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 (french: République démocratique du Congo (RDC), colloquially "La RDC" ), informally Congo-Kinshasa, DR Congo, the DRC, the DROC, or the Congo, and formerly and also colloquially Zaire, is a country in ...

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

Lake Upemba Lake Upemba is a lake in Bukama, Haut-Lomami District, the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It, and nearby Lake Kisale, is surrounded by the Upemba Depression in Upemba National Park. The nearest town is Nyonga, and the nearest hospital is locate ...

(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 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. Geography At the time of the creation of Upe ...

Haut-Lomami District Haut-Lomami District was a district of the pre-2015 Katanga Province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The district dates back to the days of the Belgian Congo. At its greatest extent it roughly corresponded to the northern part of the cu ...

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

Kingdom of Luba The Kingdom of Luba or Luba Empire (1585–1889) 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 Archaeologic ...

(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 determining the age of an object containing organic material by using the properties of radiocarbon, a radioactive isotope of carbon. The method was dev ...

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 he ...

shows periods of occupation since the

Stone Age The Stone Age was a broad prehistoric period during which stone was widely used to make tools with an edge, a point, or a percussion surface. The period lasted for roughly 3.4 million years, and ended between 4,000 BC and 2,000 BC, with t ...

. The area includes many archaeological sites and is on the tentative list for UNESCO

World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...

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

This large depression has delivered the largest known cemetery in the 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 A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a Depression (geology), basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the World Ocean, oce ...

* Lake Kabele *

Lake Kabwe A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much larger ...

* Lake Kange * Lake Kibala *

* Lake Kalondo * Lake Kapondwe * Lake Kasala * Lake Kayumba * Lake Kiubo *

Lake Lukonga A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much larger ...

* Lake Lunde *

Lake Mulenda A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much larger ...

* Lake Muyumbwe *

Lake Noala A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much larger ...

Lake Sanwa A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much larger ...

* 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 {{DRCongo-geo-stub