The Congo Basin covers more than 190 million hectares of land, most of which covered in dense rain forest. The regions contains nearly one-quarter of the world's tropical forests and is second only to the Amazon rainforest in size. The Basin represents 70 percent of all plant life in Africa.
Many endangered animals make their home in the Congolese rainforest, most notably the clawless otter, which is close to extinction. More than 200 different species of birds call the rainforest home, along with the black hippo, the forest elephant, western gorilla and chimpanzees.
The Congo River is the second largest river in the world in terms of volume. Since the river drains from both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, the Congo does not have the seasonal fluctuations of other rivers, providing stability when navigating.
