World Heritage Identification Number: 280
World Heritage since: 1984
Category: Natural Heritage
Transboundary Heritage: No
Endangered Heritage: No
Country: 🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo
Continent: Africa
UNESCO World Region: Africa
Map
Salonga National Park: A Giant Tropical Rainforest Reserve in the Heart of Central Congo Basin
Salonga National Park, situated in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), is a vast expanse of pristine tropical rainforest that covers approximately 36,000 square kilometers or 3.6 million hectares. This expansive protected area, which stretches across the provinces of Mai Ndombe, Equateur, Kasaï, and Sankuru, is Africa's largest tropical rainforest reserve and holds significant importance for biodiversity conservation.
More to come…UNESCO Description of the World Heritage Site
Salonga National Park is Africa's largest tropical rainforest reserve. Situated at the heart of the central basin of the Congo river, the park is very isolated and accessible only by water. It is the habitat of many endemic endangered species, such as the dwarf chimpanzee, the Congo peacock, the forest elephant and the African slender-snouted or 'false' crocodile.
Encyclopedia Record: Salonga National Park
Salonga National Park is a national park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo located in the Congo River basin. It is Africa's largest tropical rainforest reserve covering about 36,000 km2 or 3,600,000 hectares. It extends into the provinces of Mai Ndombe, Equateur, Kasaï and Sankuru. In 1984, the national park was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List for its protection of a large swath of relatively intact rainforest and its important habitat for many rare species. In 1999, the site has been listed as endangered due to poaching and housing construction. Following the improvement in its state of conservation, the site was removed from the endangered list in 2021.Additional Site Details
Area: 3,600,000 hectares
(ix) — Outstanding example representing ecological and biological processes
Coordinates: -2 , 21