Virunga National Park - DR Congo
In Danger from 1994 to present
Area: 7,900 km2
Inscribed: 1979
Criteria: (vii) aesthetic; (ix) ecological processes; (x) biodiversity
Values: Virunga National Park is Africa's oldest and most diverse park. Established in 1925, it straddles the equator, stretching from the lowlands at the bottom of the Rift Valley (680m) to the highest peak of the Rwenzori Mountains at 5119m. Its vast range of habitats includes rift valley lakes, swamps and acacia savannas, woodlands and forests, active volcanoes and rugged mountain slopes. The highest parts of the Rwenzoris support glaciers and snowfields on the equator, and the renowned volcanoes area bordering Rwanda and Uganda in the south supports half the world's mountain gorillas. The number of species recorded for different groups includes 218 mammals (including 22 primates), 706 birds, 109 reptiles and 78 amphibians. For comparative purposes, the number of bird species found in this park exceeds the total for the entire United States and is more than three times the number occurring in the United Kingdom.
Slideshow of Virunga National Park
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Links: Google Earth | UNEP-WCMC Site Description |Official UNESCO Site Details | Virunga National Park I
