Most are in Nigeria, with important areas Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea/Gabon and patches in Ghana, Democratic Republic of Congo, and northern Angola.

As well as being home to much wildlife the mangroves hold rivers in place, filter the waters and create build-ups of nutrient-rich soil on the banks.

Birds include breeding waterbirds such as striated heron and reed cormorant and large flocks of others during migration.

[3] Nigeria is the most densely populated country in Africa, which puts a strain on the largest remaining areas of these fertile coastal habitats.

Much has been cleared for urban and industrial development, such as the oil refineries of the Niger Delta which have also caused the rivers and swamps to become polluted.