Congo River Map, Location, Depth, Animals, Quick Facts

The Congo, the deepest and one of the longest rivers in the world. There are a number of notable rivers in Africa that have survived to this day. The Congo is the best known in Central Africa, flowing for 3000 km before entering the Atlantic estuary.

The Congo existed for millions of years before its discovery by Diogo Cão, a foreign explorer, in 1482; Another expedition by David Livingstone and Henry Morton Stanley revealed much more about the river. Everything about this river seems to be top notch. In the following you will learn everything about the “almighty” Congo.

Map, geographic location

Formerly known as the Zaire River, the Congo River typically lies on the border between Congo-Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the Republic of the Congo in west-central Africa. It is believed that the Congo River was formed over the course of approximately 1 to 2 million years. The river flows through Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Rwanda, Tanzania and Zambia and has a meeting point with the Atlantic. It has tons of islands and waterfalls and has been an important source of survival for millions of nearby Bantu residents in terms of food and water.

features, depth

The Congo is over 230 m deep and 4700 km long with a drainage basin of 4,014,500 km 2. Covering about 13% of the total African landmass, the river has a width ranging from 0.8 to 16 km (0.5 to 10 miles) and has over 9000 miles of beautiful and efficient shipping routes.

The Congo initiated the existence ofmany waterfalls in Africa – the famous Inga Falls and Livingstone Falls are not excluded. The “mighty” and magnificent piece of nature has an incredible 1,400,000 cubic feet of water flowing into the Atlantic every second, increasing to 1,800,000 cubic meters during the rainy season. The discharge ranks the Congo second only to the Amazon in the list of the world’s largest rivers, with waterways running through the Congo and surrounding nations.

Historical meaning

The Congo definitely has historical, economic and useful value for the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the other African nations. The first thing to mention is that the Republic of the Congo was once named after this historic river. As a protectorate, the Congo was formerly known as the State of Zaire – “Zaire” means river.

By navigating the shipping lanes of the Congo has sustained much of the trade in Central Africa since it made trading and distribution of cash crops such as copper, palm oil, sugar, coffee and cotton much easier and more plausible.

According to Factspedia, Congo is well capable of powering all of sub-Saharan Africa (if not the entire continent) and could in fact absorb 13% of the world’s electricity (hydroelectricity). The Inga Dams are clear evidence of the potential for super hydropower in Congo. The Grand Inga Dam (if built) is expected to be the largest hydroelectric project in the world – with a capacity of about 1000 TWh and 43.5 GW.

tourism, animals

Fishing in Congo, Kinshasa to be precise is never forgotten in the list of things to do in DRC. Another famous activity in Congo is Congo Expedition. A good time to explore the river’s full potential, whether it’s a full tour of the entire watercourse or a viewing of the wildlife and the tropics. Kinshasa is the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It literally sits on the banks of the Congo River and is still home to over 50% of the rainforests in Africa. The river is home to over 700 species of fish and other strange sea creatures 80% of which are found nowhere else in the world. Some of the dominant fish in the river are the Elephantfish (Mormyridae), Cichlids (Cichlidae), Characins (Characidae), Distichodontidae and many more.

The Congo is also surrounded by a wilderness that covers about 500 million hectares. The Congo Basin spans six countries: Cameroon, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea and Gabon. This rainforest is rich in highlands, mountains and greenery – a beautiful green-walled canyon that favors the gorillas and chimpanzees in the rainforest.

Among the more than 400 species of animals threatened with extinction, among the 10,000 species of tropical plants in the region are forest elephants, chimpanzees, bonobos, and lowland and mountain gorillas. Add to this the various bird species including the petrels, great crested grebes, frigatebirds, pelicans and more.

current condition

The most noticeable problem with most known African rivers is pollution; Basically from the exploration, exploitation and misuse of the natural wonders. It is well known that recent touring and industrial activities are leaving the river contaminated with chemicals and toxins that are good not only for the river but also for health. While the dams were built for the purpose of hydroelectric power, it is also feared that they are a significant contributor to the extinction of some fish species in the river.

Brief facts about the Congo

The Congo is famous for being the deepest and the ninth longest river in the world.

The Congo is the second longest river in Africa after the Nile and has a discharge of 1,500,000 cubic feet.

The Congo is the deepest river in the world. It reaches depths of over 750 feet (230 meters).

Diego Cao was the first European to discover and enter the Congo. He first sighted the river in 1482.

The river was renamed from Zaire River to Congo River in 1997 after Zaire changed its name to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

There are over 4000 islands around the river, over 50 of which are 16 km long.

The Congo Basin is home to 10,000 species of tropical plants, 1,000 species of birds, 700 species of fish and over 400 species of mammals.

The Congo rises from the highlands of north-eastern Zambia, as well as Lake Tanganyika and Lake Mweru. It empties into the Atlantic at Banane in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

There are about 40 hydroelectric power stations on the Congo River that provide electricity to many nearby countries in Central Africa. The river could even power all of sub-Saharan Africa.

The Congo River receives about 90 inches of rainfall annually. On its shore there are 30 waterfalls and a large number of islands, at least 50 of which are more than 16 km long.

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