Power source of the Congo River. Identification of sources

The Congo River ranks second among the great rivers of the world in terms of the volume of water transported, yielding only to the Amazon. At the same time, it occupies the tenth place in length. Length depending on the method of measurement can vary from 4374 to 4700 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 length, behind only the Nile, in contrast to which has a more stable level of runoff during the year.

What are the sources of the supply of the Congo River?

According to some reports, the Congo River is the continuation of the Lualaba River, which changes its name near the city of Kisangani, interrupted by the Stanley waterfalls. With this calculation, the main source of power of the Congo River is on a high plateau near the border with Zambia.

There is another view of the place where such a large river is born. According to the second version, the source of the Congo River is still from the Chambeshi River, originating in the swamps near Lake Tanganyika, and before getting the name of the Congo, it turns into a shallow Lake Bangwelu. After this, also passing through the lakes, the river still changes its name twice to Luapula and Luvua until it flows into the river Luapula, 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 hydroelectric power, but makes navigation difficult, which is possible only in selected areas in the middle and upper reaches. In the lower current, the passage of vessels is hindered by dozens of thresholds formed as a result of a strong drop in altitudes.

Throughout its length, the Congo and its tributaries actively absorb and collect water from the slopes of the surrounding mountains. Thus, an important source of supply of the Congo River is atmospheric precipitation, which in the equatorial region falls off abundantly in October-November annually.

The closest to the source to the river flow tributaries of Luvua and Lukuga, downstream Lomami, Ruki, Kasai and the two largest tributaries - Sanga and Ubangi. An interesting phenomenon is the place of the confluence of the Congo with the Ubangi and Sanga rivers. During the rainy season at the intersection of rivers, a huge lake is formed, which is considered to be the largest seasonally flooded area in the world.

Seasonal sources of food of the Congo River

Twice a year the drainage of the river increases substantially, which is associated with heavy downpours in the mountainous regions of the country. Sticking to the slopes, the water is filled with tributaries and main stream.

When stating the question in this way: determine the sources of supply of the Congo River, you can name the following factors that affect its high water content.

Initially, the river feeds on the water resources of the country's wet mountainous region. Then, flowing through the equally generous to the moisture region, collects the water flowing down from the mountains. Twice a year, seasonal rains irrigate all high-mountainous areas of Central Africa, which significantly affects its high water content.