Congo River

The Congo River, also called the Zaire River, is the second-longest river in Africa. Only the Nile is longer. It is the deepest river in the world, with depths around 220 m (720 ft). This big river is very important for the people and land of central Africa.

The Congo River is the third largest river in the world by discharge. It carries more water than any other river in Africa. Only the Amazon and the Ganges–Brahmaputra rivers carry more water. Its waters help many plants, animals, and communities.

The Congo River is special because it crosses the equator twice. This gives the river a rich and varied environment. It affects the climate and wildlife around it. The Congo Basin, the area drained by the river and its tributaries, is one of the largest tropical rainforests in the world.

Name

The name Congo/Kongo comes from the Kingdom of Kongo, which was once on the southern bank of the river. The kingdom was named after the Bantu Kongo people.

The name Zaire comes from a Portuguese version of a Kikongo word, nzere, meaning "river." This name was used in the 16th and 17th centuries. Today, both the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of the Congo are named after this river.

Basin and course

Main article: Congo Basin

The Congo River's drainage basin is very large, about the same size as the European Union. It is one of the deepest rivers in the world, with depths over 220 m. The river flows through the Congo rainforest, the world's second-largest rainforest, and ends in the Atlantic Ocean.

The river starts in the highlands of the East African Rift and passes through many places, including Kinshasa and Brazzaville, before reaching the sea. Along its path, there are several falls and rapids, which can make it hard for boats to travel.

Drainage basin

Main article: Congo Basin

The Congo basin covers ten countries and is about 13% of Africa. The highest point here is in the Ruwenzori Mountains, about 4,340 metres (14,240 feet) above sea level.

Discharge

Kinshasa and Brazzaville

The Congo River is one of the strongest rivers in the world. It carries a lot of water, making it the third largest river by how much water it moves. This big flow of water is very important for the countries it runs through. It helps with transportation and gives water to many people. The cities of Kinshasa and Brazzaville are close to the river, which helps them stay connected and grow.

Width and depth

The Congo River is very wide and deep. It is the deepest river in the world. Depths reach about 220 meters, as tall as a 72-story building! This depth lets lots of water flow through, making it one of the largest rivers by how much water it carries.

Tributaries

The Congo River has many tributaries that flow into it from different directions.

Lower Congo

From the river mouth at Banana to Kinshasa, major tributaries include M'pozo, Kwilu, Inkisi, Foulakary, and Djoué.

Middle Congo

From Kinshasa to the Boyoma Falls, tributaries include Nsele, Lufimi, Mary, Kwa–Kasai, Léfini, Nkeni, Alima, Likouala–Mossaka, Sangha, Ubangi, Irebu—Lake Tumba, Ruki, Ikelemba, Lulonga, Moeko, Mongala, Itimbiri, Aruwimi, Lukombe, Lomami, Lindi, and Maiko.

Upper Congo

From Lualaba upstream of the Boyoma Falls, tributaries include Lilu, Ruiki, Lilo, Lowa, Ulindi, Kasuku, Ambe, Elila, Loho, Lubutu, Kunda, Luama, Luika, Lukuga, Luvidjo, Luvua, Kalumengongo, Lovoi, Lufira, Lubudi, and Lufupa.

Economic importance

The Congo River is very important for transportation and trade in Central Africa, especially where there are few roads or railways. Even though large waterfalls block ships from reaching the sea, most of the river can be used for travel. Many goods such as copper, palm oil, sugar, coffee, and cotton move along the river.

The Congo River also has great potential for producing electricity. It is the most powerful river in Africa, with lots of water flowing into the Atlantic Ocean. There are many power plants along the river, with the biggest ones being the Inga dams near Kinshasa. These dams help provide electricity, and there are plans to build more to increase power.

Natural history

The Congo River formed a very long time ago, between 1.5 and 2 million years ago, during a time called the Pleistocene. During this time, many of its upper parts came from nearby rivers. This river may have helped separate the bonobo from the common chimpanzee. The bonobo and other special animals like the okapi live in the forests around the river.

The Congo River has many different kinds of fish and animals that live only there. As of 2009, almost 800 fish species have been found in the river. Some special fish include the giant tigerfish, a whitish blind fish that lives deep below the surface, and a cavefish found only in Central Africa. The river is also home to turtles, crocodiles, and African manatees.

History

Pre-colonial history

Main article: Pre-colonial history of the Democratic Republic of the Congo

See also: Category:Ethnic groups in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

The Congo River area has been home to many people for thousands of years. The Bantu peoples reached the middle Congo around 500 BC and the upper Congo by the first century AD. Today, some smaller groups, called Pygmies or Abatwa, still live in the forests of the Congo Basin.

By the 1300s, several important states had formed along the river. The Kingdom of Kongo was one of the strongest, beginning in the late 1300s. European explorers first found the Congo River in 1482 when a Portuguese sailor named Diogo Cão reached its mouth. He met the Kingdom of Kongo, but the whole length of the river was still unknown for many years.

Early European colonization

Main article: Colonization of the Congo Basin

In the late 1800s, a British explorer named Henry Morton Stanley traveled through the region. He wanted to find out if a river called the Lualaba flowed into the Congo River. After a long journey, Stanley proved that the Lualaba was part of the Congo River. He met local tribes and faced many challenges.

Stanley reached the cities we now call Kinshasa and Brazzaville in 1877. He later helped start a trading post there. The area was later controlled by King Leopold II of Belgium, who named it after himself.