Lastoursville

Lastoursville
Mandji
Lastoursville is located in Gabon
Lastoursville
Lastoursville
Location in Gabon
Coordinates: 0°49′S 12°22′E / 0.817°S 12.367°E / -0.817; 12.367
Country Gabon
ProvinceOgooué-Lolo Province
DepartmentMulundu
Postcard with view of the Konilou River at Mandji

Lastoursville or Mandji is a city in east-central Gabon, lying on the Ogooué River, the Trans-Gabon Railway and the N3 road. It was founded as a slave depot named Mandji, renamed Maadiville in 1883 before being named for François Rigail de Lastours in 1886. It grew around palm oil production and as an administrative centre, and soon became a major missionary centre. The town is also known for its caves.

The town lies at an elevation of 206 m.

Caves

Occupying a 90-sq-km site, there are more than 40 caves identified,[1] located in dense primary rainforest close to town. Traces of human activity dates back 7000 years, when the caves were used in rituals.[2]

World Heritage Status

The caves were added to the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List on October 20, 2005 in the Mixed (Cultural + Natural) category.[3]

Climate

Climate data for Lastourville (1961–1990)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 29.8
(85.6) 		30.5
(86.9) 		30.9
(87.6) 		30.7
(87.3) 		29.7
(85.5) 		28.1
(82.6) 		26.7
(80.1) 		27.2
(81.0) 		28.3
(82.9) 		29.7
(85.5) 		28.5
(83.3) 		28.2
(82.8) 		29.0
(84.2)
Daily mean °C (°F) 25.6
(78.1) 		25.9
(78.6) 		26.1
(79.0) 		26.1
(79.0) 		25.6
(78.1) 		24.4
(75.9) 		23.2
(73.8) 		23.6
(74.5) 		24.1
(75.4) 		25.3
(77.5) 		24.3
(75.7) 		24.3
(75.7) 		24.8
(76.6)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 21.3
(70.3) 		21.3
(70.3) 		21.3
(70.3) 		21.4
(70.5) 		21.4
(70.5) 		20.6
(69.1) 		19.6
(67.3) 		19.9
(67.8) 		19.9
(67.8) 		20.9
(69.6) 		20.1
(68.2) 		20.3
(68.5) 		20.7
(69.3)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 129.6
(5.10) 		138.8
(5.46) 		212.3
(8.36) 		132.4
(5.21) 		192.9
(7.59) 		42.1
(1.66) 		5.5
(0.22) 		19.6
(0.77) 		129.0
(5.08) 		291.0
(11.46) 		277.7
(10.93) 		108.9
(4.29) 		1,679.8
(66.13)
Average rainy days 9.6 10.1 13.5 13.0 13.9 4.6 2.0 2.7 9.3 18.1 18.1 12.2 127.1
Average relative humidity (%) 83 81 81 79 83 85 85 83 81 82 83 84 82
Mean monthly sunshine hours 149.8 150.5 166.1 158.1 148.9 114.2 80.1 74.2 106.1 136.0 134.9 135.5 1,554.4
Source: NOAA[4]

Notes

  1. ^ Oslisly, Richard; Testa, Olivier (2017-01-01). Recherches scientifiques dans les cavités de Lastoursville et mise en valeur de la grotte de Boukama - Rapport annuel 2016 (85p). Libreville, Gabon: Agence Nationale des Parcs Nationaux, Gabon. p. 85.
  2. ^ "Lastoursville Caves | Gabon Attractions".
  3. ^ Grottes de Lastourville - UNESCO World Heritage Centre
  4. ^ "Station Name: Lastourville" (TXT). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved 22 August 2024.

References

0°49′S 12°42′E / 0.817°S 12.700°E / -0.817; 12.700


Stub icon

This Gabon location article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.