Ilhas de Orango National Park

This park in Guinea Bissau is found in the Bijagós Archipelago around the most southerly group of islands of Orangozinho, Orango, Canogo, Meneque and Imbone. This national park covers nearly 2700sq km with the park extending 10km offshore.

The park is composed of coastal woodlands, swampy shores, muddy coastal mangrove, water stream/channels and water logged savannah grasslands. The mangrove covers more than half of the entire park area besides the shallow seas.

More than four species of marine turtle breed on the islands and these include the Green Turtle, Loggerhead Turtle, Olive Ridley Turtle, Hawksbill Turtle and Leatherback Turtle. The Ilhéu do Poilão is the most important nesting area for the green sea turtle in the eastern Atlantic.

In addition to the biodiversity, the mangroves areas of Iles d’Orango National Park are regarded as an important nursery habitat of the most commercially important-fishing resources of the country – e.g. production of shrimps is estimated at nearly 6000 tons annually.