Who discovered the mouth of the deepest river in the Congo. Description of the Congo River

The mouth of the Congo River was discovered in 1482. Portuguese navigator and trader Diego Can (1440-1486). This geographical discovery he did not do it for scientific purposes - the Portuguese established commercial relations with the Kingdom of the Congo, whose economy was based on the slave trade.
Terrible tropical diseases, harsh climate, impenetrable swamps and forests, and the hostility of the local population limited the curiosity of Europeans in exploring these territories until the last quarter of the XIX V. Until this time, Portuguese, British and French traders purchased slaves while remaining in their trading posts on the Atlantic coast.
The first European to reach the upper reaches of the Congo, the Lualaba River, on March 29, 1871, was the Scotsman David Livingston. The deteriorating health of the famous explorer of Africa did not allow him to draw a conclusion about which river basin - the Congo or the Nile - Lualaba belongs to.
Livingston’s compatriot had already walked most of the Congo River, English journalist Henry Morton Stanley, in 1876-1877 Having overcome almost 5,000 km from east to west Africa on a dangerous journey, he reached the mouth of the Congo.
Already under the patronage of the Belgian King Leopold II and at his expense, Stanley, in a new expedition in 1881, founded a number of stations on the banks of the river.
Full water throughout the year is a feature of the Congo River.

Source and basin

The Congo River Basin, located in the very center of the African continent, ranks second in area in the world. The source of the Congo is most often considered to be the Lualaba River, which originates near the southeastern border Democratic Republic Congo. But there is an opinion that the source of the Congo is the Chambesi River, starting near the southern tip of the lake.
The peculiarity of the Congo River is its uniform flow of water throughout the year. This is explained by the fact that the Congo Basin is located on both sides of the equator, and therefore the flow of water from the rivers Northern hemisphere filled with intense summer rains, replenishes the winter shallowing of the southern tributaries of the river.
The Congo Basin covers the so-called Congo Basin and its marginal plateaus. The river is usually divided into three main sections. From the headwaters to Stanley Falls there is an upper section. From Stanley Falls to the city of Kinshasa, middle and then lower.
Having passed the city of Kongolo, the river crosses the barrier of solid crystalline rocks and makes its way through the gorge, which is rightly called Hell's Gate. Rapids and waterfalls stretch all the way to the town of Kindu. This is where they start tropical forests, which surround the river for 2000 km.
Outside the city of Kinshasa, Livingston Falls begin, the height of which is about 40 m. When it flows into the Atlantic Ocean, the Congo expands to 11 km and reaches a depth of up to 230 m.

General information

River in Central Africa second in the world in terms of depth - flows into Atlantic Ocean.
Official name: Congo River.
Languages spoken in the river basin: French, Portuguese English, Bantu (Congo), Lingala, Sango, Swahili, Rwanda, Rundi.
Religion: Half of the Congo Basin population is Christian, 48% is indigenous, 2% is Islam.
Largest cities:, 10,076,099 people (2009), Matadi, Mbandaka (Democratic Republic of the Congo), Brazzaville (Republic of the Congo), Bangui (Central African Republic), Bujumbura (Burundi).
Main ports on the Congo River: Brazzaville (Republic of the Congo), Kinshasa, Matadi (seaport), Mbandaka, Kisangani, Ubundu, Kindu, Congolo (Democratic Republic of the Congo); on the Ubangi River - Bangui (CAR); on the Kasai - Ilebo River (DRC).
Countries in the river basin: Democratic Republic of the Congo (60% of the basin area); Republic of the Congo; Central African Republic, Angola, Zambia, Cameroon, Rwanda, Burundi and Tanzania.
Main tributaries: Luvoa, Lukuga, Lomami, Ruki, Kasai, Aruvimi, Ubangi, Sanga.
Large lakes of the river basin: Tanganyika, Kivu, Bangweulu, Mai-Ndombe, Tumba.

Numbers

Pool area: 3,680,000 km2.
Population: more than 100 million people.
Population density: 27 people/km 2 .
Ethnic composition: more than 200 nations.
River length: 4344 km - from the source of Lualaba, 4700 km - from the source of Chambesi.
Highest point: Peak Margherita (5109 m).
Width of the channel: at the confluence with the Atlantic Ocean - 11 km; desalinizes the ocean 75 km from the coast.
Average annual flow: 1230-1453 km 3; solid runoff - about 50,000 million tons per year.

Economy

Hydroelectric power plants, shipping, fishing, oil production. The total length of shipping routes along the rivers and lakes of the Congo Basin is about 20,000 km. 4 main shipping sections: Bukama - Kongolo (645 km), Kindu - Ubundu (300 km), Kisangani - Kinshasa (1742 km), Matadi - mouth (138 km). Proven oil reserves are estimated at 1.5 billion barrels. About 400 wells are in operation. Oil accounts for 90% of export earnings in the Democratic Republic of Congo. GDP per capita in the DRC in 2009 was about $300. According to environmentalists, every year as a result of development agriculture, construction and mining are destroying about 1.8 million hectares of African tropical forests.

Climate and weather

Equatorial and subequatorial.
Average annual temperature: +22...+26ºС.
Precipitation: 2000-3000 mm per year.

Attractions

■ Stanley Falls;
■ Livingston Falls;
■ Lakes;
■ National parks Virunga, Salonga, Garamba, etc.;
■ National Museum in Kinshasa.

Curious facts

■ National symbol The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a rare animal living in the tropical forests, the okapi - a relative of the giraffe, but lacking such a long neck.
■ The Congo is the only major river that crosses the equator twice.
■ In the upper Congo, 7 waterfalls form the Stanley Falls, named after Henry Morton Stanley (1841-1904), an explorer of Africa. In the lower reaches, 32 waterfalls are named after David Livingstone (1813-1873), a colleague of Stanley.
■ The equatorial rainforests in the Congo Basin allow native trees - ebony, mahogany, oaks - to reach heights of 60 m.
■ In January 2007, at the African Union summit, it was decided to create the Fund environment Africa. The UK government has committed approximately US$100 million to conserve rainforests in the Congo Basin. In total, the program, designed until 2013, requires about $2 billion.
■ The famous explorer Henry Morton Stanley, who first described the Congo River and established navigation on it, had no sympathy for the local residents and justified cruel colonial policies.

How deep do you think the river might be? But what if you put the question squarely and start looking for an answer to the definition of the deepest river in the world? We are sure that most of us do not know the correct answer. And only a few know what this river is called.

Let's start with a hint that may confuse you even more. This river is the only major river in the world that crosses the equator twice. And yet, this same river ranks second in terms of flow in the world, second only to the Amazon. In general, we won’t bore you. This river located in central Africa and called Congo. Its depth can reach an incredible 230 meters! For comparison, the most deep lake on the mainland of Australia it is called St. Clair and its depth does not exceed 200 meters.

Congo(Zaire, Lualaba) - river in Central Africa, mainly in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (partially flowing along its borders with the Republic of the Congo and Angola), the deepest and second longest river in Africa, the second most water-rich river in the world after the Amazon. In the upper reaches (above the city of Kisangani) it is called Lualaba. The only major river that crosses the equator twice. The basin area is 4,014,500 km². It originates from the settlement of Mumena.

In the formation of river flow in the Congo Basin, the predominant role is played by abundant rain power. Most of the tributaries of the Congo are characterized by a predominance of autumn flow: in tributaries with catchments in the Northern Hemisphere, the maximum rise in water is observed in September-November, in the Southern Hemisphere - in April-May. The April-May maximum runoff is also typical for the upper Congo (Lualaba).

Compared to other rivers in the world, Congo has one of the largest hydropower reserves, estimated at 390 GW. The latter is explained a large number water carried by the river, and a significant drop in the bed along its entire length up to the mouth. Other large rivers in their lower reaches they are flat and flow in lowlands. Several large hydroelectric power stations have been built in the Congo - Nzila, Nseke (at Lualaba), Inga (at Livingston Falls). In total, about 40 hydroelectric power plants have been built in the Congo Basin.

The rivers and lakes of the Congo Basin are rich in fish (about 1000 species, many of which are of commercial importance: Nile perch, tilapia, barbel, large tiger fish, freshwater herring and others).

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Congo (another name is Zaire) is the deepest river in Africa. The length of the river is 4,700 km. The maximum depth mark is 230 meters. This is the only one big rivers crossing the equator twice.

Congo River Monster

Brief summary:

River depth - 230 meters
- Basin area - 3,680,000 square km.
- The source is the Shaba plateau. The mouth is the Atlantic Ocean.
- Tributaries of the Congo - Mobangi, Lulongo, Mongalla, Lefini, Ruki, Kassai and many others.

What kind of fish are found:

Freshwater herring
- Barbel
- Telapia
- Nile perch
- The most evil and dangerous fish in the world is Goliath, the tiger fish.

So, in this African river there are scary fish, which are second only to piranhas in bloodthirstiness.
Tiger fish Goliath - predatory fish weighing up to 70 kg and length up to 1.5 meters. This is a creature of a terrible, ferocious appearance with huge sharp teeth.
She always attacks from ambush. It feeds on fish and mammals that carelessly approach the water. Local fishermen say that fish also attack people.

Historical information about the Congo River

Mouth of the Congo River

The mouth was opened for the first time in 1482.

The discoverer was the Portuguese Diego Can, who lived in 1440-1486. He was a navigator and a successful businessman.

The unique geographical discovery was not made for scientific purposes at all - the talented businessman was simply establishing trade relations with the Kingdom of the Congo.

The main commodity was slaves.

Terrible tropical diseases haunted travelers, sweltering heat and humidity promised a terrible fever, impenetrable swamps and jungles prevented passage deep into the mainland. The Aborigines were hostile to any attempts at exploration wildlife Africa.

The first European to reach the upper reaches of the Congo, the Lualaba River, on March 29, 1871, was the Scotsman David Livingston. The deteriorating health of the famous explorer of Africa did not allow him to draw a conclusion about which river basin - the Congo or the Nile - Lualaba belongs to.

Livingstone's compatriot, the English journalist Henry Morton Stanley, had already traversed most of the Congo River in 1876-1877. Having overcome almost 5,000 km from east to west Africa on a dangerous journey, he reached the mouth of the Congo.

Under the patronage of the Belgian king Leopold II and at his expense, Stanley, on a new expedition in 1881, founded a number of stations on the banks of the river.

Kongo

Full water African river Congo throughout the year is its main feature.

Basin of the Congo River, Lualaba, source of the Congo, Chambesi

Basin and sections of the Congo River

The Congo Basin covers the so-called Congo Basin and its marginal plateaus. The river is usually divided into three main sections. From the headwaters to Stanley Falls there is an upper section. From Stanley Falls to the city of Kinshasa, middle and then lower.

Having passed the city of Kongolo, the river crosses the barrier of solid crystalline rocks and makes its way through the gorge, which is rightly called Hell's Gate. Rapids and waterfalls stretch all the way to the town of Kindu. From here begin the tropical forests that surround the river for 2000 km.

Outside the city of Kinshasa, Livingston Falls begin, the height of which is about 40 m. When it flows into the Atlantic Ocean, the Congo expands to 11 km and reaches a depth of up to 230 m.

Economic background on the Congo River

Zaire has a huge economic importance for Africa:

The river is one of Africa's main waterways. The total length of shipping routes along the Congo River and its tributaries is about 20,000 km. Since the river carries large masses of water, it automatically becomes one of the main sources of hydropower. At the moment already on the river. Congo already has three large hydroelectric power stations.

Scientists consider this queen of rivers to be the richest in the world. Numerous mineral deposits were discovered on the shores. Among them: cobalt, copper ore, radium, molybdenum, nickel, silver, uranium and others.

African legend says that huge, elephant-sized spirits of death (mkuu-mbe-mba) live in the Congo.

They look like lizards. When the spirits are angry with people - they drink all the water from the sky and do not let it rain - drought comes. They can send all kinds of diseases and shake people with fever.

In order for the spirits not to get angry, they need to make sacrifices.

Even the sea god Olokun and the thunder god Shango cannot find justice for the villains.

And only the modest, quiet goddess Oshun helps to calm the raging monsters.

Congo... This word is usually associated with Africa. But what is the Congo - a river, a country, or perhaps a people? It turns out that everything is together.

What is Congo?

There are many concepts associated with the name "Congo". Initially, it designated one of the African peoples and was translated as “hunters.” What is Congo now? Over time, the name was transferred to the language of the population of the same name and to the river flowing near its place of residence.

In addition, the word served as the name for two modern states- Republic of the Congo and Democratic Republic of the Congo. The river of the same name and its tributary Ubanti flow along the border of the countries, separating them from each other. The capitals of the states are located on opposite banks and are major ports. There is not a single bridge between them, but they are connected by a ferry crossing and regular boat transportation.

Where is Congo? All geographical features with this name are located in Central Africa, on both sides of the equator. Unlike other regions of the continent, the nature here is rich and varied. Most of the area is hot and humid climate. Throughout the year, the temperature remains virtually unchanged and ranges from 25 to 28 degrees.

Two similar and different countries

Since the 19th century, the Republic and the Democratic Republic of the Congo have developed separately. But they still have quite a lot in common. The states are located along the banks of the same river and even have a common neighbor - the Central African Republic. In the 14th century, their lands were partially covered by the Kingdom of Kongo. The geography of this state also included the northern part of modern Angola.

In the 15th century, the Portuguese landed on the shores of Central Africa. They traded with local leaders, exchanging weapons for slaves, who were taken to work in Brazil. The Europeans gradually gained the trust of the rulers of the kingdom and each time increased their influence over the Africans. When the number of exported slaves became too large, the locals rebelled. Long conflicts between the parties followed, and eventually the kingdom disintegrated.

In the 19th century, the colonial period began in the history of states. The lands of the Republic of the Congo were occupied by the French, incorporating them into the French Equatorial Africa. The territory of the Democratic Republic became the personal possession of the Belgian King Leopold and was called the “Free State”. This was a terrible period in the life of the Congolese, during which they were forced to work backbreakingly, and disobedience was punished by cutting off limbs, beatings and murders. In 1908, the king sold the Congo to the government, and the country officially became a colony of Belgium.

In 1960, both states freed themselves from their colonialists. In those years, the question of what Congo was could cause considerable confusion, because after becoming independent, the countries chose the same names. To avoid confusion, one of them had to be renamed the Democratic Republic. Before this decision, countries were called by their capitals - Congo-Brazzaville and Congo-Leopoldville.

Indigenous peoples

The region where the Congo is located was originally inhabited by pygmies. These are short people from 130 to 150 cm in height, living in forests. They still lead a nomadic lifestyle, hunting and gathering. Now in both republics they make up no more than 10% of the total population.

Even before our era, the Bantus came to the territory of the Republic of the Congo, who later settled in the DRC. With them they brought metallurgy, slash-and-burn agriculture and the slave system; it was the Bantu tribes who created the kingdom in the 14th century.

These peoples include many ethnic groups(Luba, Teke, Mongo, Mboshi, etc.). Today in the DRC they make up about 45% of the population, in the Republic of the Congo even more - about 98%. One of the most numerous ethnic groups is the Congo. The language of this people is considered national in both states. In all of Africa, about 7 million people own it.

Democratic Republic of the Congo

This state is located mainly on the right side of the river of the same name. It borders Angola, Zambia, Central African Republic, South Sudan, Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania and Uganda. In the southwest it has a small outlet to the ocean. The length of the coast is only 37 kilometers.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo is one of the largest countries in Africa and the world (11th place). Its area is 2,345,410 km2. About 83 million people live here, representing about 200 different nationalities. Approximately 7.4 million people belong to the Congo ethnic group. The official language is French, although Bantu languages are more common among residents.

The country is not deprived natural resources. In it you can find all the typical inhabitants of Africa: buffalos, elephants, giraffes, lions, gorillas, leopards, crocodiles, hippos. There were also dangerous “residents”. Common in Congo poisonous snake mamba, malaria mosquitoes and tsetse flies. In the 15th century, their presence greatly prevented the Portuguese from developing the local jungle.

The country has a huge amount of mineral resources, yet it regularly appears on lists of the poorest countries in the world. The DRC has deposits of diamonds, gold, copper, zinc, oil, coal, uranium, silver, and tin. However high level corruption and crime do not allow the country to develop. But the shadow economy is developing successfully. From time to time, wars arise in the country over resources and illegal trade in them, in particular, over deposits of the mineral columbite, from which tantalum metal is obtained.

Kinshasa

In terms of population, the capital of Congo, Kinshasa, is the second city in Sub-Saharan Africa. It is home to about 10 million people, although 20 years ago this figure was half that. In terms of the number of French-speaking residents in the world, it is surpassed only by Paris.

It is not always clear that Kinshasa is the main city of the country. It is full of contrasts: very close to elite high-rise buildings and excellent roads there are unlit slums. Urban transport is usually represented trucks with hand-cut windows and inserted seats. In poor areas there may be no roads, but in the center there are absolutely well-equipped stops.

The city was founded by British journalist and traveler Henry Morton Stanley in 1881. In honor of the Belgian king, it was called Leopoldville. It became the first shipping port on the river, which significantly contributed to its development. It was renamed Kinshasa only in 1966, when the country was implementing a policy of Africanization.

Republic of the Congo

Western Congo in Africa is much smaller than its eastern neighbor. The country covers only 342,000 km 2 and borders Cameroon, Gabon, Central African Republic, DRC and Angola. In the southwest it is washed by the Atlantic Ocean.

The republic is inhabited by 4.9 million people, of which approximately 1.6 million are Congolese. They are mainly engaged in trade and agriculture. It is one of the least populated countries on the continent with a density of only 14 h/km 2 . The population is concentrated mainly in the south and in coastal strip, in the north the density is about 2 h/km 2 .

Official language- French, and Bantu languages are considered national. More than half of the residents adhere to animism, 47% are Christians, mostly Catholics and Protestants. A small percentage adheres to Islam.

If we talk about nature and climate, the description of Congo coincides with its neighbor DRC. More than 50% of the territory is occupied by humid equatorial forests, which are home to many exotic animals. But in terms of economy, the country is superior to the DRC. Business here is more organized and the political situation is more stable. As a result, the republic is the fourth country in the Gulf of Guinea in terms of the amount of oil supplied. The second source of income is the supply of valuable tree species: acaju, limba, okume, etc.

Brazzaville

More than half the population of the Republic of Congo lives in cities. The largest of them are: Brazzaville, Pointe Noire, Kinkala, Madingou, Loubomo and Jambala with a population of more than 150,000 people. The city of Brazzaville is the capital of Congo and is home to more than 1.4 million people.

It was founded in 1880 as a French military post. It soon turned into an important trading point on the river, and with the country's independence it became its administrative center.

Now the city is also the financial and industrial center of the Congo, in which the textile, engineering and leather industries are developing. As the country's main port, it supplies rubber, agricultural products and timber.

From Brazzaville's main airport you can reach cities such as Pointe Noire, as well as several cities in Europe and the Middle East. There are also flights to Kinshasa, although the flight from one point to another lasts about five minutes.

The deepest river on the continent

The Congo is the second most important river in Africa. It originates in the region of Zambia and flows into the Atlantic Ocean, stretching for about 4,700 kilometers. The Congo River is the second deepest in the world after the Amazon.

Winding throughout Central Africa, it crosses the equator twice. In some vast areas it flows through flat, low-lying areas, in others it passes through rapids, forming many waterfalls. About four sections of it are navigable, and the Congo River's hydroelectric power would be enough to power half the continent.

In conclusion

So, we found out: there cannot be a single answer to the question of what the Congo is. One name spread to several objects at once, denoting a river, two African states, a language and a people. All of them did not appear separately, but are closely interconnected. And this began with the Kongo people, who came to this region of Central Africa from the north even before our era.

L Estuary (T)(B) Atlantic Ocean Height 0 m Coordinates 6°04′45″ S w. 12°27′00″ E. d. HGIOL Location Water system Atlantic Ocean Countries

Democratic Republic of the Congo
Republic of the Congo Republic of the Congo
Central African Republic
Zambia Zambia
Angola Angola

source

mouth

Audio, photo and video on Wikimedia Commons

Congo (Zaire, Lualaba) - a river in Central Africa, mainly in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (partially flows along its borders with the Republic of Congo and Angola), the deepest and second longest river in Africa, the second most water-rich river in the world after the Amazon. The upper reaches (above the city of Kisangani) are called Lualaba. The only major river that crosses the equator twice. The basin area is from 3457 to 3820 thousand km². Length - 4374 km. The annual flow is 1318.2 km³, which is more than 5 times less than the annual flow of the Amazon.

Geography [ | ]

river basin

The Congo is the deepest river on the African continent. The Congo Basin covers almost all of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, as well as most of the Republic of the Congo and the Central African Republic, eastern Zambia, northern Angola, and smaller areas in the territories of Cameroon and Tanzania. Average water flows in the lower reaches of the Congo (near Boma): annual - 39 thousand m³/sec, in the month of the highest water (December) - 60 thousand m³/sec, in the month of the lowest water (July) - 29 thousand m³ /sec; absolute extreme flow rates - from 23 to 75 thousand m³/sec. The average annual flow is 1230 km³ (according to other sources, 1453 km³). Huge masses of water carried by the Congo into the ocean desalinate it 75 km from the coast. The solid flow of the Congo in the estuary area is about 50 million tons per year.

Economic use[ | ]

Hydropower resources[ | ]

Compared to other rivers in the world, Congo has one of the largest hydropower reserves, estimated at 390 GW. The latter is explained by the large amount of water carried by the river and the significant drop in the riverbed along its entire length right up to the mouth. Other large rivers in their lower reaches are flat and flow in lowlands. On Congo Several large hydroelectric power stations were built - Nzila, Nseke (at Lualaba), Inga (at Livingston Falls). In total, about 40 hydroelectric power plants have been built in the Congo Basin.

The river's largest hydroelectric power plant is Inga, located about 200 km southwest of Kinshasa. The Inga project was launched in the early 1970s with the construction of the first dam. To date, only two dams have been built, “Inga I” (French Barrage Inga I) and “Inga II” (French Barrage Inga II), which operate fourteen turbines. Projects "Inga III" (French Barrage Inga III) and "Grand Inga" (French Barrage Grand Inga, English Grand Inga Dam) are at the design stage. If the Grand Inga project is implemented, its capacity will be more than twice that of the Three Gorges hydroelectric station in China. There are concerns that the construction of these new dams could lead to the extinction of many fish species that are endemic to the river.

Shipping [ | ]

The total length of shipping routes along the rivers and lakes of the Congo Basin is about 20 thousand km. Most of the navigable sections of the rivers are concentrated in the Congo Trench, where they form a single extensive system of waterways, which, however, is separated from the ocean by the Livingston Falls in the lower Congo. The river itself has 4 main navigable sections: - (645 km), Kindu - Ubundu (300 km), Kisangani - Kinshasa (1742 km), Matadi - mouth (138 km); the last section, the so-called offshore pool, is accessible to ocean-going vessels. Navigable areas of the Congo are interconnected railways. The main river and lake ports in the Congo Basin: in the Congo - Kinshasa, Brazzaville, Mbandaka, Kisangani, Ubundu, Kindu, Kabalo,; on the Ubangi-Bangi River; on the Kasai-Ilebo River; on Lake Tanganyika - Kalima, Kigoma, Bujumbura; on Lake Kivu-Bukavu. In the lower reaches of the Congo there are the seaports of Matadi, Boma, Banana.