One of the largest continents on Earth is Africa. It is washed from all sides by seas and oceans: in the north - the Mediterranean Sea, in the northeast - the Red, in the west - the Atlantic Ocean, in the east - Indian. In addition to the adjacent waters, its own flows in it. The longest river in Africa is the Nile. Its length is almost 7 thousand km.
The study of the structures of the political, economic and social spheres of the state is carried out by a special science called Africanism.
Africa
The area of the mainland is 29 million km. If we take into account the size of the islands, then this figure grows to 30 million km. 55 countries are formed on the territory. They live a little more than one billion people. Also, this continent is considered the birthplace of many of the oldest peoples. The longest river in Africa, as mentioned above, is the Nile. It plays a very important role for the state, helping to irrigate the land in the right amount, transport many materials on ships, and also fill the needs of the people living here.
Africa is located in several climatic zones, and also crosses the equator. Unfortunately, due to the fact that rainfall is irregular here, due to which land irrigation does not reach the desired level, natural regulation of the atmosphere occurs only near the coast.
Africa is the only continent in the world that stretches from the northern to the southern subtropical climatic zone.
Africa's largest rivers
This country is rich in water currents. Their distribution over the entire mainland depends on the climate and topography of certain areas. You can immediately say that the rivers are uneven. This is due to the fact that in some areas precipitation is very rare, in others - often. In places where it rains regularly, for example, the river network is quite dense. The three largest watercourses in Africa: the Nile, Congo and Niger.
A large number of waterfalls, which are formed due to the corresponding terrain, are unsuitable for navigation, however, hydroelectric power stations are actively used for generating hydropower. A large number of water flows feed on rains, as snow, hail or glaciers are not typical of the local climate. In areas where precipitation occurs once every few months, dry river beds are found . A more detailed description of the rivers of Africa can be found below.
Nile
The greatest river of the world is the Nile. Its name is derived from the Greek "nylos". The source of the water stream, according to some sources, is located in Lake Victoria; the mouth is the Mediterranean Sea. Nile in combination - the longest river in Africa and almost the largest on planet Earth, occupying the 2nd place. A watercourse delta is formed at the mouth. In the Sahara desert has no tributaries. For the hottest countries in Africa, the Nile is salvation. Due to its waters, plantations are irrigated, and it is also used for drinking and other needs of the population. The riverbed is full-flowing, which contributes to the development of shipping and allows the transportation of various kinds of cargo. Until a hydroelectric power station was built, the Nile River, the drains of which were completely regulated, spilled several hundred km annually.
Congo
Congo begins near Mumen. An interesting fact is that Zaire and Lualaba are no less popular names for this river. A distinctive feature of the watercourse is that it crosses the equator twice. Congo is practically the longest river in Africa. Although in size it is inferior to the Nile, but in terms of fullness it takes an honorable first place in the mainland. What is most interesting, it is full-flowing all year. The mouth of the watercourse is the Atlantic Ocean.
Niger
Closes the top three rivers along the length of the Niger. Most of the watercourse is occupied by rapids and drains. It plays an important role for the state, as it flows through arid territories. Due to the fact that it allows you to irrigate the earth, many dams and canals are built on it. Falling into the Gulf of Guinea, located in the Atlantic Ocean, forms a large delta. It feeds on rains, the predominant amount of which falls in the summer. At the same time of the year, floods occur. The river itself is located in such a way that its upper and lower reaches receive a sufficient amount of precipitation due to the corresponding climate, and the average, on the contrary, is constantly subjected to evaporation and incomplete drought.
Zambezi
Zambezi is the fourth largest river. In addition, it is the longest among the streams flowing into the Indian Ocean. Interestingly, Victoria Falls belongs to this river. Its height is almost 120 m. It is also a conditional boundary between the upper and middle reaches. Zambezi is one of those rivers that have a huge number of tributaries. The largest of them is considered to be Cabompo.
The Atlantic Ocean is the mouth of the deepest river in Africa - Congo. But the longest watercourse of the Nile flows into the Mediterranean Sea. Thanks to the Zambezi River , it flows into one of the nearby oceans, namely the Indian Ocean. Due to the fact that the bottom of the rivers is stepped, new streams appear. A striking example is Victoria - the most beautiful and largest mainland waterfall.
For a long time there were disputes that have not stopped to this day, on the topic "How long is the Nile River?" Until 2013, it was the largest watercourse in the world. Now her place was taken by the Amazon. In addition, there remains little debate among scientists about the hydronyms of water flows. It is only known for certain that the name of the rivers of Africa is closely connected with the history of the state.