Explanation
Option (a) is correct: The Congo Basin is a vast region in Central Africa, encompassing approximately 3.7 million square kilometers. It spans across several countries, including Cameroon, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, and Gabon. It is home to the Congo Rainforest which is the second-largest tropical rainforest globally, after the Amazon. This region plays a crucial role in climate regulation, carbon storage, and biodiversity conservation. Cameroon forms the northwestern boundary of the Congo Basin. The southeastern parts of Cameroon--especially the regions of East, South, and Centre provinces--are covered by dense equatorial rainforests that are part of the basin.
Option (b),(c) and (d) are incorrect:
Nigeria is located further west. Nigeria’s terrain is dominated by savannah, mangroves, and rainforests but it is located outside the Congo Basin. South Sudan is rich in wetlands (Sudd Swamp) but it lies northeast of the Congo Basin and is part of the Nile Basin. Uganda shares a border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo but it belongs to the Great Lakes Region and Nile River Basin and not the Congo Basin.
Congo Basin is home to over 10,000 species of plants, 400 species of mammals, and 1,000 species of birds. It stores around 8% of the world’s forest-based carbon which is crucial for mitigating climate change. It supports indigenous tribes like the Baka Pygmies, who depend on the forests for survival.