Gorillas are found in the tropical forests of equatorial Africa, primarily in Central and West Africa. Their habitat is divided between two main species groups: eastern gorillas and western gorillas, separated by about 560 miles of Congo Basin forest. Eastern Gorillas live in the mountainous and submontane forests of three central African countries:
- Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)
- Rwanda
- Uganda
Within eastern gorillas:
- Mountain gorillas inhabit montane cloud forests at high elevations (2,200 to 4,300 meters) in the Virunga Volcanoes region and Bwindi Impenetrable Forest.
- Eastern lowland gorillas live in lower elevation forests and bamboo forests in DRC
Western Gorillas are found in lowland tropical rainforests and swamp forests across several countries in west and central Africa:
- Cameroon
- Central African Republic
- Gabon
- Republic of Congo
- Equatorial Guinea
- Nigeria
- Angola (Cabinda)
A special subspecies, the Cross River gorilla, has a very limited range along the Nigeria-Cameroon border. Overall, gorillas inhabit a range of forest types from lowland rainforests at sea level up to montane forests at elevations above 3,000 meters, depending on the species and subspecies
. In summary, gorillas are found in tropical and montane forests across about 10 African countries in Central and West Africa, with their populations fragmented but primarily concentrated in the Congo Basin and surrounding mountainous regions
