The Congo River

Today I rode a canoe down the Congo River. This river is the second longest river in Africa, and the fifth longest in the world. The river is divided into the upper, middle, and lower Congo River. The Upper Congo consists of the southeast headwaters, greatly the Lualaba, along with the Luvua and Lukuga west of Lake Tanganyika. These streams widen in numerous places to form lakes like Lake Bangweulu and Lake Mweru. At other places the river narrows and drops, creating rapids and waterfalls that prevent transportation. The Middle Congo begins at Kisangani and flows more than 1,600 kilometers or 1,000 miles to the Chenal. The Chenal is a narrow channel located 35 kilometers or 22 miles northeast of Kinshasa. This part of the river is accessable, and its flow is made larger due to waters from the Ubangi, Sangha, and Kwa tributaries. The Lower Congo begins at the Chenal, where the river separates into two parts to form a large, swampy lake called Malebo Pool. Immediately downstream, the Congo narrows and is ended by rapids and waterfalls. The river's elevation drops 275 meters or 900 feet in about 320 kilometers or 200 miles, making long-distance transportation impossible between the pool and the Atlantic Ocean. The head of transportation for boats going into the ocean is the port of Matadi, about 140 kilometers or 90 miles from the Atlantic in Congo-Kinshasa.