Formerly known as Zaire, The Democratic Republic of Congo is one of the largest countries in Africa bordering nine countries: Angola, Burundi, the Central African Republic, the Republic of Congo, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia. It’s also a country whose minerals play a critical role in the world’s economy. Virunga National Park was founded in 1925 and is located in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo. It is home to over one thousand species of mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians, including one-third of the world’s wild mountain gorillas. Virunga’s Senkwekwe Centre is the world’s only facility for orphaned mountain gorillas. The park was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979 but wound up on the List of World Heritage in Danger from 1994 to the present due to civil unrest and political turmoil in the area.
SOURCE: TRAVEL NOIRE