much of Africa is forest?
22.7% According to the U.N. FAO, 22.7% or about 674,419,000 ha of Africa is forested, according to FAO. Change in Forest Cover: Between 1990 and 2010, Africa lost an average of 3,740,950 ha or 0.50% per year.
How much of the Congo has been deforested?
Since 1990 till 2015, the rate of deforestation in the DRC has remained constant at 0.20%, which equates to the loss of 311,000 hectares, or roughly 1,200 square miles, annually. This amounts to destroying forests the size of Delaware every two years.
How can we save the Congo Basin?
We protect the Congo Basin forests and the people who depend on them in several ways:
- Sustainable forest management tools: …
- Working with logging companies: …
- Working with communities: …
- Bringing stakeholders together: …
- Lobbying and advocacy:
Why is Congo so poor?
Poverty in Congo is vast and covers all areas of the country. This is mostly because the civil war displaced over one-third of the population. The return of natives to a weakened Congo led to many facing poverty and disease from poor infrastructure and government.
Are there two Congo countries?
Congo may refer to either of two countries that border the Congo River in central Africa: Democratic Republic of the Congo, the larger country to the southeast, capital Kinshasa, formerly known as Zaire, sometimes referred to as Congo-Kinshasa
Why does Congo speak French?
French is the official language of the country since its colonial period under Belgian rule. Therefore, the variety of French used in the DRC has many similarities with Belgian French. … The Democratic Republic of the Congo currently has the largest French-speaking population of any country outside France.
What is at the bottom of the Congo river?
Congo Canyon is a submarine canyon found at the end of the Congo River in Africa. It is one of the largest submarine canyons in the world.
Which is the deadliest river in the world?
The Zambezi is considered by many to be the world’s most dangerous river, which is partly what drew me. It’s almost 3,000km long, peppered with unexploded mines, killer rapids and deadly animals. Before the expedition, I joined a wildlife survey that counted 188,000 crocodiles and 90,000 hippos along its length.
Are there sharks in the Congo river?
Many of the 42 shark and ray species caught in Congo are on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. At least 15, including hammerheads, manta rays, mako and thresher sharks, require export permits under a treaty signed by 183 nations, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).
Do crocodiles live in the Congo River?
The wildlife of the marshes and that of the little parallel streams do not mix with the wildlife of the river itself. The waters of the Congo contain various kinds of reptiles, of which crocodiles are the most striking species.
What predators live in the Congo?
Several varieties of monkeys, chimpanzees, gorillas, elephants, okapis, wild boars, and buffaloes live in the forests. Wildlife in the savanna regions includes antelopes, jackals, wild dogs, hyenas, and cheetahs. On the plateaus, rhinoceroses and giraffes are numerous, but lions are scarce.
What predators are in the Congo rainforest?
Where there are antelope and other prey animals, you will also find predators, such as cheetahs, lions, leopards, and spotted hyenas. More mammals that can be seen in the Congo Basin include: Forest elephants.
Which country has most rainforest?
Brazil Brazil has the largest rainforest cover in the world, thanks to the Amazon Rainforest. The Amazon Rainforest is the biggest and most biodiverse rainforest in the world covering an area of 1,800,000 square miles.
Which country is Amazon forest?
Brazil The Amazon covers a huge area (6.7 million sq km) of South America mainly in Brazil but also Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname and Venezuela.
Which is the smallest forest in the world?
Bukit Nanas Forest Reserve DYK… the smallest rainforest in the world is Bukit Nanas Forest Reserve located in the city of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It might be only 25 acres but it is home to native wildlife like monkeys, lizards, pythons, and – possibly the most exotic of all animals – squirrels!
Graduated from ENSAT (national agronomic school of Toulouse) in plant sciences in 2018, I pursued a CIFRE doctorate under contract with Sun’Agri and INRAE in Avignon between 2019 and 2022. My thesis aimed to study dynamic agrivoltaic systems, in my case in arboriculture. I love to write and share science related Stuff Here on my Website. I am currently continuing at Sun’Agri as an R&D engineer.