1 DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC of CONGO Officially Known As The

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO

Officially known as the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the country has a 25-mile (40-km) coastline on the Atlantic Ocean but is otherwise landlocked. It is the second largest country on the continent; only Algeria is larger. The capital, Kinshasa, is located on the Congo River about 320 miles (515 km) from its mouth. The largest city in central Africa, it serves as the country’s official administrative, economic, and cultural centre. The country is often referred to by its acronym, the DRC, or called Congo (Kinshasa), with the capital added parenthetically, to distinguish it from the other Congo republic, which is officially called the Republic of the Congo and is often referred to as Congo (Brazzaville).

Congo gained independence from Belgium in 1960. From 1971 to 1997 the country was officially the Republic of Zaire, a change made by then ruler Gen. Mobutu Sese Seko to give the country what he thought was a more authentic African name. “Zaire” is a variation of a term meaning “great river” in local African languages; like the country’s current name, it refers to the Congo River, which drains a large basin that lies mostly in the republic. Unlike Zaire, however, the name Congo has origins in the colonial period, when Europeans identified the river with the kingdom of the Kongo people, who live near its mouth. Following the overthrow of Mobutu in 1997, the country’s name prior to 1971, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, was reinstated. Congo subsequently was plunged into a devastating civil war; the conflict officially ended in 2003, although fighting continued in the eastern part of the country.

Congo is rich in natural resources. It boasts vast deposits of industrial diamonds, cobalt, and copper; one of the largest forest reserves in Africa; and about half of the hydroelectric potential of the continent.

Climate The climate is equatorial, hot and humid all year round with no dry season, in the central area crossed by the equator where there is a vast rain forest (the second in the world after the Amazon), or tropical, hot all year round but with a dry season, usually of short duration, in both the areas north and south of the equator.

The dry season occurs in opposite periods, from December to February (boreal winter) north of the equator, and from June to September (austral winter) south of the equator.

The rains occur in the form of downpour or thunderstorm (Congo is the country that receives the greatest number of lightning strikes in the world), usually in the afternoon, all year round in the equatorial zone, and in the long rainy season in the two tropical areas.

The country is largely occupied by the huge basin of the Congo River and its tributaries. Most of the country is located at an altitude of a few hundred metres, between 300 to 800 metres (1,000 to 2,600 feet), which are often sufficient to mitigate the climate a bit; in some areas, such as the southeast, the altitude goes from 800 to 1,300 metres (2,600 to 4,300 ft), while in the easternmost part, near the Rift Valley lakes, there are also high mountain ranges.

In the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, there are mountain ranges, related to the East African Rift. In the Rift we find also a number of lakes, such as Lake Albert, located at 615 metres (2,000 feet) above sea level; Lake Edward, at 915 metres (3,000 ft); Lake Kivu, at 1,465 metres (4,805 ft); Lake Tanganyika, at 770 metres (2,500 ft); and Lake Mweru, at 920 metres (3,020 ft).

The mountains have an influence on precipitation; in fact the western side is rainier, while the eastern side is sheltered from humid currents, so that in the central and southern part of Lake Tanganyika the rainfall drops below 1,000 mm (40 in) per year.

Here are the average temperatures of Goma, located at 1,500 metres (5,000 feet) above sea level, on the shores of Lake Kivu. Although we are at the equator, at this altitude, daytime temperatures are pleasant all year round, and cool at night.

The rainfall amounts to 1,250 millimetres (50 inches) per year; from June to August the rains are fairly rare and not abundant.

**Average monthly temperatures min/max in Fahrenheit (white-upper) and Celsius (fawn-lower) for some main cities and wildlife reserves. Actual temperatures may vary more than 10˚F from the averages below.

LOCALITY JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC Kinshasa 75/84 75/85 75/87 75/86 75/85 70/80 68/78 70/81 72/84 74/84 74/83 74/83 23/28 23/29 23/30 23/30 23/29 21/26 20/25 21/27 22/28 23/28 23/28 23/28 Goma 58/79 59/78 54/78 59/77 58/77 57/77 55/78 58/79 57/78 57/79 57/77 58/78 14/26 15/25 12/25 15/25 14/25 13/25 12/25 14/26 13/25 13/26 13/25 14/25

The most imposing mountains of the country are the Ruwenzori Mountains, which are located in the far east, on the border with Uganda, almost at the equator. The highest mountain is Mount Stanley, in Margherita Peak, 5,109 metres (16,762 ft), where there is also a glacier. These mountains are very wet, since they receive constant rainfall and are often covered with clouds; they are home to a variety of environments, which change with altitude: between 2,000 and 3,000 metres (6,600 and 9,800 ft) there is a montane forest; above 3,000 metres (9,800 ft) there are species able to withstand the night frost as well as the strong solar radiation during the day, and above 4,000 metres (13,000 ft) we find a moorland similar to the Alpine one.

The Ruwenzori Mountains in the Congolese side are protected in the Virunga National Park (World Heritage Site by UNESCO), which extends to the south, beyond Lake Edward, to the other imposing mountain range, still on the border with Uganda, precisely the Virunga Mountains.

West of Lake Kivu we find the Mitumba Mountains, whose highest peaks are Mount Kahuzi, 3,308 metres (10,853 feet), and Mount Biega, 2,790 metres (9,154 feet), both protected in the Kahuzi-Biega National Park, UNESCO World Heritage Site, however, declared at risk because of illegal hunting and poaching.

Further south of the Virunga Mountains there are the Itombwe Mountains, which culminate in Mount Mohi, 3,475 metres (11,401 ft) high.

People More than 200 African ethnic groups live in Congo; of these, Bantu peoples constitute a large majority of the country’s population. They entered the territory of modern Congo between the 10th and the 14th century from the west and north and established kingdoms that were flourishing at the time of European penetration after the 16th century. The major kingdoms were those of the Kongo, Teke (Bateke), Luba, Pende, Yaka, Lunda, Songe, Tetela, and Kuba peoples. Major cultural clusters today include the Mongo (in the centre of the country), the Kongo (west), the Luba (south-central), the Lunda (south), the Bemba (southeast), and the Kasai (southwest). Bantu peoples in the north and northeast include the Ngala, the Buja, the Bira, the Kuumu, and the Lega (Rega).

The Pygmies, having arrived possibly during the Upper Paleolithic Period, are thought to have been the earliest inhabitants of the Congo basin. The remaining Pygmy groups—the Bambuti, the Twa, and the Babinga—inhabit the forests of Kibali and Ituri, the regions of Lakes Kivu and Tanganyika, and areas near the Lualaba, Tshuapa, Sankuru, and Ubangi rivers.

There are other small non-Bantu African populations. Adamawa-Ubangi and Central Sudanicgroups that settled in the north include the Zande (Azande), the Mangbetu, the Banda, and the Barambu (Abarambo). Nilotic peoples live in the northeast and include the Alur, the Kakwa, the Bari, the Lugbara, and the Logo. Tutsi from Rwanda have historically lived in the eastern lake region. European and Asian groups constitute a significant part of the country’s migrant population; most went to Congo for temporary employment. The remaining migrant population is composed of Africans of non-Congolese nationality.

Languages More than 200 languages are spoken in Congo. Communication between groups has been facilitated by four “national” languages: Swahili, Tshiluba (Kiluba), Lingala, and Kongo. French is the official language and the language of instruction, business, administration, and international communications. The four national languages are used in regional commerce and on the radio. The use of Lingala is growing rapidly: under Mobutu it was the official language of the military, and it is widely spoken in Kinshasa, where it is used in popular music, as well as along the lower Congo River.

Religion Traditional African religious beliefs in a supreme being, the power of the ancestors, spirits of nature, and the efficacy of magic have been greatly influenced by the introduction of Christianityin Congo. There is a very sizable Christian population, the largest proportion of which is Roman Catholic. Other Christians include Protestants and followers of the local sect of the Church of Jesus Christ on Earth Through the Prophet Simon Kimbangu (Kimbanguist Church). The remainder of the African population continues to adhere to traditional African beliefs or follows Islam. The foreign community includes Hindus and Muslims.

Plant and animal life Plant life is lush and varies between climate zones. The heart of the Congo basin is blanketed by an intricate forest system commonly known as the equatorial rainforest. There trees reach heights of 130 to 160 feet (40 to 50 metres), and numerous varieties and species of plants proliferate. Grasslands and woodlands are characteristic of the tropical climate zone, while stands of mangrove dominate the coastal swamps and the mouth of the Congo. The eastern plateaus are covered by grasslands, and mountain forest, bamboo thickets, and Afro-Alpine vegetation occur on the highest mountains.

The central basin is a vast reservoir of native trees and plants. Among these, mahogany, ebony, limba, wenge, agba, iroko, and sapele provide timber. Fibrous plants include raffia and sisal. There are also plants used in traditional medicine, including cinchona (the source of quinine) and rauwolfia (an emetic and antihypertensive), as well as copal, rubber, and palm trees. Many types of edible mushrooms grow wild; other wild edible vegetables grow in the forests, grasslands, and swamps. Imported eucalyptus trees, which grow in stands in the highlands, are used for construction timber and poles.

Animal life is also rich and diverse. Chimpanzees are found mostly in the equatorial forest, and gorillas live in the eastern mountains around Lake Kivu. Bonobos are also present, though they are found only in lowland rainforests along the south bank of the Congo River. Elephants and various species of monkeys and baboons are found in forest and savanna woodlands; African forest elephants (a smaller, distinct species of elephant) are limited to the forest.

In the north, in the primary forests of Uele, Aruwimi, and Ituri, live okapi, giant wild boars, and short antelopes. Lions and leopards inhabit the grasslands, and jackals, hyenas, cheetahs, wildcats, wild dogs, buffaloes, antelopes, wild hogs, and black and white rhinoceroses are found in the grasslands and savanna woods. Giraffes mainly inhabit the northeastern grasslands.

Hippopotamuses and crocodiles are common in the rivers and the lakes, and whales, dolphins, and lungfishes are found near the coast. Congolese rivers, lakes, and swamps are well stocked with a variety of fish, such as capitaine from the Congo River and catfish, electric fish, eels, cichlids, and many others. Jellyfish live in Lake Tanganyika. Reptiles are common and include various snakes— such as pythons, vipers, and tree cobras—as well as lizards, chameleons, salamanders, frogs, and turtles.

Birdlife includes pelicans, parrots, many species of sunbirds, pigeons, ducks, geese, eagles, vultures, cuckoos, owls, cranes, storks, and swallows. Insects are innumerable. There are hundreds of butterfly species; in the savanna woodlands, butterflies fill the skies at the beginning of the rains. There are also numerous varieties of bees, grasshoppers, caterpillars, praying mantises, beetles, dragonflies, scorpions, mosquitoes, tsetse flies, ants, termites, spiders, centipedes, and millipedes.

In spite of efforts to limit hunting, animal life has diminished. Several national parks, most in the eastern highlands, and wildlife preserves protect remaining species. They include Garamba, near the South Sudanese border; Virunga, north of Lake Edward in the Virunga Mountains; Maiko, west of Lake Edward; Kahuzi-Biega, north of Bukavu; Upemba, north of the Manika Plateau; Salonga, in the central Congo River basin; and Kundelungu, northeast of Lubumbashi near the Zambian border.

Several of these parks have been recognized as UNESCO World Heritage sites: Garamba’s expansive savannas and grass- and woodlands are home to a number of important species, including the critically endangered white rhinoceros; Virunga is notable for a variety of habitats—some of which include active volcanoes—and the especially broad biodiversity sheltered there; the tropical forests of Kahuzi-Biega are known for their diverse fauna and for populations of endangered eastern lowland gorillas; and Salonga, among the largest tropical rainforest reserves in Africa, is an important habitat for a number of endangered and endemic species. In addition to these, the Okapi Wildlife Reserve, home to a portion of the threatened okapi still living in the wild, also has been recognized as a World Heritage site. 4

TOURIST INFORMATION

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS Visitors are required to have a visa and must be in possession of a passport valid for six (6) months beyond their return date.

HEALTH REQUIREMENTS Anti-malaria medication is strongly recommended. A vaccination certificate for Yellow Fever is required.

CURRENCY The currency in the Democratic Republic of Congo is the Congolese Franc (CDF).

US dollars are accepted everywhere and moneychangers are omnipresent in DRC's cities. Somewhat reliable, internationally linked ATMs are common in the large cities.

PACKING LIST FOR VIRUNGU Mikeno lodge Nestled into the forest, the climate in Rumangabo is fair. It does get warm so light trousers/shorts and a t‐shirt/light shirt is fine but in the evening and during the cold season (July and August) one does need a fleece and long pants.

Nyiragongo Walking up the volcano it gets hot, but as you get to the top, it gets very cold. Shorts/long pants and a t-shirt are good for the walk up with a raincoat or ponchos handy as well as a fleece for when you are near the summit. Good walking boots are a must. On the day of your assent, please make sure that you take a spare set of clothes to change into incase of rain.

A minimum of three liters of water per person is recommended aside from cooking water. One also should bring a few snacks for the breaks to boost energy and remember your sunscreen and hat. In the Nyiragongo Pack back sold by the park, we prove the following: A jacket, fleece, a warm shirt and a poncho, with a warm sleeping bag and fleece liner, water and a cook with lunch, dinner and breakfast.

Bukima At a higher altitude than Mikeno, during the day the temperature is fair to getting mildly cold. In the evening, it is cold, so a warm fleece and long trousers are recommended. For the gorilla trek, you will need to wear a long sleeve shirt, long pants and good walking shoes with socks that you can tuck your pants into, to stop the pesky safari ants from entering your trousers. We recommend that you take a raincoat/poncho with you, just in case you get caught in the rain.

Lulimbi This is at a lower altitude and therefore warmer. In the day it gets hot, so shorts or light pants, T-shirts or light shirts, preferably not white or dark blue or black. The evenings cool down but are not cold. We suggest that you wear long trousers and a long sleeve shirt in the evenings. For the walking activities, walking boots, sunblock and hats/caps are recommended.

Tchegera At a lower altitude, it is warmer. T-shirts, shorts and light foot wear. Bring a swimming costume for canoeing and other activities. It is cooler in the evenings, so you may need a fleece.

Must haves:  Good walking boots and socks  Warm fleeces  Wooly hat  Long pants  Shorts  T-shirts  Light shirts  Long sleeve shirt/t-•‐shirt  Rain Jacket  Cameras and Binos  Cap or hat  Zip lock bags to keep your extra clothing dry on the way up the Volcano  Sun cream  Insect repellant  Head Torch  Swimming Costume for Tchegera  DRC works in US$  Reservation Summary printed  Visa application printed  A yellow fever vaccination card with your name on it.

If you would like to bring a few things for the people, these items are always welcome.  Footballs/volley balls – for the rangers and the schools. They love them.  Soft, bouncy or beach balls  Skipping ropes  Fun children’s sports games  Coloring books  Crayons  Pencils  Pens  Chalk  Rulers  Sharpeners  Rubbers/Erasers  Hotel soaps, shampoos etc for the female rangers  Kindergarten play items/old stuffed toy

NOTE 1: Bright colors and white are not advisable as this will contrast very strongly with the prevailing forest colors and could well disturb gorillas at sightings. Camouflage clothing is also not recommended for travel in African countries.

NOTE 2: There may be a restriction on luggage limits on your safari – please ensure that you have the details from your agent according to your itinerary and ask your agent ahead of time if you would like details on the feasibility and costs of taking excess luggage with you on any of these restricted luggage safaris.

NOTE 3: Camera equipment – We recommend that any camera equipment that you bring with you is suitable for use in very humid environments. Lighting conditions can be challenging in the forest, with relatively low light at ground level and much brighter sunlight coming through the tree canopy when photographing subjects in trees.

Gorilla welfare protocols dictate that we cannot approach closer than 7m (24ft). These protocols also state that the maximum group size that can view gorillas at any one time is six (four guests, one guide and one tracker) which mean that there is no option for porters or additional staff to accompany the gorilla viewing group. Guides and trackers are required to carry various refreshments, first aid equipment, etc. and need both hands free to assist with clearing a path for the guests through the forest vegetation so you will be required to carry all their own camera equipment, lenses, etc. When selecting camera equipment for gorilla viewing, you should take into account the typical distances at which gorillas are viewed, the contrasting lighting conditions at different levels in the forest, the generally humid conditions and likelihood of rain, the fact that flashes cannot be used when taking photographs of gorillas, and finally the fact that there are many interesting smaller things that may be encountered in the forest, so some form of macro lens might be helpful.

02/19