The world's second biggest rainforest 5,000 miles from the Amazon

It is one of the most important wilderness areas left on earth (Image: Getty) More than 5,000 miles away from the infamous Amazon Rainforest, the Congo Basin sits in Central Africa as one of the most important wilderness areas that remain on Earth. The massive ecological hub is the world's second-largest tropical forest, and sitting at over 500 million acres it is larger than the state of Alaska. The Congo Basin spreads across six countries in Central Africa, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea and Gabon.

The rainforest is made up of a puzzle of rivers, forests, savannas, swamps and floodest forests, and is home to around 10,000 species of tropical plants. A total of 30 per cent of these plants are unique to the region, nodding at how important it is for the planet's ecodiversity. Some 400 species of mammals including endangered species such as forest elephants, chimpanzees, bonobos and lowland and mountain gorillas are sprawled out across the lush forests.

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