Heritage with Related Tags
Sangha Trinational
Located in the northwest of the Congo Basin, at the border of Cameroon, the Central African Republic and Congo, the site includes three connected national parks with a total area of approximately 750,000 hectares. Largely untouched by human activity, the site features a wide variety of moist tropical forest ecosystems with a rich variety of flora and fauna, including Nile crocodiles and large predators such as giant tiger fish. Forest clearings provide habitat for herbaceous plants, and Sanga is home to a large population of forest elephants, critically endangered western lowland gorillas and endangered chimpanzees. The site's environment preserves the continuation of large-scale ecological and evolutionary processes, as well as a rich biodiversity, including many endangered animal species.
Mbanza Kongo, Vestiges of the Capital of the former Kingdom of Kongo
Located on a plateau at 570 meters above sea level, the town of Mbanza Kongo was the political and spiritual capital of the Kingdom of Kongo, one of the largest states in southern Africa from the 14th to the 19th century. The historic area developed around the royal palace, customary courts and sacred trees, as well as royal funeral sites. When the Portuguese arrived in the 15th century, they added stone buildings built according to European methods and constructed with local materials to the existing urban agglomeration. Mbanza Kongo, more than anywhere else in sub-Saharan Africa, reflects the profound changes brought about by the introduction of Christianity and the Portuguese presence in Central Africa.
Salonga National Park
Salonga National Park is the largest tropical rainforest reserve in Africa. Located in the heart of the Central Congo River Basin, the park is so remote that it can only be reached by water. It is home to many local endangered species, such as the pygmy chimpanzee, the Congo peacock, the forest elephant and the African slender-nosed crocodile or "false" crocodile.
Okapi Wildlife Reserve
The Okapi Game Reserve is located in northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo and occupies one fifth of the Ituri Forest. The reserve and forest are located in the Congo River Basin, one of the largest water systems in Africa. The reserve is home to endangered primates and birds, and is home to approximately 5,000 okapis, with an estimated 30,000 in the wild. The reserve also features some spectacular scenery, including waterfalls on the Ituri and Epulu rivers. The reserve is inhabited by the traditional nomadic Mbuti pygmy people and Efe hunters.