The Upemba Depression (or Kamalondo Depression) is a large marshy bowl area ( depression) in the

Democratic Republic of the Congo The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), also known as the DR Congo, Congo-Kinshasa, or simply the Congo (the last ambiguously also referring to the neighbouring Republic of the Congo), is a country in Central Africa. By land area, it is t ...

comprising some fifty lakes, including 22 of relatively large size including

Lake Upemba Lake Upemba ( French: ''Lac Upemba''; Dutch: ''Upembameer'') is a lake in Bukama, Haut-Lomami Province, the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It, and nearby Lake Kisale, is surrounded by the Upemba Depression in Upemba National Park. The nea ...

(530 km) and

Lake Kisale Lake Kisale is a lake in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), in Bukama Territory, Haut-Lomami District. At about in area, it is the second largest of the lakes in the Upemba Depression (Kamolondo Depression), an extensive marshy area part ...

(300 km). In an earlier era, the area was probably occupied by one large lake. The area is covered in marshland and is partially within the

Upemba National Park Upemba National Park ( French: ''Parc national d'Upemba'') is a large national park in Haut-Lomami, Lualaba Province & Haut-Katanga Province (formerly in Katanga Province) of the southeastern Democratic Republic of Congo, formerly Zaire. Geogr ...

in Haut-Lomami District. The Upemba Depression has been populated almost continuously since the 5th century AD, and is considered the origin of the

Kingdom of Luba The Luba Empire or Kingdom of Luba was a pre-colonial Central African state that arose in the marshy grasslands of the Upemba Depression in what is now southern Democratic Republic of Congo. Origins and foundation Archaeological research shows ...

(1585-1889). Chronology based on more than 55

radiocarbon dating Radiocarbon dating (also referred to as carbon dating or carbon-14 dating) is a method for Chronological dating, determining the age of an object containing organic material by using the properties of carbon-14, radiocarbon, a radioactive Isotop ...

s and

thermoluminescence Thermoluminescence is a form of luminescence that is exhibited by certain crystalline materials, such as some minerals, when previously absorbed energy from electromagnetic radiation or other ionizing radiation is re-emitted as light upon hea ...

shows periods of occupation since the

Stone Age The Stone Age was a broad prehistory, prehistoric period during which Rock (geology), stone was widely used to make stone tools with an edge, a point, or a percussion surface. The period lasted for roughly 3.4 million years and ended b ...

. The area includes many archaeological sites, such as the Kisalian Graves, and is on the tentative list for UNESCO

World Heritage Site World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...

. Roughly translated, the citation for its inclusion as World Heritage Site states:

This large depression has delivered the largest known cemetery in sub-Saharan Africa. Over 40 archaeological sites have been identified, but only six have been partially excavated so far. Their study allows tracing the complete sequence of the occupation of the region over two millennia, and thus reconstructing the history of a major ethnic group of Central Africa: the Luba.

Major lakes

* Lake Kabamba * Lake Kabele *

Lake Kabwe A lake is often a naturally occurring, relatively large and fixed body of water on or near the Earth's surface. It is localized in a basin or interconnected basins surrounded by dry land. Lakes lie completely on land and are separate from t ...

* Lake Kange * Lake Kibala *

* Lake Kalondo * Lake Kapondwe * Lake Kasala * Lake Kayumba * Lake Kiubo * Lake Lukonga * Lake Lunde * Lake Mulenda * Lake Muyumbwe * Lake Noala * Lake Sanwa * Lake Songwe * Lake Tungwe *

* Lake Zimbambo

References

Depressions (geology) Landforms of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Basins of Africa Haut-Lomami Geology of the Democratic Republic of the Congo {{HautLomami-geo-stub