The Virunga Mountains are a chain of volcanoes A volcano is an opening, or rupture, in a planet's surface or crust, which allows hot magma, ash and gases to escape from below the surface in East Africa East Africa or Eastern Africa is the easterly region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. In the UN scheme of geographic regions, 19 territories constitute Eastern Africa:, along the northern border of Rwanda The Republic of Rwanda , known as the Land of a Thousand Hills, is a landlocked country located in the Great Lakes region of eastern-central Africa, bordered by Uganda, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of the Congo The Democratic Republic of the Congo , known until 1997 as Zaire, is a country located in Central Africa, with a small length of Atlantic coastline. It is the third largest country in Africa by area. The Democratic Republic of the Congo is, with the population more than 68 million, the eighteenth most populous nation in the world, and the fourth (DRC) and Uganda The Republic of Uganda is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by Tanzania. The southern part of the country includes a substantial portion of Lake Victoria, which is also bordered by Kenya. The mountain range A mountain range is a chain of mountains bordered by highlands or separated from other mountains by passes or valleys. Individual mountains within the same mountain range do not necessarily have the same geology, though they often do; they may be a mix of different orogeny, for example volcanoes, uplifted mountains or fold mountains and may, is a branch of the Albertine Rift, a part of the Great Rift Valley The Great Rift Valley is a name given in the late 19th century by British explorer John Walter Gregory to the continuous geographic trench, approximately 6,000 kilometres in length, that runs from northern Syria in Southwest Asia to central Mozambique in East Africa. The name continues in some usages, although it is today considered geologically. They are located between Lake Edward Lake Edward or Edward Nyanza is the smallest of the African Great Lakes. It is located in the western Great Rift Valley, on the border between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda, with its northern shore a few kilometers south of the Equator. The lake was named by the explorer Henry Morton Stanley in honour of Prince Albert Edward, The and Lake Kivu Lake Kivu is one of the African Great Lakes. It lies on the border between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda, and is in the Albertine Rift, a part of the Great Rift Valley. Lake Kivu empties into the Ruzizi River, which flows southwards into Lake Tanganyika.
The mountain range consists of eight major volcanoes. Most of them are dormant, except Mount Nyiragongo Mount Nyiragongo is a stratovolcano in the Virunga Mountains associated with the Great Rift Valley. It is located in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, about 20 km north of the town of Goma and Lake Kivu and just west of the border with Rwanda. The main crater is about two km wide and usually contains a lava lake. The crater presently has two 3,462 metres (11,358 ft) and Mount Nyamuragira Mount Nyamuragira is an active volcano in the Virunga Mountains of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, situated about 25 km north of Lake Kivu 3,063 metres (10,049 ft), both in the Democratic Republic of the Congo The Democratic Republic of the Congo , known until 1997 as Zaire, is a country located in Central Africa, with a small length of Atlantic coastline. It is the third largest country in Africa by area. The Democratic Republic of the Congo is, with the population more than 68 million, the eighteenth most populous nation in the world, and the fourth. Recent eruptions occurred in 2006, and in January, 2010. Mount Karisimbi Mount Karisimbi is an inactive volcano in the Virunga Mountains on the border between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. At 4,507 metres , Karisimbi is the highest of the eight major mountains of the mountain range, which is a part of the East African Rift Valley. Karisimbi is flanked by Mikeno to the north, Bisoke to the east and at 4,507 metres (14,787 ft), is the highest volcano. The oldest mountain is Mount Sabyinyo Mount Sabyinyo is an extinct volcano in eastern Africa, in the Virunga Mountains. The summit of the mountain, at 3,645 metres (11,959 ft), marks the intersection of the borders of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda. It also lies within the adjoining national parks established by these countries: Virunga National Park in the which rises 3,634 metres (11,923 ft), above sea level.
The Virunga Mountains are home of the critically endangered mountain gorilla The Mountain Gorilla is one of the two subspecies of the Eastern Gorilla. There are two populations. One is found in the Virunga volcanic mountains of Central Africa, within three national parks: Mgahinga, in south-west Uganda; Volcanoes, in north-west Rwanda; and Virunga in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The other is found in, listed on the IUCN Red List The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species , founded in 1948, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of plant and animal species. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) is the world's main authority on the conservation status of species. A series of Regional Red Lists of Endangered Species due to habitat A habitat is an ecological or environmental area that is inhabited by a particular species of animal, plant or other type of organism. It is the natural environment in which an organism lives, or the physical environment that surrounds (influences and is utilized by) a species population.[citation needed] loss, poaching Poaching is the illegal taking of wild plants or animals contrary to local and international conservation and wildlife management laws. Violations of hunting laws and regulations are normally punishable by law and, collectively, such violations are known as poaching, disease A disease is an abnormal condition affecting the body of an organism. It is often construed to be a medical condition associated with specific symptoms and signs. It may be caused by external factors, such as infectious disease, or it may be caused by internal disfunctions, such as autoimmune diseases. Ecologically, disease is defined as, and war War is a behaviour pattern exhibited by many primate species including humans, and also found in many ant species. The primary feature of this behaviour pattern is a certain state of organized violent conflict that is engaged in between two or more separate social entities. Such a conflict is always an attempt at altering either the psychological (Butynski et al. 2003). The Karisoke Research Center, founded by Dian Fossey Dian Fossey was an American zoologist who undertook an extensive study of gorilla groups over a period of 18 years. She studied them daily in the mountain forests of Rwanda, initially encouraged to work there by famous anthropologist Louis Leakey. She was murdered in 1985, by unknown assailants; the case remains open to observe gorillas Gorillas are the largest of the living primates. They are ground-dwelling and predominantly herbivorous. They inhabit the forests of central Africa. Gorillas are divided into two species and either four or five subspecies. The DNA of gorillas is highly similar to that of a human, between 95 and 99% depending on what is counted, and they are the in their native habitat, is located between Mount Karisimbi Mount Karisimbi is an inactive volcano in the Virunga Mountains on the border between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. At 4,507 metres , Karisimbi is the highest of the eight major mountains of the mountain range, which is a part of the East African Rift Valley. Karisimbi is flanked by Mikeno to the north, Bisoke to the east and and Mount Bisoke Mount Bisoke is an extinct volcano in the Virunga Mountains of the Great Rift Valley. It straddles the border of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, but the summit is located in Rwanda. It is located approximately 35 km northeast of the town of Goma and adjacent Lake Kivu.
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National Parks
- Virunga National Park The Virunga National Park lies from the Virunga Mountains, to the Rwenzori Mountains, in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, bordering Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda and Rwenzori Mountains National Park in Uganda. Covering 7,800 square kilometres (3,000 sq mi) it was established in 1925 as Africa's first national park. It was classified, Democratic Republic of the Congo The Democratic Republic of the Congo , known until 1997 as Zaire, is a country located in Central Africa, with a small length of Atlantic coastline. It is the third largest country in Africa by area. The Democratic Republic of the Congo is, with the population more than 68 million, the eighteenth most populous nation in the world, and the fourth
- Volcanoes National Park Volcanoes National Park lies in northwestern Rwanda and borders Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Uganda. The national park is known as a haven for the mountain gorilla. It is home to five of the eight volcanoes of the Virunga Mountains (Karisimbi, Bisoke, Muhabura, Gahinga and Sabyinyo), Rwanda The Republic of Rwanda , known as the Land of a Thousand Hills, is a landlocked country located in the Great Lakes region of eastern-central Africa, bordered by Uganda, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Tanzania
- Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, Uganda The Republic of Uganda is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by Tanzania. The southern part of the country includes a substantial portion of Lake Victoria, which is also bordered by Kenya
List of mountains in the Virunga Mountain Range
In culture
- Michael Crichton John Michael Crichton, M.D. , best known as Michael Crichton, was an American author, producer, director, and screenwriter, best known for his work in the science fiction, medical fiction, and thriller genres. His books have sold over 150 million copies worldwide, and many have been adapted into films. In 1994, Crichton became the only creative's novel Congo is set mostly in the Virunga region.
- Samba Mapangala, a Congolese-Kenyan musician, had a band called Orchestra Virunga.
External links
- The Official Virunga National Park Website
- Kwita Izina - Official Baby Gorilla Naming Ceremony site- Virunga Rwanda
- "Mfumbiro". Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). 1911.
See also
Coordinates: 01°25′45″S 29°32′54″E / 1.42917°S 29.54833°E
Categories: Great Rift Valley | Volcanoes of the Great Rift Valley | Virunga Mountains | World Heritage Sites in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
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Mon, 21 Jun 2010 16:31:22 GMT+00:00
afp the rangers "killed immediately" the soldiers from the 18th Brigade of the DR Congolese army in the clash on Sunday in Virunga National Park in eastern DR ...
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The Rwenzori Massif is at the heart of the Albertine Rift Mountain Ecoregion one of the priority ecoregions for the WWF Network The Rwenzori Massif is at the heart of the
