The Busira River is a river in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is the main tributary of the Ruki River , which in turn is a tributary of the Congo River . The Busira may be seen as the upper reach of the Ruki River. It is navigable year round.
29-836: The Lomela River is a river in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is one of the main tributaries of the Busira River , which forms where the Lomela meets the Tshuapa River . The Busira is in turn the main tributary of the Ruki River , which enters the Congo River to the north of Mbandaka . The Lomela River flows in a northwest direction from the Sankuru Nature Reserve and across
58-528: A 88,000 hectares (220,000 acres) area of permanent swamp forest from 20°35'E to 21°30'E, and through a 46,500 hectares (115,000 acres) area of swamp forest between 21°50'E and 22°18'E. Part of the river is protected by the Salonga National Park. Busira River The Busira River forms a few miles west of Boende where the Lomela River joins the Tshuapa River from the left. The Busira receives
87-677: A strip 200 metres (660 ft) wide along the railway. The CCCI and CFC lands were mostly grouped into the Bloc de la Busira-Momboyo , created in 1901, along the Busira and Momboyo rivers. This property of 1,041,373 hectares (2,573,290 acres) was exploited by the SAB. In 1904, in the last months before the concession was taken back by the state, the SAB harvested 50 tons of dry rubber, of which 6 were from Ikelemba, 34 from Busira and 10 from Salonga Lomela. Congo River The Congo River , formerly also known as
116-576: A total area of about 4,000,000 km (1,500,000 sq mi), or 13% of the entire African landmass. The name Congo/Kongo originates from the Kingdom of Kongo once located on the southern bank of the river. The kingdom in turn was named after the indigenous Bantu Kongo people , known in the 17th century as "Esikongo". South of the Kingdom of Kongo proper lay the similarly named Kakongo kingdom, mentioned in 1535. Abraham Ortelius labelled "Manicongo" as
145-3938: Is in the Ruwenzori Mountains , at an altitude of around 4,340 m (14,240 ft) above sea level. Distribution of the Congo basin area between countries: The most important hydrological stations along the Congo River are: Brazzaville The Congo River discharge at Kinshasa / Brazzaville stations since the start of measurements (1902 to 2021): 5°08′30.4″S 13°59′27.9″E / 5.141778°S 13.991083°E / -5.141778; 13.991083 5°02′57.3″S 13°59′28.2″E / 5.049250°S 13.991167°E / -5.049250; 13.991167 5°01′49.5″S 14°01′37.2″E / 5.030417°S 14.027000°E / -5.030417; 14.027000 5°2′20.6″S 14°02′09.2″E / 5.039056°S 14.035889°E / -5.039056; 14.035889 4°56′50.7″S 14°09′21.2″E / 4.947417°S 14.155889°E / -4.947417; 14.155889 4°55′38.5″S 14°15′16.5″E / 4.927361°S 14.254583°E / -4.927361; 14.254583 4°54′03.3″S 14°24′18.2″E / 4.900917°S 14.405056°E / -4.900917; 14.405056 Brazzaville 4°16′47.3″S 15°18′32.8″E / 4.279806°S 15.309111°E / -4.279806; 15.309111 4°05′24.4″S 15°30′39.1″E / 4.090111°S 15.510861°E / -4.090111; 15.510861 3°52′43.4″S 15°55′11.6″E / 3.878722°S 15.919889°E / -3.878722; 15.919889 3°33′18.7″S 16°05′32.2″E / 3.555194°S 16.092278°E / -3.555194; 16.092278 3°28′52.5″S 16°07′18.3″E / 3.481250°S 16.121750°E / -3.481250; 16.121750 3°11′23.7″S 16°11′09.6″E / 3.189917°S 16.186000°E / -3.189917; 16.186000 3°10′36.4″S 16°11′41.5″E / 3.176778°S 16.194861°E / -3.176778; 16.194861 3°09′59.7″S 16°10′51.7″E / 3.166583°S 16.181028°E / -3.166583; 16.181028 2°48′33.9″S 16°11′40.1″E / 2.809417°S 16.194472°E / -2.809417; 16.194472 2°12′22.9″S 16°10′49.0″E / 2.206361°S 16.180278°E / -2.206361; 16.180278 2°09′28.5″S 16°12′16.5″E / 2.157917°S 16.204583°E / -2.157917; 16.204583 1°52′15.5″S 16°30′43.4″E / 1.870972°S 16.512056°E / -1.870972; 16.512056 1°37′55.5″S 16°37′59.4″E / 1.632083°S 16.633167°E / -1.632083; 16.633167 1°14′22.2″S 16°47′44.5″E / 1.239500°S 16.795694°E / -1.239500; 16.795694 1°03′13.5″S 17°08′58.0″E / 1.053750°S 17.149444°E / -1.053750; 17.149444 0°54′39.2″S 17°23′27.1″E / 0.910889°S 17.390861°E / -0.910889; 17.390861 0°43′38.5″S 17°33′02.9″E / 0.727361°S 17.550806°E / -0.727361; 17.550806 0°41′00.4″S 17°36′43.7″E / 0.683444°S 17.612139°E / -0.683444; 17.612139 0°25′58.1″S 17°50′13.3″E / 0.432806°S 17.837028°E / -0.432806; 17.837028 0°01′17.4″N 18°13′10.9″E / 0.021500°N 18.219694°E / 0.021500; 18.219694 0°30′22.1″N 25°11′03.4″E / 0.506139°N 25.184278°E / 0.506139; 25.184278 The main river and tributaries are (sorted in order from
174-661: The Atlantic Ocean and an additional 6% of bedload . The river and its tributaries flow through the Congo rainforest , the second largest rainforest area in the world, after the Amazon rainforest in South America. The river also has the second-largest flow in the world, behind the Amazon ; the second-largest drainage basin of any river, behind the Amazon; and is one of the deepest rivers in
203-560: The Inga dams , about 200 kilometres (120 mi) southwest of Kinshasa. The project was launched in the early 1970s, when the first dam was completed. The plan (as originally conceived) called for the construction of five dams that would have had a total generating capacity of 34,500 megawatts (MW). To date only the Inga I and Inga II dams have been built, generating 1,776 MW. In February 2005, South Africa 's state-owned power company, Eskom , announced
232-528: The Momboyo River . The Compagnie du Congo pour le Commerce et l'Industrie (CCCI) was given the right to 150,000 hectares (120,000 acres) of land in return for its services in studying the Matadi-Léopoldville Railway project. The Compagnie du chemin de fer du Congo (CFC) was given 1,500 hectares (3,700 acres) of land for every 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) of line put into operation, as well as
261-560: The Pool Malebo (Stanley Pool). Kinshasa (formerly Léopoldville) and Brazzaville are on opposite sides of the river at the Pool, where the river narrows and falls through a number of cataracts in deep canyons (collectively known as the Livingstone Falls ), running by Matadi and Boma , and into the sea at Muanda . Lower Congo constitutes the "lower" parts of the great river; that is
290-570: The Salonga National Park . The Busira River forms a few miles west of Boende where the Lomela River joins the Tshuapa River from the left. The Lomela River is navigable from its confluence with the Tshuapa up to the terminus of Lomela , a distance of 566 kilometres (352 mi). It is winding and narrow, and flows through forested and marshy areas that flood in the high water seasons. From
319-563: The Salonga River 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) upstream from Lotoko . The Momboyo River joins the Busira River from the left to form the Ruki River above Ingende . The Busira is 305 kilometres (190 mi) long, and the whole Ruki-Busira waterway is 408 kilometres (254 mi) long. The Ruki–Busira can be navigated year round, since the depth is always more than 1 metre (3 ft 3 in) and reaches 2 metres (6 ft 7 in) in
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#1732934783515348-506: The Uíge Province in Angola to the confluence with the Congo at Zongo some 80 km (50 mi) downstream from the twin capitals. Because of the vast number of rapids, in particular the Livingstone Falls , this section of the river is not operated continuously by riverboats. The Congo basin covers ten countries and accounts for about 13% of Africa . The highest point in the Congo basin
377-585: 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 rivers. It is the world's deepest recorded river, with measured depths of around 220 m (720 ft). The Congo– Lualaba – Luvua – Luapula – Chambeshi River system has an overall length of 4,700 km (2,900 mi), which makes it
406-520: The Atlantic Ocean. Opportunities for the Congo River and its tributaries to generate hydropower are therefore enormous. Scientists have calculated that the entire Congo Basin accounts for 13 percent of global hydropower potential. This would provide sufficient power for all of Sub-Saharan Africa 's electricity needs. Currently, there are about 40 hydropower plants in the Congo Basin. The largest are
435-624: The Congo below Boyoma Falls . The Chambeshi River in Zambia is generally taken as the source of the Congo in line with the accepted practice worldwide of using the longest tributary, as with the Nile River. The Congo flows generally toward the northwest from Kisangani just below the Boyoma Falls, then gradually bends southwestward, passing by Mbandaka , joining with the Ubangi River and running into
464-562: The Mbandaka flooded forests, and floods 925 square kilometres (357 sq mi). Edaphic savannas, small herbaceous clearings on sandy, or loamy to clayey soil, are found beside the channels of the Busira River. They are separated from the river by a strip of gallery forest. They form on old sandbanks or dried out lagoons left behind when the river changed course. The vegetation is dominated by Hyparrhenia diplandra . The savannas are transitional and gradually disappear as they are invaded by
493-516: The city at the mouth of the river in his world map of 1564. The tribal names in Kongo possibly derive from a word for a public gathering or tribal assembly. The modern name of the Kongo people or Bakongo was introduced in the early 20th century. The name Zaire is from a Portuguese adaptation of a Kikongo word, nzere ("river"), a truncation of nzadi o nzere ("river swallowing rivers"). The river
522-571: The flood period. High water is in March-April and November. Low water is in February and June-July. Villages along the Busira River include Lingunda, Boleke, Bokote and Loolo. These have markets for wild animals and for forest products from the nearby Salonga National Park . They are the main source of bushmeat in the markets of Mbandaka , where the Ruki River joins the Congo River. The Busira forms in
551-609: The forest. As of 1 January 1894 the Société anonyme belge pour le commerce du Haut-Congo (SAB) had 83 factories and posts, including some in the French territory to the west of the Congo and Ubangi rivers. A map shows the company had posts along the upper Ruki River at Bilakamba , Bombimba , Bussira Manene , Moniaca , Bocoté and Yolongo . It also had a post at Bomputu on the Lengué (Salonga) River, and posts at Balalondzy, Ivulu and Ivuku on
580-508: The heart of the central depression of the Congo Basin . Rainfall here averages 2,000 millimetres (79 in) annually, with no dry season. The Tshuapa and Lomela tributaries both run through wide belts of swampland. There are swamps on the Busira and Momboyo before they join to form the Ruki. Swamps cover 55,000 hectares (140,000 acres) on the Busira between 19°00'E and 19°27'E. The Busira River feeds
609-597: The mouth heading upstream): Lower Congo (river mouth to Kinshasa ) Downstream of Kinshasa, from the river mouth at Banana , there are a few major tributaries. Middle Congo ( Kinshasa to the Boyoma Falls ) Upper Congo ( Lualaba ; upstream from the Boyoma Falls ) Although the Livingstone Falls prevent access from the sea, nearly the entire Congo above them is readily navigable in sections, especially between Kinshasa and Kisangani. Large river steamers worked
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#1732934783515638-432: The mouth of the river to Itoko, a distance of 236 kilometres (147 mi), it always allows boats with a 1 metre (3 ft 3 in) draft. In high water periods it can take 350 ton barges, and in low water periods can take 150-250 ton barges in this section. From Itoko to Lomami, at 462 kilometres (287 mi) from its mouth, the rocky banks and narrow navigable channels make navigation dangerous. From Lomami up to Lomela
667-410: The river is open to navigation only from early June to early September, and only for 25 ton barges. In some places the channels are less than 25 metres (82 ft) wide and 0.5 metres (1 ft 8 in) deep. The Lomela flows through the heart of the central depression of the Congo Basin . Rainfall here averages 2,000 millimetres (79 in) annually, with no dry season. The Lomela meanders through
696-506: The river until quite recently. The Congo River still is a lifeline in a land with few roads or railways. Railways now bypass the three major falls, and much of the trade of Central Africa passes along the river, including copper , palm oil (as kernels), sugar , coffee , and cotton . The Congo River is the most powerful river in Africa. During the rainy season over 50,000 cubic metres (1,800,000 cu ft) of water per second flows into
725-576: The section of the river from the river mouth at the Atlantic coast to the twin capitals of Brazzaville and Kinshasa. In this section of the river, there are two significant tributaries, both on the left or south side. The Kwilu River originates in the hills near the Angolan border and enters the Congo some 100 km upstream from Matadi . The other is the Inkisi River , that flows in a northerly direction from
754-565: 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. The Congo Basin has
783-491: The world, at depths greater than 220 m (720 ft). Because its drainage basin includes areas both north and south of the Equator , its flow is stable, as there is always at least one part of the river experiencing a rainy season . The sources of the Congo are in the highlands and mountains of the East African Rift , as well as Lake Tanganyika and Lake Mweru , which feed the Lualaba River , which then becomes
812-507: Was known as Zaire during the 16th and 17th centuries; Congo seems to have replaced Zaire gradually in English usage during the 18th century, and Congo is the preferred English name in 19th-century literature, although references to Zahir or Zaire as the name used by the inhabitants remained common. The Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of the Congo are named after it, as
841-774: Was the previous Republic of the Congo which had gained independence in 1960 from the Belgian Congo . The Republic of Zaire during 1971–1997 was also named after the river's name in French and Portuguese . The Congo's drainage basin covers 4,014,500 km (1,550,000 sq mi), an area nearly equal to that of the European Union . The Congo's discharge at its mouth ranges from 23,000 to 75,000 m /s (810,000 to 2,650,000 cu ft/s), with an average of 41,000 m /s (1,400,000 cu ft/s). The river transports annually 86 million tonnes of suspended sediment to
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