Congo River
| Congo River | |
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.JPG) The Congo River near Mossaka |
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| Mouth | Atlantic Ocean |
| Basin countries | Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Tanzania, Zambia |
| Length | 4,700 km (2,920 mi) |
| Avg. discharge | 41,000 m3/s (1,400,000 cu ft/s) |
| Basin area | 4,014,500 km2 (1,550,000 sq mi) |
The Congo River (also known as the Zaire River) is the second largest river in the world by volume of water discharged, though it has only one-fifth the volume of the world's largest river, the Amazon. Additionally, its overall length of 4,700 km (2,920 mi) makes it the second longest river in Africa (after the Nile). Its drainage basin covers 4,014,500 square kilometres (1,550,000 sq mi).[1] The Congo's discharge at its mouth ranges from 23,000 cubic metres per second (810,000 cu ft/s) to 75,000 cubic metres per second (2,600,000 cu ft/s), with an average of 41,000 cubic metres per second (1,400,000 cu ft/s).[1]
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Background
The river and its tributaries flow through the Congo rainforest, the second largest rain forest area in the world, second only to the Amazon Rainforest in South America. The river also has the second-largest flow in the world, behind the Amazon; the second-largest drainage basin of any river, again trailing the Amazon; and is the deepest river in the world, at depths greater than 230 m (750 ft).[2][3] Its drainage basin is slightly larger than that of the Mississippi. Because large sections of the river basin lie above and below the equator, its flow is stable, as there is always at least one part of the river experiencing a rainy season.[4]
The Congo gets its name from the ancient Kingdom of Kongo which inhabited the lands at the mouth of the river. The Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of the Congo, both countries lying along the river's banks, are named after it. Between 1971 and 1997 the government of then-Zaire called it the Zaire River.
The sources of the Congo are in the highlands and mountains of the East African Rift, as well as Lake Tanganyika and Lake Mweru, which feed the Lualaba River, which then becomes the Congo below Boyoma Falls. The Chambeshi River in Zambia is generally taken as the source of the Congo in line with the accepted practice worldwide of using the longest tributary, as with the Nile River.
The Congo flows generally northwards from Kisangani just below the Boyoma falls, then gradually bends southwestwards, passing by Mbandaka, joining with the Ubangi River, and running into the Pool Malebo (Stanley Pool). Kinshasa (formerly Léopoldville) and Brazzaville are on opposite sides of the river at the Pool, where the river narrows and falls through a number of cataracts in deep canyons (collectively known as the Livingstone Falls), running by Matadi and Boma, and into the sea at the small town of Muanda. Because it flows through some of the highest canyons, it has recently been discovered that the Congo River is the deepest river in the world, with measured depths in excess of 230 m (750 ft).[3][5]
The Congo River Basin is one of the distinct physiographic sections of the larger Mid-African province, which in turn is part of the larger African massive physiographic division.
Economic importance
Although the Livingstone Falls prevent access from the sea, nearly the entire Congo is readily navigable in sections, especially between Kinshasa and Kisangani. Large river steamers worked the river until quite recently. The Congo River still is a lifeline in a land without roads or railways.[6]
Railways now bypass the three major falls, and much of the trade of central Africa passes along the river, including copper, palm oil (as kernels), sugar, coffee, and cotton. The river is also potentially valuable for hydroelectric power, and the Inga Dams below Pool Malebo are first to exploit the Congo river.
Hydroelectric power
The Congo River is the most powerful river in Africa. During the rainy season over 50,000 cubic meters of water per second flow into the Atlantic Ocean. Opportunities for the Congo River and its tributaries to raise hydropower are therefore enormous. Scientists have calculated that the entire Congo Basin accounts for thirteen percent of global hydropower potential. This would provide sufficient power for all of sub-Saharan Africa's electricity needs.[7]
Currently there are about forty hydropower plants in the Congo Basin. The largest is the spectacular Inga Falls, about 200 km southwest of Kinshasa. The prestigious Inga Project was launched in early 1970 to build the first dam. Four additional dams and the construction of a gigantic dam would have a capacity of 34 500 megawatts, constituting nearly three times the capacity of all current Belgian power plants together. To date only two dams have been built the Inga I and Inga II, of which constitute fourteen turbines.[7]
In February 2005, South Africa's state-owned power company, Eskom, announced a proposal to increase the capacity of the Inga dramatically ya through improvements and the construction of a new hydroelectric dam. The project would bring the maximum output of the facility to 40 GW, twice that of China's Three Gorges Dam.[8]
Tributaries
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Sorted in order from the mouth heading upstream. |
Course and Drainage basin of the Congo River with countries marked
Course and Drainage basin of the Congo River with topography shading.
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Literature
Although not explicitly cited, the Congo River is the location of Joseph Conrad's 1902 novel Heart of Darkness.
The Congo River is featured in a chapter of Michael Crichton's novel Congo (published in 1980), as well as the feature film of the same name, though it is not mentioned by name in the film.
The Congo is also mentioned in Langston Hughes' poem "The Negro Speaks of Rivers"
Silence, A Fable is a radio drama adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe's short story written in 1837 and set in Libya, "by the borders of the river Zaire".
The river's history is discussed in the books Brazza, A Life for Africa (by Maria Petringa, Bloomington, IN: AuthorHouse, 2006) and King Leopolds Ghost (by Adam Hochschild).
Redmond O"Hanlon (British) has a travelogue recently published by Penguin Books under the title of "Congo Journey".
The Congo River and the Democratic Republic of Congo are the scenario for the 2007 book "Blood River" by journalist Tim Butcher, based on his intrepid travels up and down Africa's second longest river. "Blood River" was shortlisted for the 2008 British Book Awards.
See also
- Hydrology transport model
- Portage railway
- Congo (disambiguation)
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Bossche, J.P. vanden; G. M. Bernacsek (1990). Source Book for the Inland Fishery Resources of Africa, Volume 1. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. p. 338–339. ISBN 9789251029831. http://books.google.com/books?id=WLZRxM9vfXoC&pg=PA338.
- ↑ "[Fish of the Congo]". Explorer. National Geographic Channel. 2009.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Dickman, Kyle (2009-11-03). "Evolution in the Deepest River in the World". Science & Nature. Smithsonian Magazine. http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/Evolution-in-the-Deepest-River-in-the-World.html.
- ↑ The Congo River
- ↑ The Congo Project, American Museum of Natural History (AMNH)
- ↑ See, for instance, Thierry Michel's film Congo River
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Alain Nubourgh, Belgian Technical Cooperation (BTC)
- ↑ Vasagar, Jeevan (2005-02-25). "Could a $50bn plan to tame this mighty river bring electricity to all of Africa?". World news (London: The Guardian). http://www.guardian.co.uk/congo/story/0,12292,1425023,00.html. Retrieved 2010-04-30.
External links
- Bibliography on Water Resources and International Law Peace Palace Library
- Information and a map of the Congo's watershed
- Map of the Congo River basin at Water Resources eAtlas
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Miller Mosley