Lualaba River, Democratic Republic of the Congo - March 23rd, 2009

Kisangani, formerly Stanleyville or Stanleystad, (population 500,000) is a city in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in Central Africa and the provincial capital of Tshopo Province. Here, it appears as a tan area on the banks of the river.

Kisangani is located where the Lualaba River becomes the Congo River north of the Boyoma Falls.  It is the farthest navigable point upstream from the capital city Kinshasa. Here, the sediment-loaded river appears brown.

The dark green of the forest on both sides of the river is interrupted by lighter green patches where deforestation is taking place. This is particularly notable north of the city.

The Congo Rainforest is one of the world’s most threatened ecosystems. Commercial logging, clearing for subsistence agriculture, and widespread civil strife has devastated forests, displaced forest dwellers, and resulted in the expansion of the “bushmeat” trade.

Tags: Africa Boyoma Falls Congo River Deforestation Democratic Republic of the Congo Kisangani Lualaba River Sediments Stanleyville Tshopo Province |  Print This Post |  Email This Post | | Leave a response, or trackback