The Congo River, formerly also known as the Zaire River, is the second-longest river in Africa, shorter only than the Nile, as well as the third largest river in the world by discharge volume, following the Amazon and Ganges–Brahmaputra rivers. It is the world's deepest recorded river, with measured depths of around . The Congo–Lualaba–Luvua–Luapula–Chambeshi River system has an overall length of , which makes it the world's ninth-longest river. The Chambeshi is a tributary of the Lualaba River, and Lualaba is the name of the Congo River upstream of Boyoma Falls, extending for .
Measured along with the Lualaba, the main tributary, the Congo River has a total length of . It is the only major river to cross the equator twice.. "Not until it crosses the Equator will it at last turn away from this misleading course and, describing a remarkable counter-clockwise arc first to the west and then to the southwest, flow back across the Equator and on down to the Atlantic.In this the Congo is exceptional. No other major river in the world crosses the Equator even once, let alone twice." The Congo Basin has a total area of about , or 13% of the entire African landmass.
Name The name Congo/Kongo originates from the Kingdom of Kongo once located on the southern bank of the river. The kingdom in turn was named after the indigenous Bantu Kongo people, known in the 17th century as "Esikongo". South of the Kingdom of Kongo proper lay the similarly named Kakongo kingdom, mentioned in 1535. Abraham Ortelius labelled "Manicongo" as the city at the mouth of the river in his world map of 1564. The tribal names in Kongo possibly derive from a word for a public gathering or tribal assembly. The modern name of the Kongo people or Bakongo was introduced in the early 20th century.
The name Zaire is from a Portuguese adaptation of a Kikongo word, ("river"), a truncation of ("river swallowing rivers"). The river was known as Zaire during the 16th and 17th centuries; Congo seems to have replaced Zaire gradually in English usage during the 18th century, and Congo is the preferred English name in 19th-century literature, although references to Zahir or Zaire as the name used by the inhabitants remained common. The Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of the Congo are named after it, as was the previous Republic of the Congo which had gained independence in 1960 from the Belgian Congo. The Republic of Zaire during 1971–1997 was also named after the river's name in French and Portuguese.
Basin and course
The Congo's drainage basin covers , an area nearly equal to that of the European Union. The Congo's discharge at its mouth ranges from , with an average of . The river transports annually 86 million tonnes of suspended sediment to the Atlantic Ocean and an additional 6% of bedload.
The river and its tributaries flow through the Congo rainforest, the second-largest rainforest area in the world, after the Amazon rainforest in South America. The third-largest river in the world by discharge volume (at mouth 41,860 m3/s), following the Amazon (219,530 m3/s) and Ganges–Brahmaputra–Meghna (total discharge at delta 43,950 m3/s) rivers; the second-largest drainage basin of any river, behind the Amazon; and is one of the deepest rivers in the world, at depths greater than . Because its drainage basin includes areas both north and south of the Equator, its flow is stable, as there is always at least one part of the river experiencing a rainy season.The Congo River . Rainforests.mongabay.com. Retrieved on 29 November 2011.
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 toward the northwest from Kisangani just below the Boyoma Falls, then gradually bends southwestward, 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 Muanda.
Lower Congo constitutes the "lower" parts of the great river; that is the section of the river from the river mouth at the Atlantic coast to the twin capitals of Brazzaville and Kinshasa. In this section of the river, there are two significant tributaries, both on the left or south side. The Kwilu River originates in the hills near the Angolan border and enters the Congo some 100 km upstream from Matadi. The other is the Inkisi River, that flows in a northerly direction from the Uíge Province in Angola to the confluence with the Congo at Zongo some downstream from the twin capitals. Because of the vast number of rapids, in particular the Livingstone Falls, this section of the river is not operated continuously by riverboats.
Drainage basin
The Congo basin covers ten countries and accounts for about 13% of Africa. The highest point in the Congo basin is in the Ruwenzori Mountains, at an altitude of around above sea level.
Distribution of the Congo basin area between countries:
Country Area % 100.00 305,760 118,050 8.24 18,728 7,231 0.50 85,300 32,900 2.30 402,000 155,000 10.83 2,307,800 891,000 62.16 1,146 442 0.03 248,400 95,900 6.69 382 147 0.01 166,800 64,400 4.49 176,600 68,200 4.76 +The most important hydrological stations along the Congo River areStationDistancealong riverAltitudeBasin sizeMultiannualaverage dischargekmmimftkm2sq miStartyearm3/scu ft/sLower CongoBanana1915Inga 1959Kinshasa, Brazzaville1902Middle CongoMossaka Mbandaka1907Yangambi1907Kisangani1907Upper Congo(Lualaba)Boyoma Falls 1907Ubundu 1907Kindu1912Ankoro1935Bukama1933
Discharge Kinshasa and Brazzaville +The Congo River discharge at Kinshasa and Brazzaville gauging stations since the start of measurements (1902 to 2021):WateryearDischarge in m3/s (cu ft/s)WateryearDischarge in m3/s (cu ft/s)WateryearDischarge in m3/s (cu ft/s)MinMeanMaxMinMeanMaxMinMeanMax1902/031942/431982/831903/041943/441983/841904/051944/451984/851905/061945/461985/861906/071946/471986/871907/081947/481987/881908/091948/491988/891909/101949/501989/901910/111950/511990/911911/121951/521991/921912/131952/531992/931913/141953/541993/941914/151954/551994/951915/161955/561995/961916/171956/571996/971917/181957/581997/981918/191958/591998/991919/201959/601999/001920/211960/612000/011921/221961/622001/021922/231962/632002/031923/241963/642003/041924/251964/652004/051925/261965/662005/061926/271966/672006/071927/281967/682007/081928/291968/692008/091929/301969/702009/101930/311970/712010/111931/321971/722011/121932/331972/732012/131933/341973/742013/141934/351974/752014/151935/361975/762015/161936/371976/772016/17937/381977/782017/181938/391978/792018/191939/401979/802019/201940/411980/812020/211941/421981/82
Width and depth +Middle and Lower Congo width and depth: Location Width Average depth Max depth m ft m ft m ft Lower Congo
Ile Soka
Bulu
Ile Banza
Luozi
Muhambi
Pioka
Kinshasa– Brazzaville
Middle Congo Maloukou
Léchia
Kounzoulou–Miranda
Kunzulu
Kwamouth
Kasai at mouth
Congo at Kasai mouth
Mbali–Mosebwaka
Bouemba
Bolobo
Yumbi
Bounda
Mossaka
Lukolela
Bweta–Manga
Yambe
Liranga
Bomenenge–Mikuka
Mbandaka
Kisangani
Sources:
Tributaries
+The main river and tributaries are (sorted in order from the mouth heading upstream): Left tributary Right tributary Length Basin size Average discharge km mi km2 sq mi m3/s cu ft/s Congo Lower Congo(river mouth to Kinshasa) Luki Lué-Grande Fuila
M'pozo Lufu Kwilu Lwala Lukunga
Yambi
Mpioka
Lunzadi Inkisi Foulakary
Djoué Middle Congo(Kinshasa to the Boyoma Falls) N'djili Nsele Djiri
Yana Lufimi Mary Mai Mpili
Lidji Kasai Gam-bomba Léfini M'Pouya N'Goindi Gampoka Nkeni
Nkeme Nsolu Sangasi
Alima Likouala Sangha Pama
Manga
Irebu Ubangi Ruki Ikelemba Lulonga Moeko
Mongala
Lofofe Mioka
Isambi Molua Itimbiri Makpulu Loie Moliba Ikot Mokeke Lula Lunua Aruwimi Loleka Lukombe Lomami Lubilu Romée Lubania Lindi Upper Congo(Lualaba; upstream from the Boyoma Falls) Yoko Maiko
Oluka Obiautku Lilu
Ruiki
Lilo
Lowa Ulindi Kasuku
Ambe
Luti Elila Lueki
Kiha-muwa
Kabila
Lowe
Ganze
Lubutu
Kunda
Mulongoi
Lulindi
Luama Luika
Luvilo Lufutuka Lukuga Lubanzi Kay Lukuswa Luboy Luvidjo Kalongwe Luvua Kai Lubumbu Kalumen-gongo
Lovoi
Lufira Lubudi Kalule
Musonoi Lufupa
Kando
Nyund-welu Lukonga
Mukwishi
Source:
Lower Congo (river mouth to Kinshasa) Downstream of Kinshasa, from the river mouth at Banana, there are a few major tributaries. M'pozo (left) Kwilu (left) Inkisi (left) Foulakary (right) Djoué (right) Middle Congo (Kinshasa to the Boyoma Falls) Nsele (left) Lufimi (left) Mary (right) Kwa–Kasai (left) Fimi Lukenie Lokoro—Lake Mai-Ndombe Kwango Culio Wamba Kwilu Kwenge Inzia Loange Sankuru Lubilanji Lubefu Lubudi Lulua Chicapa Luachimo Lubembe Chiumbe Léfini (right) Nkeni (right) Alima (right) Likouala-Mossaka (right) Sangha (right) Likouala aux Herbes Ngoko Boumba Kadéï (570 km, 41,000 km2, 466 m3/s) Mambéré Ubangi (right) Giri Lua Lobaye Mbali Ouaka Kotto Mbomou Chinko Mbari Bili Uele Kibali Dungu Bomokandi Uere Irebu—Lake Tumba (left) Ruki (left) Momboyo Busira Salonga Tshuapa or Ruki (left) Lomela Ikelemba (left) Lulonga (left) Lopori Maringa Moeko (right) Mongala (right) Itimbiri (right) Aruwimi (right) Ituri Nepoko Lukombe (left) Lomami (left) Lindi (right) Tshopo Maiko (right) Upper Congo (Lualaba; upstream from the Boyoma Falls) Lilu (right) Ruiki (left) Lilo (left) Lowa (right) Oso Ulindi (right) Lugulu Kasuku (left) Ambe (right) Elila (right) Loho (left) Lubutu (left) Kunda (right) Luama (right) Luika (right) Lukuga (right) Rusizi (Lake Tanganyika) Malagarasi (Lake Tanganyika) Ugalla Gombe Moyowosi Luvidjo (left) Luvua (right) Kalungwishi (Lake Mweru) Luapula (Lake Mweru; 740 km, 173,386 km², 741 m3/s) Chambeshi (Lake Bangweulu, Bangweulu swamp; 500 km, 44,427 km², 185 m3/s) Kalumengongo (right) Lovoi (left) Lufira (right) Lubudi (left) Lufupa (left)
Economic importance
Although the Livingstone Falls prevent access from the sea, nearly the entire Congo above them 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 with few roads or railways.See, for instance, Thierry Michel's film Congo River 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.
Hydroelectric power The Congo River is the most powerful river in Africa. During the rainy season over of water per second flows into the Atlantic Ocean. Opportunities for the Congo River and its tributaries to generate hydropower are therefore enormous. Scientists have calculated that the entire Congo Basin accounts for 13 percent of global hydropower potential. This would provide sufficient power for all of Sub-Saharan Africa's electricity needs.Alain Nubourgh, Belgian Technical Cooperation (BTC) . Weetlogs.scilogs.be (27 April 2010). Retrieved on 2011-11-29.