Central Africa is a region of Africa on the eastern side of the continent.
Countries
Angola Former Portuguese colony which went through a brutal civil war. Now largely safe, but has been surprisingly slow to appear on the tourist radar |
Cameroon Sometimes referred to as Africa in Miniature, the terrain includes rain forest, desert plains, mountains and high plateau. |
Central African Republic Dense jungle in the south and semi arid in the Sahelian north, this very unstable country is very much off the radar for visitors. |
Democratic Republic of the Congo Huge, blessed with incredible natural wealth and beauty, culturally diverse, and is extremely unstable and dangerous |
Equatorial Guinea Perhaps one of the continent's most corrupt country, where massive oil wealth is confiscated by a thuggish government, is not a terribly safe place to travel, but it has great beaches, laid-back beach bars, and locals speak Spanish. |
Gabon Has escaped the strife afflicting other Central African states; rich in oil and mineral reserves and a high biodiversity. |
Republic of the Congo Huge tracts of forest with a small population mean great potential for eco-tourism, but the country is still to fully recover from a terrible war in the 1990s |
São Tomé and Príncipe Tiny islands in the Gulf of Guinea |
South Sudan The world's newest country, split off from warring neighbor Sudan in July 2011 |
Cities
- Bangui — capital of the Central African Republic
- Cabinda — Angolan exclave with large oil wealth and an active independence movement
- Brazzaville — capital of the Republic of the Congo; contiguous with its much larger neighbour across the Congo river, Kinshasa
- Goma — gateway town to wonderful volcano trekking and gorilla park in the Kivu region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Kinshasa— capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Libreville capital of Gabon and a major oil commerce centre
- Luanda — the capital of Angola which has been through a huge renaissance in past decade
- Malabo — capital of Equatorial Guinea located offshore on the island of Bioko
- Yaoundé — the capital of Cameroon
Other destinations
- Dzanga Sangha National Reserve — large rainforest park on the Sangha River in Republic of the Congo.
- Garamba National Park — a vast, isolated national park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which has recently become relatively safe to visit, if you have enough time to actually get there!
- Lesio Louna Gorilla Reserve — is dedicated to the protection of gorillas in the Republic of the Congo.
- Loango National Park — a 100-km stretch of virgin beaches and adjacent rainforest in Gabon, both scenic and a place to view leopards, elephants, gorillas, & monkeys on the beach.
- Maiko National Park — vast park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo which is sadly off limits for most tourists due to constant conflict in the area.
- Manovo-Gounda St. Floris National Park — a UNESCO World Heritage Site and important national park in the Central African Republic.
- Ngoketunjia — a beautiful grasslands region in Cameroon inhabited by semi-Bantu and Fulani people.
- Virunga National Park — Africa's first national park, very important for the future conservation of the mountain gorilla, and threatened by the Democratic Republic of the Congo's conflicts.
Understand
Ramadan Ramadan is the 9th and holiest month in the Islamic calendar and lasts 29–30 days. Muslims fast every day for its duration and most restaurants will be closed until the fast breaks at dusk. Nothing (including water and cigarettes) is supposed to pass through the lips from dawn to sunset. Non-Muslims are exempt from this, but should still refrain from eating or drinking in public as this is considered very impolite. Working hours are decreased as well in the corporate world. Exact dates of Ramadan depend on local astronomical observations and may vary somewhat from country to country. Ramadan concludes with the festival of Eid al-Fitr, which may last several days, usually three in most countries.
If you're planning to travel to Central Africa during Ramadan, consider reading Travelling during Ramadan. |
Talk
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Wildlife
Animals such as Mandrills, Western Lowland Gorillas and African forest elephants.
Itineraries
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Stay safe
There are Islamist and jihadist groups with links to al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb that operate in Central Africa which include the Ansaru and the Seleka. Some of these jihadi groups cooperate and have targeted westerners and non-Muslims.