Lastoursville
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, located in dense primary rainforest close to town. Traces of human activity dates back 7000 years, when the caves were used in rituals.
World Heritage Status
The caves were added to the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List on October 20, 2005 in the Mixed (Cultural + Natural) category.
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 | |||||||||||||
Notes
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Lastoursville Caves | Gabon Attractions".
- ^ Grottes de Lastourville - UNESCO World Heritage Centre
- ^ "Station Name: Lastourville" (TXT). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved 22 August 2024.
References
- Grottes de Lastourville - UNESCO World Heritage Centre Retrieved 2009-03-19.
- Lastoursville caves website www.grottes-de-lastoursville.org
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0°49′S 12°42′E / 0.817°S 12.700°E
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