Volcanoes National Park

The Volcanoes National Park ( Parc National des volcans French ) is a 13,000 -acre national park in northwestern Rwanda. Just as the Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo National Park was created in 1969 from the division of the existing since 1925 Albert National Park. He is known especially for the persons mentioned in this mountain gorillas.

Geography

The park is located in northwestern Rwanda on the border with DR Congo and Uganda, about 15 kilometers northwest of the city of Ruhengeri. The park contains five of the eight Virunga volcanoes: Visoke ( other spellings: Bisoke or Bisoko ) Gahinga, Karisimbi, Muhabura and Sabinyo.

History

Albert National Park

The predecessor of the Volcanoes National Park was established in 1925 and was the first national park in Africa. First, only a small area around Karisimbi, Visoke and Mikeno was declared a national park to protect gorillas living here before poaching. 1929, the park was expanded by the colonial power Belgium to other areas in Ruanda- Urundi and the Belgian Congo. The park thus grew on an area of ​​8090 km ².

Division

After the independence of the Congo to the Albert National Park in 1969 was divided. It emerged the Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda and the Virunga National Park in DRC. The park by the Dian Fossey's research became well known. She built 1967 Karisoke Research Station between Karisimbi and Visoke. From there she explored in a longitudinal study the lives of mountain gorillas in the national park and was committed to the protection of animals. The park was declared a Biosphere Reserve in 1983. Dian Fossey was murdered in 1985 by unknown and buried in the gorilla graveyard near their research station.

Prior to the genocide in Rwanda struggles also found in the national park instead of repeatedly in the course of 1992, the administrative center of the National Park was attacked. As a result, the center was abandoned, and all the activities in the park were set up in 1999. After the end of the genocide, there was until now repeatedly isolated attempts of various rebel groups to establish themselves in the park.

Tourism

Financial investors from Dubai to plan the tourist development of the parks through an investment program. For just under 160 million euros, eight luxury tourism complexes to be built in Rwanda. As a tourist magnet is considered first line in the mountain gorilla population in the Volcanoes National Park and the neighboring national park.