Congo River

Congo River
Fleuve Congo
Rio Congo
Mto Kongo
Zaire River
Fleuve Zaïre
Rio Zaire
The Congo River near Kisangani, DR Congo
The drainage basin of the Congo River
Physical characteristics
SourceBoyoma Falls
 • locationKisangani
 • coordinates0°29′33.7776″N 25°12′24.8688″E / 0.492716000°N 25.206908000°E / 0.492716000; 25.206908000
 • elevation373 m (1,224 ft)
2nd sourceLualaba
 • locationKatanga Plateau
 • coordinates11°45′52.6212″S 26°30′10.062″E / 11.764617000°S 26.50279500°E / -11.764617000; 26.50279500
 • elevation1,420 m (4,660 ft)
3rd sourceChambeshi
 • coordinates9°6′22.824″S 31°18′20.898″E / 9.10634000°S 31.30580500°E / -9.10634000; 31.30580500
 • elevation1,760 m (5,770 ft)
MouthAtlantic Ocean
 • coordinates
06°04′30″S 12°27′00″E / 6.07500°S 12.45000°E / -6.07500; 12.45000
 • elevation
0 m (0 ft)
Length2,300 km (1,400 mi)[1]

Congo–Lualaba–Luvua–Luapula–Chambeshi 4,700 km (2,900 mi);

Congo–Lualaba 4,374 km (2,718 mi)[2]
Basin size4,014,500 km2 (1,550,000 sq mi)[3]
Width 
 • minimum200 m (660 ft) (Lower Congo); 1,440 m (4,720 ft) (Middle Congo)[4][5][6]
 • maximum19,000 m (62,000 ft) (mouth)
Depth 
 • average12 to 75 m (39 to 246 ft) (Lower Congo); 5 to 22 m (16 to 72 ft) (Middle Congo)[4][5][6]
 • maximum220 m (720 ft) (Lower Congo); 50 m (160 ft) (Middle Congo)[4][5][6]
Discharge 
 • locationBanana (near mouth)
 • average1,308 km3/a (41,400 m3/s)[7][3] 41,860 m3/s (1,478,000 cu ft/s)[8]
 • minimum23,000 m3/s (810,000 cu ft/s)[3]
 • maximum75,000 m3/s (2,600,000 cu ft/s)[3]
Discharge 
 • locationKinshasa, Brazzaville
 • average(Period: 1902–2019)40,500 m3/s (1,430,000 cu ft/s)[10][9] (Period: 1947–2023)41,268 m3/s (1,457,400 cu ft/s)[11]
 • minimum22,000 m3/s (780,000 cu ft/s) (1905)[9]
 • maximum77,000 m3/s (2,700,000 cu ft/s) (1961)[9]
Discharge 
 • locationKisangani
 • average(Period: 1951–2012)7,640 m3/s (270,000 cu ft/s)[10][9]
 • minimum3,240 m3/s (114,000 cu ft/s)[12]
 • maximum13,930 m3/s (492,000 cu ft/s)[12]
Discharge 
 • locationKindu
 • average2,213 m3/s (78,200 cu ft/s)[12]
 • minimum640 m3/s (23,000 cu ft/s)[12]
 • maximum7,640 m3/s (270,000 cu ft/s)[12]
Discharge 
 • locationBukama
 • average322 m3/s (11,400 cu ft/s)[12]
 • minimum52 m3/s (1,800 cu ft/s)[12]
 • maximum1,229 m3/s (43,400 cu ft/s)[12]
Basin features
ProgressionAtlantic Ocean
River systemCongo River
Tributaries 
 • leftLubudi, Lovoi, Luvidjo, Kasuku, Lomami, Lulonga, Ikelemba, Ruki, Irebu, Kasai, Lufimi, Inkisi
 • rightLufira, Luvua, Lukuga, Luama, Elila, Ulindi, Lowa, Maiko, Lindi, Aruwimi, Itimbiri, Mongala, Ubangi, Sangha, Likouala, Alima, Nkeni, Léfini, Djoué

The Congo River,[a] 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 220 m (720 ft).[13] The Congo–Lualaba–Luvua–Luapula–Chambeshi River system has an overall length of 4,700 km (2,900 mi), 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 1,800 km (1,100 mi).

Measured along with the Lualaba, the main tributary, the Congo River has a total length of 4,370 km (2,720 mi). It is the only major river to cross the equator twice.[14] The Congo Basin has a total area of about 4,000,000 km2 (1,500,000 sq mi), or 13% of the entire African landmass.

  1. ^ "Congo".
  2. ^ Ian James, Harrison; Randall E., Brummett; Melanie L. J., Stiassny (2016). "Congo River Basin". The Wetland Book. pp. 1–18. doi:10.1007/978-94-007-6173-5_92-2. ISBN 978-94-007-6173-5.
  3. ^ a b c d Cite error: The named reference bossche was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference Discharge and Other Hydraulic Measurements for Characterizing the Hydraulics of Lower Congo River was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference Velocity Mapping in the Lower Congo River: A First Look at the Unique Bathymetry and Hydrodynamics of Bulu Reach, West Central Africa was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference Multi-threaded Congo River channel hydraulics: Field-based characterisation and representation in hydrodynamic models was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ Aiguo, Dai; Kevin, E. Trenberth (2002). "Estimates of Freshwater Discharge from Continents: Latitudinal and Seasonal Variations". Journal of Hydrometeorology. 3 (6): 660–687. Bibcode:2002JHyMe...3..660D. doi:10.1175/1525-7541(2002)003<0660:EOFDFC>2.0.CO;2.
  8. ^ Igor Alekseevich, Shiklomanov (2009). Hydrological Cycle Volume III. EOLSS Publications. ISBN 978-1-84826-026-9.
  9. ^ a b c d Cite error: The named reference A New Look at Hydrology in the Congo Basin, Based on the Study of Multi-Decadal Time series was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Recent Budget of Hydroclimatology and Hydrosedimentology of the Congo River in Central Africa was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  11. ^ Matheus, Silveira de Queiroz; Rogério, Ribeiro Marinho (2024). "Congo River: Analysis of suspended sediment flux in a multichannel megasystem in Central Africa". Geography: 153-172. doi:10.5380/raega.v61i1.96047.
  12. ^ a b c d e f g h Cite error: The named reference The Congo River, Central Africa was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  13. ^ Oberg, Kevin (July 2008). "Discharge and Other Hydraulic Measurements for Characterizing the Hydraulics of Lower Congo River, July 2008" (PDF). U.S. Geological Survey. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2011-10-15. Retrieved 2012-03-14.
  14. ^ Forbath 1979, p. 6. "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."


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