Congo River
| Congo River Fleuve Congo Rio Congo Mto Kongo Zaire River Fleuve Zaïre Rio Zaire | |
|---|---|
The drainage basin of the Congo River | |
Congo (red) and Lualaba (blue) rivers | |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | Boyoma Falls |
| • location | Kisangani |
| • coordinates | 0°29′34″N 25°12′25″E / 0.49278°N 25.20694°E |
| • elevation | 373 m (1,224 ft) |
| 2nd source | Lualaba |
| • location | Katanga Plateau |
| • coordinates | 11°45′53″S 26°30′10″E / 11.76472°S 26.50278°E |
| • elevation | 1,420 m (4,660 ft) |
| 3rd source | Chambeshi |
| • coordinates | 9°6′23″S 31°18′21″E / 9.10639°S 31.30583°E |
| • elevation | 1,760 m (5,770 ft) |
| Mouth | Atlantic Ocean |
• coordinates | 06°04′30″S 12°27′00″E / 6.07500°S 12.45000°E |
• elevation | 0 m (0 ft) |
| Length | 2,300 km (1,400 mi)
Congo–Lualaba–Luvua–Luapula–Chambeshi 4,700 km (2,900 mi); Congo–Lualaba 4,374 km (2,718 mi) |
| Basin size | 4,014,500 km2 (1,550,000 sq mi) |
| Width | |
| • minimum | 200 m (660 ft) (Lower Congo); 1,440 m (4,720 ft) (Middle Congo) |
| • maximum | 19,000 m (62,000 ft) (mouth) |
| Depth | |
| • average | 12 to 75 m (39 to 246 ft) (Lower Congo); 5 to 22 m (16 to 72 ft) (Middle Congo) |
| • maximum | 220 m (720 ft) (Lower Congo); 50 m (160 ft) (Middle Congo) |
| Discharge | |
| • location | Banana (near mouth) |
| • average | 1,308 km3/a (41,400 m3/s) 41,860 m3/s (1,478,000 cu ft/s) |
| • minimum | 23,000 m3/s (810,000 cu ft/s) |
| • maximum | 75,000 m3/s (2,600,000 cu ft/s) |
| Discharge | |
| • location | Kinshasa, Brazzaville |
| • average | (Period: 1902–2019)40,500 m3/s (1,430,000 cu ft/s) (Period: 1947–2023)41,268 m3/s (1,457,400 cu ft/s) |
| • minimum | 22,000 m3/s (780,000 cu ft/s) (1905) |
| • maximum | 77,000 m3/s (2,700,000 cu ft/s) (1961) |
| Discharge | |
| • location | Kisangani |
| • average | (Period: 1951–2012)7,640 m3/s (270,000 cu ft/s) |
| • minimum | 3,240 m3/s (114,000 cu ft/s) |
| • maximum | 13,930 m3/s (492,000 cu ft/s) |
| Discharge | |
| • location | Kindu |
| • average | 2,213 m3/s (78,200 cu ft/s) |
| • minimum | 640 m3/s (23,000 cu ft/s) |
| • maximum | 7,640 m3/s (270,000 cu ft/s) |
| Discharge | |
| • location | Bukama |
| • average | 322 m3/s (11,400 cu ft/s) |
| • minimum | 52 m3/s (1,800 cu ft/s) |
| • maximum | 1,229 m3/s (43,400 cu ft/s) |
| Basin features | |
| Progression | Atlantic Ocean |
| River system | Congo River |
| Tributaries | |
| • left | Lubudi, Lovoi, Luvidjo, Kasuku, Lomami, Lulonga, Ikelemba, Ruki, Irebu, Kasai, Lufimi, Inkisi |
| • right | Lufira, Luvua, Lukuga, Luama, Elila, Ulindi, Lowa, Maiko, Lindi, Aruwimi, Itimbiri, Mongala, Ubangi, Sangha, Likouala, Alima, Nkeni, Léfini, Djoué |
The Congo River, 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). 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. The Congo Basin has a total area of about 4,000,000 km2 (1,500,000 mi2), or 13% of the entire African landmass.