Democratic Republic of the Congo - Information, Geography and History

Introduction : Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) was referred with different names that are still in use like the Congo Free State, Belgian Congo, Congo or Zaire. Congo-Kinshasa was yet another name given to the region just to differentiate it from the neighboring country of the Republic of Congo. The province stands as third largest country in Africa while covering a land space of about 905,356 square miles. The province stretches to reach huge expanses of dense forests, the mountain range of Ruwenzori, the Central Basin, the Highland Plateau, and the primitive mining towns.

Location Of Democratic Republic Of The Congo : Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is nestled in the province of Central Africa, sharing common borders with the Republic of Congo (northwest), Sudan (northeast), Central African Republic (north), Uganda, Burundi, Rwanda and Tanzania (east), Zambia (southeast), and Angola (southwest).

Physical Map Of Democratic Republic Of The Congo: The Democratic Republic of the Congo constitutes over a large area by the Congo River Basin that covers a total land space of about 1 million square kilometer. The DRC is placed along the Equator, where one third of the province lies within the northern part while the rest two-thirds is located along the south. Along the northern bank of the Congo River, a contracted strip of land channels out to the Atlantic Ocean. Get to see a basin-shaped plateau along the low-lying central area that slant downwards towards the western front reaching the area of tropical rainforest. The province is engulfed by the mountainous terrains along the western front, by the plateaus that integrate with the savannas along the south and southwestern front, and impenetrable grasslands stretching along the Congo River near the northern front.

The eastern regions are marked with extremely high peaks that surely catch your glimpse. Kinshasa is the capital and largest city of the province with other cities like the Lubumbashi, Kolwezi, Kisangani, Mbuji-Mayi and Matadi, which are considered as the major seaport of the region.

Climate Of Democratic Republic Of The Congo : Democratic Republic of the Congo witnesses a hot and humid climatic condition along the river basin especially prevalent in the lower western and central regions of the province. While the southern highlands were effected with cool and dry weather conditions. The months of October to May along the southern part of the equator is subjected to rainy season while the northern side of the equator experiences a heavy precipitation during the months of April to November. There is constant occurrence of rainfall within the Equator accompanied by thunderstorms during the wet season.

Flora and Fauna of Democratic Republic Of The Congo :

Get to see rare species of chimpanzees like the Common chimpanzee and the bonobo, which are even called as Pygmy Chimpanzee along the rainforests area of the province. Catch up with animals like mountain gorilla, okapi and white rhino that can be commonly sighted within the area. The national parks like the Garumba, Kahuzi-Biega, Salonga and Virunga National Parks, and the Okapi Wildlife Reserve, protect wildlife species within the region.

Among the floras take a glimpse at the beautiful trees that surround you especially species of red cedar, oak, walnut, mahogany, the silk-cotton tree, and varied species of palms. Among the native flowers, worth mentioning are the orchids, lilies, lobelias, and gladioli along with the species of the euphorbia and landolphia floral genres.