10/10/2026
Facts about The Congo Basin, where Ash D***s is kayaking.
Did you know the Congo Basin is one of Earth's most intense lightning hotspots? Parts of this region experience exceptionally frequent thunderstorms, making its skies as fascinating as the rainforest below.
The Congo Basin is home to the world's second-largest tropical rainforest after the Amazon, covering approximately 3.7 million square kilometres across Central Africa.
The basin extends across several countries, like the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Cameroon, Gabon and the Central African Republic, with parts of the wider basin reaching other neighbouring countries.
The mighty Congo River stretches approximately 4,700 kilometres, making it Africa's second-longest river after the Nile. It is also the deepest known river in the world, with recorded depths exceeding 200 metres.
The rainforest shelters extraordinary wildlife, including gorillas, chimpanzees, bonobos, forest elephants and the elusive okapi, which is naturally found only in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Beneath this vast wilderness lies the world's largest known tropical peatland complex. The Cuvette Centrale peatlands store enormous quantities of carbon accumulated over thousands of years.
The Congo Basin plays a vital role in regulating the global climate. Its forests absorb carbon dioxide, while its peatlands store vast amounts of carbon, making the protection of this ecosystem critically important.
Millions of people depend on the basin's forests and rivers for freshwater, food, medicine and livelihoods. Indigenous communities like the Ba'Aka, have longstanding cultural connections to these forests.
Despite its global importance, the Congo Basin faces threats from deforestation, mining, logging, agricultural expansion and climate change.
As Ash D***s kayaks through this extraordinary wilderness, the world gets a glimpse of one of our planet's most remarkable natural environments.
Had you heard of these fascinating facts about the Congo Basin? And would you dare to kayak through this vast, wild landscape? Share your thoughts in the comments!