Website Category: Mountains
Area: 177 km2
Inscribed: 1981, 1982
Criteria: (ix) ecological processes; (x) biodiversity
Values: The Mount Nimba range rises abruptly from the surrounding plains to an altitude of 1752m, the highest point in West Africa. Its location and isolation from other mountains has resulted in the evolution of many endemic or near-endemic species, especially amongst the fauna and flora of the high altitude grasslands. Part of the range is protected as a trans-boundary reserve between Guinea, Côte d'Ivoire and Liberia, supporting an exceptional variety of forest and savanna habitats and biodiversity. But its protected status is compromised because the range contains some of the highest grade iron ore in the world, and mining interests have taken precedence in the Liberian sector and resulted in an extensive excision on the Guinean side.
Other International Designation: MAB Biosphere Reserve
Slideshow of the Mount Nimba Strict Nature Reserve
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Links to other world heritage mountains: uKhahlamba-Drakensberg I Simien I Kilimanjaro I Mount Kenya I Rwenzori
Links: Google Earth | UNEP-WCMC Site Description |Official UNESCO Site Details | Birdlife IBA Guinea | Birdlife IBA Ivory Coast