Why is the Congo Basin important to Africa?
The vast forest of the Congo Basin is the second-largest tropical rainforest on Earth and serves as the lungs of Africa. The soils and plants of the Congo Basin rainforest store incredible amounts of carbon, preventing it from being emitted into our atmosphere and fueling climate change. …
How the Congo basin was formed?
The Congo River formed 1.5-2 million years BP during the Pleistocene. The Congo’s formation may have led to the allopatric speciation of the bonobo and the common chimpanzee from their most recent common ancestor.
What happened to the Congo Basin?
Satellite data indicate the Congo Basin lost an area of forest larger than Bangladesh between 2000 and 2014. Researchers found that small-scale farming was the biggest driver, contributing to around 84 percent of deforestation.
Is Congo Basin a country?
The Democratic Republic of Congo is the largest country in the Congo Basin and contains 12.5 percent of the world’s remaining tropical rainforest. 6. Seven countries hold 60 per cent of the planet’s forests: Brazil, Canada, China, Indonesia, Russian Federation, United States and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Why is the Congo River basin so important?
Biodiversity. Over time, the Congo Basin forests have fostered the evolution of a huge number of highly specialized species. They are home to some of the most spectacular and endangered wildlife in Africa, including about one-half of the remaining elephants on the continent.
Which forest is biggest in the world?
Amazon
#1 Amazon. The undisputed number 1 is probably the most famous forest on earth, the South American Amazon. The forest of all forests, with its fabulous 5,500,000 km2 , not only has the largest area, but is also home to one in ten species existing on earth.
How deep is the Congo River?
220 m
Congo River/Max depth
In addition, the Congo River is the world’s deepest recorded river at 720 feet (220 meters) deep in parts — too deep for light to penetrate, The New York Times reported. It’s also the second-longest river in Africa, spanning a length of approximately 2,920 miles (4,700 kilometers), according to Phys.org.
What is the Congo rainforest called?
The Congolian forests cover southeastern Cameroon, Gabon, the Republic of the Congo, the north and central Democratic Republic of the Congo, and portions of southern and Central Africa.
What are 3 interesting facts about Congo?
Interesting Facts about Republic of Congo
- The Congo River is the deepest river (220 m) in the world.
- Congo is the only place where you can find the Bonobo.
- The Congo basin rainforest is the second largest rainforest in the world.
- The Republic of Congo is home to the famous Pygmy Tribe.
How deep is the Congo river?
What is unique about Congo?
Congo is rich in natural resources. It boasts vast deposits of industrial diamonds, cobalt, and copper; one of the largest forest reserves in Africa; and about half of the hydroelectric potential of the continent.
What are the 3 biggest rainforests found?
The world’s largest rainforests
- The Amazon Rainforest. NASA Landsat satellite image of the Amazon rainforest.
- The Congo rainforest. NASA Landsat satellite image of the Congo rainforest.
- Australiasia. NASA Landsat satellite image of the Australiasia rainforest.
- Sundaland.
- Indo-Burma.
What countries are in the Congo Basin?
The Congo Basin spans across six countries-Cameroon, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea and Gabon. There are approximately 10, 000 species of tropical plants in the Congo Basin and 30 percent are unique to the region.
What are some features of the Congo Basin?
The Congo basin is the most clearly distinguished of the various geographic depressions situated between the Sahara to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the south and west, and the region of the East African lakes to the east. In this basin a fan-shaped web of tributaries flows downward along concentric slopes that range from 900 to 1,500 feet (275 to 460 metres) in elevation and that enclose a central depression.
What country is the Congo Basin located in?
Congo Basin is a region in Democratic Republic of the Congo and is made up by the provinces of Equateur , Oriental and Maniema .
What do the people of the Congo Basin eat?
The cuisine of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of the Congo varies widely, representing the food of indigenous people. Cassava, fufu, rice, plantain and potatoes are generally the staple foods eaten with other side dishes. Less than two percent of the land is cultivated, and most of this is used for subsistence farming.