Congo (river)

I

Introduction

Congo (river), river in Central Africa, for which two African countries are named: Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC, formerly Zaire) and Republic of the Congo. The entire length of the river lies within DRC or forms part of its border. At 4,374 km (2,718 mi) long, the Congo is the second longest river in Africa (after the Nile) and one of the longest in the world. It is also one of the largest rivers in the world in area of its watershed and in volume of water discharged. The Congo drains the vast Congo River Basin, an area of more than 4.1 million sq km (1.6 million sq mi), and, at high water periods, discharges approximately 34,000 cubic meters (1.2 million cubic feet) of water per second into the sea. Located in the heaviest rainfall belt of Africa, the Congo carries more water than any river except the Amazon in South America. As a navigable route into the African interior, the Congo serves as a main artery for transportation and has figured prominently in the region’s history. Kinshasa, the capital of DRC, and Brazzaville, the capital of Republic of the Congo, lie across the river from each other in the lower reaches of the Congo.

II

Description

Formed by the junction of the Lualaba and Luvua rivers in southern DRC, the Congo flows generally north as far as Stanley Falls, then loops west and south to an outlet on the South Atlantic Ocean. The river is as wide as 16 km (10 mi) in places and contains more than 4,000 islands. The Congo River Basin includes most of DRC, Republic of the Congo, northern Angola, northern Zambia, western Tanzania, and southern Central African Republic. The region is densely covered with tropical vegetation, particularly in the river valleys. The rich wildlife of the river includes crocodiles and numerous species of fish.

The river system is divided into four sections: the headwaters, the Upper Congo, the Middle Congo, and the Lower Congo.

A

Headwaters

The Congo’s remotest headstreams rise in northern Zambia and southern DRC, in elevations ranging from 1,000 to 2,000 m (3,000 to 7,000 ft) above sea level. These headstreams are broken by many rapids and therefore cannot be used for commercial navigation.

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In Zambia, the Chambeshi and other headstreams drain into Lake Bangweulu, a shallow lake surrounded by large swamps. The waters of Lake Bangweulu overflow into the Luapula, which forms the border between Zambia and DRC and flows into Lake Mweru. Lake Mweru drains into the Luvua in DRC. To the west, in southern DRC, the Lualaba and its headstreams rise in the highlands of the Katanga region. The Lualaba is joined by the Lufira at Lake Upemba and flows north to meet the Luvua in northern Katanga, an administrative region of the DRC.

B

Upper Congo

The Upper Congo (sometimes referred to as a continuation of the Lualaba) flows from the junction of the Lualaba and the Luvua northward to Stanley Falls (also called Boyoma Falls). Only 300 km (200 mi) of the Upper Congo, between the towns of Kindu and Ubundu, is navigable. Beyond Ubundu, a chain of seven cataracts makes the river impassable for 100 km (60 mi). Stanley Falls, the last of these cataracts, is 50 km (30 mi) north of the equator and 460 m (1,520 ft) above sea level. Kisangani, one of the largest cities in the DRC, lies just below the falls.

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