At a global level, Congo's forests act as the planet's second lung, counterpart to the rapidly dwindling Amazon. They are a huge "carbon sink", trapping carbon that could otherwise remain carbon dioxide. The Congo Basin holds roughly 8% of the world's forest-based carbon.

At 500 million acres, it is larger than the state of Alaska and stands as the world’s second-largest tropical forest. A mosaic of rivers, forests, savannas, swamps and flooded forests, the Congo Basin is teeming with life. Gorillas, elephants and buffalo all call the region home.

Congo basin, basin of the Congo River, lying astride the Equator in west-central Africa. It is the world’s second largest river basin (next to that of the Amazon ), comprising an area of more than 1.3 million square miles (3.4 million square km).

The Congolian rainforests (French: Forêts tropicales congolaises) are a broad belt of lowland tropical moist broadleaf forests which extend across the basin of the Congo River and its tributaries in Central Africa.

Relatve to other great rainforests, the Congo Basin is known for large, charismatic species of wildlife, including the lowland gorilla; the okapi, a type of forest giraffe; the bonobo; forest elephants; the chimpanzee; leopards; and hippos.

2024年6月22日 · The Congo Basin forest, spanning six Central African countries, is not just the largest tropical forest on the continent, but also the second-largest in the world. The Congo rainforest, covering a staggering 300 million hectares, is a unique and vital ecosystem, even when compared to the 800-million-hectare Amazon.

2021年5月27日 · The Congo Basin, which has approximately 1.2 million square miles of primary rainforest, is home to the world's second-largest rainforest and is vital for regulating the world's climate. The Congo Rainforest makes up 18% of the world's remaining rainforest.

At the boundaries of the Congo River Basin, most forested zones are semi-deciduous: deciduous trees make up the upper layer of the forest (up to 70%), mixed with evergreen species.

Explore key facts about the Congo Basin, the second largest tropical forest and river network on Earth. Discover its diverse ecosystems spanning 240 million hectares in central Africa, supporting local livelihoods and influencing rainfall patterns.

The Congo Basin is a mosaic of forests, swamps and savannas twice the size of Alaska. It is home to some of the world’s most endangered species, like African Forest Elephant, Okapi, Grauer’s Gorilla, Bonobo and Congo Peacock.