DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO
The Democratic Republic of the Congo, also known as DR Congo or the DRC, or Congo-Kinshasa, is a country located in Central Africa. It was formerly called Zaire (1971–1997). It is, by area, the largest country in sub Saharan Africa, the second-largest in all of Africa, and the 11th largest in the world. Its capital city is Kinshasa.
MAIN CITIES
Kinshasa
Lubumbashi
Mbuji-Mayi
RELIGIONS
Christianism 90%
Islam 5%
Other 5%
POPULATION
89,406,115
LANGUAGES
French (official)
Kikongo (Kituba)
Lingala, Swahili
Others
ETHNIC GROUPS
Luba
Mongo
Bakongo
Others
CURRENCY
Congolese franc
TOP 10 ATTRACTIONS IN DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO
LOLA YA BONOBO
Lola ya Bonobo is the world’s only sanctuary for orphaned bonobos. It was founded by Claudine Andre in 1994. It is located in Kinshasa, in the DRC. Lola Ya Bonobo wish means paradise for bonobos in Lingala, contains about 60 bonobos who live on 30 hectares of primary forest. The bonobos live in an environment similar to the wild so that they can freely enjoy the nature. You can hold them, take pictures and have fun.
NYIRAGONGO VOLCANO
Mount Nyiragongo is an active Stratovolcano with an elevation of 3,470 m (11,380 ft) in the Virunga mountains associated with the Albertine Rift. It is located inside Virunga National Park. The main crater is about 2 Km (1.24 mi) wide and usually contains a lava lake. The crater presently has two distinct cooled lava benches within the crater walls. Nyiragongo’s lava lake has at times been the most voluminous known lava lake in recent history.
LAKE KIVU
Lake Kivu is one of the African greatest lakes. It lies on the border between the DRC and Rwanda, and is in the Albertine Rift. Lake Kivu empties into the Ruzizi River, which flows southwards into Lake Tanganyika. Lake Kivu is approximately 90 km (56 mi) long and 50 km (31 mi) at its widest point. It is one of the world’s deepest lakes.
OKAPI WILDLIFE RESERVE
The Okapi Wildlife Reserve is a world heritage site in the Ituri-Forest in the north-east of the DRC. It covers an area of approximately 14,000 km² (8699 mi) . The reserve is home to about 5,000 okapis, 4,000 elephants, 2,000 leopards, chimpanzees, crocodiles and more. The reserve has over 300 species of bird, and is one of the most important sites for bird conservation in mainland Africa. Nomadic Mbut pygmies and indigenous Bantu farmers also live within the reserve.
BOYOMA FALLS
Boyoma Falls, formerly known as Stanley Falls, is a set of 7 cataracts, each no more than 5 m (16 ft) high, extending over more than 100 km (62 mi) along a curve of the Lualaba River between the river port towns of Ubundu and Kisangani in the DRC. They form the largest waterfall by volume of annual flow rate in the world, exceeding both the Niagara Falls and the Iguazu Falls.
KAHUZI BIEGA NATIONAL PARK
The Kahuzi-Biega National Park is a protected area near Bukavu town in eastern DRC. It is situated near the western bank of Lake Kivu and the Rwandan border. Established in 1970 by the Belgian photographer and conservationist Adrien Deschryve, the park is named after two dormant volcanoes, Mount Kahuzi and Mount Biego. With an area of 6,000 sq Km (3,728 sq mi), it is one of the biggest national park in Democratic Republic of Congo.
VIRUNGA NATIONAL PARK
Virunga National Park is a national park in the Albertine Rift Valley in the eastern part of the DRC. It was created in 1925 and is among the first protected areas in Africa. It lies about 300 km (190 mi), largely along the international borders with Uganda and Rwanda in the east. It covers an area of 8,090 km2 (5,026 sq mi) and is listed in the list of world heritage in danger since 1994. More than 3,000 faunal and floral species have been recorded, of which more than 300 are endemic to the Albertine Rift.
GARAMBA NATIONAL PARK
Garamba National Park is a national park in north-eastern DRC. It is among Africa’s oldest parks, and has been designated as a UNESCO world heritage site. It is approximatively 3,231 sq mi (5,200 km2). Garamba has been managed by African Parks in partnership with the Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature (ICCN), since 2005.
ZONGO FALLS
Zongo Falls are located at 130 km (80.77 mi) from Kinshasa, precisely in Bas-Congo Region. It is one of the most visited places in DRC. The falls are incredibly amazing, and access is very easy. Must go if you are visiting the Democratic Republic of Congo.
IDJWI ISLAND
Idjwi is an island in Lake Kivu belonging to the Democratic Republic of Congo, in the Sud-Kivu province. At 70 km (43 mi) in length and with an area of 340 km2 (211 sq mi), it is the second largest inland island in Africa, and the tenth largest in the world. Idjwi is right in the middle of the DRC and Rwanda.