The Congo River ranks second among the great rivers of the world in terms of the volume of water transported, second only to the Amazon in this indicator. At the same time, it occupies the tenth place in terms of length. The length, depending on the measurement method, can vary from 4,374 to 4,700 km. In any case, the catchment area of the river is more than four million square kilometers. Despite the large area of its basin, it ranks second in Africa in terms of length, second only to the Nile, in contrast to which it has a more stable level of flow during the year.
What are the power sources of the Congo River?
According to one source, the Congo River is a continuation of the Lualaba River, which changes its name in the area of Kisangani, interrupted by Stanley Falls. With this calculation, the main source of food for the Congo River is on a high plateau near the border with Zambia.
There is another view of where such a large river originates. According to the second version, the source of the Congo River nevertheless originates from the Chambesi River, originating in the swamps near Lake Tanganyika, and before it gets the name Congo, it turns into a shallow lake Bangvelu. After that, also passing through the lakes, the river changes its name twice to Luapula and Louvois until it flows into the Luapula River, which is considered an unconditional part of the Congo River.
Tributaries of the Congo River
Throughout its length, the river has a large number of waterfalls and rapids, which makes it a very rich source of hydropower, but complicates navigation, which is only possible in certain sections in the middle and upper reaches. In the lower reaches, the passage of vessels is hampered by dozens of rapids formed as a result of a strong elevation drop.
Throughout its entirety, the Congo and its tributaries actively absorb and collect water from the slopes of the surrounding mountains. Thus, an important source of nutrition for the Congo River is precipitation, which abundantly falls in the region of the equator in October-November annually.
The closest to the source are the tributaries of the Louvois and Lukug, downstream the Lomami, Ruki, Kasai and the two largest tributaries - Sanga and Ubangi. An interesting phenomenon is the confluence of the Congo with the rivers Ubangi and Sanga. During the rainy season, a huge lake forms at the river crossing, which is considered the largest seasonally flooded area in the world.
Congo River Seasonal Power Supplies
Twice a year, the river drain increases significantly, due to heavy rains in the mountainous regions of the country. Flowing down the slopes, waters fill the tributaries and the main channel.
When posing the question in this way: determine the sources of food for the Congo River, the following factors can be mentioned that affect its full flow.
Initially, the river is fed by the water resources of the country's humid mountain region. Then, flowing along an equally generous region of moisture, it collects water flowing down from the mountains. Twice a year, seasonal rains irrigate all the highlands of Central Africa, which significantly affects its full flow.