The westernmost of the major rivers in Africa. The longest river in Africa

Tourism and rest 17.08.2019
Tourism and rest

Bright, mythical, hot Africa is the second largest continent, full of myths and secrets, historical and natural mysteries. It has attracted the interest of scientists and travelers for thousands of years. One of these mysteries was and remains the Nile - the most long river Africa.

Crossing the desert

Since ancient times, the river that gives them life has been especially revered and respected by the inhabitants of Africa. The most famous river in Africa, which was worshiped by the Greeks, Romans and Egyptians, has many features. This great river revived the desert, saturating the earth with water. It was thanks to the life-giving power of water that cities arose on the banks of the Nile. One of them is Luxor.

The Nile crosses three climatic zones:

  • equatorial
  • tropical,
  • desert zone.

The entire territory that receives water from the river is used with maximum benefit. The grown products feed not only Egypt itself, but are also sold to other countries of the world. The development of the agricultural sector is on a par with the improvement of trade relations.

States that the river crosses:

  • Egypt,
  • Sudan,
  • Ethiopia, where the Blue Nile flows,
  • Tanzania with Lake Victoria,
  • Kenya,
  • Uganda.

Where does it start?

Scientists for many centuries could not come to a common opinion about the origins of the Nile and its amazing annual floods. In the 19th century, the veil of secrecy was lifted. Even the inhabitants of Egypt, who knew how to build amazing pyramids, did not manage to find the place where it originates.

As it turns out, it has two origins. One of them, the White Nile, is located in a mountain range in East Africa at an altitude of 2 km. Falling on its fast path into lakes Albert, Kiyoga and Victoria, it begins to move smoothly on the plain.

The second source, the Blue Nile, originates in Ethiopia, where the beautiful Lake Tana is located. Connecting near locality Khartoum, the sources merge and continue their movement to the Mediterranean Sea, to the North.

five parts

The length of the river, according to official data, is 6,583 kilometers. Purely conventionally, the Nile is divided into five parts.

The first section is Victoria Nile, which after Lake Albert is already called Albert Nile. Almost throughout its entire length, the river has a calm character, starting to accelerate near the settlement of Nimule. It is here that the narrowing of the channel occurs, whirlpools, rapids and waterfalls begin to meet.

The Gor River (Bahr el-Jebel) is just under a kilometer of wetland. A relatively small current and abundant vegetation along the banks characterize this area. Already after the passage of the Sobat tributary, the river receives the poetic name of the White Nile. The Blue Nile, originating in the Abyssinian highlands, is considered sacred by the Ethiopians. In the Hathrum area, Blue and White come together.

Further, the path of the river lies in the Mediterranean Sea. It runs right through the capital of Egypt, Cairo, spilling over a mile and a half. The river then splits into two branches. The delta formed by them was once a separate state called Lower Egypt. Upper Egypt extended to the rapids of the delta. The following is interesting:

  • Precipitation is very rare in the territory of the former Upper Egypt, while it often rains over Lower Egypt.
  • Half of the population of Egypt lives in the delta.

The mystery of the annual flood of the Nile

The great river, overcoming thousands of kilometers through the Sahara Desert, saturates the earth with life-giving moisture. Flowing through those places where there has been no rain for years, the Nile not only does not dry up, but during the period of greatest heat, in August, overflows its banks. In a month, the water level rises ten meters, and its color turns red. After that, the level gradually decreases. The silt remaining on the fields after the water has left becomes an indispensable nutrient soil.

Since ancient times, revering the river as a deity, the Egyptians plowed and sowed the land. The beginning of the spill was celebrated as a holiday. For centuries, scientists could not solve the mystery of the river flood. The answer to this riddle was found by a scientist of Scottish origin, Bruce. He managed to establish a connection between the great river and the Blue Nile, the periods of rains in the upper reaches of which coincided with the floods on the Nile.

Seeing two civilizations that have arisen on its banks, the great river allows you to harvest two crops a year.

Egypt itself, which in ancient times had the name “Gift of the Nile”, is a confirmation of the greatness of the water artery. The Nile is navigation, water supply, fishing, fertilization of fields, irrigation of farmland. He is the life of Egypt.

Other major African rivers

There are many water arteries on the African continent, but three more stand out in particular, not counting the Nile.

Congo

The second longest (more than 4,300 km) and the largest in terms of basin area (about 3,700 thousand km²) river flows through Central Africa. It originates between lakes Tanganyika and Nyasa at an altitude of about 1600 m above sea level. At its confluence with the Atlantic Ocean, it is about 11 km wide. The deepest African river in its course forms many waterfalls and rapids. The Congo is the deepest river on its mainland and the second largest in the world after the Amazon.

Niger

This is the most important water artery West Africa. Its length is about 4200 km, and the basin area is more than 2000 thousand km². It originates in Guinea, flows through the territory of Mali, Niger, the border of Benin, Nigeria and flows into the Gulf of Guinea.

Zambezi

The river begins in Zambia and, overcoming a distance of about 2600 km, flows into the Indian Ocean. The basin area is about 1400 thousand km². The Zambezi is famous for being home to the world's greatest Victoria Falls.

The driest continent on Earth, however, boasts outstanding rivers: the Nile and the Congo (with the Lualaba) are among the ten longest in the world.

Africa is one of the largest continents on earth. It is washed on all sides by seas and oceans: in the north - mediterranean sea, in the northeast - by the Red, in the west - by the Atlantic Ocean, in the east - by the Indian. In addition to the adjacent waters, its own flow in it. The longest river in Africa is the Nile. Its length is almost 7 thousand km.

The study of the structures of the political, economic and state is engaged in a special science called African studies.

Africa

The area of ​​the mainland is 29 million km. If we take into account the size of the islands, then this figure rises to 30 million km. 55 countries are formed on the territory. They are home to just over one billion people. Also, this continent is considered the birthplace of many ancient peoples. The longest river in Africa, as mentioned above, is the Nile. It plays a very important role for the state, helping to irrigate the land in the right amount, transport many materials on ships, and also meet the needs of the people living here.

Africa is located several and also crosses the equator. Unfortunately, due to the fact that precipitation here is irregular, due to which the irrigation of the land does not reach the desired level, the natural regulation of the atmosphere occurs only near the coast.

Africa is the only continent in the world that stretches from the northern to the southern subtropical climate zone.

The largest rivers in Africa

This country is rich in water flows. Their distribution over the entire area of ​​​​the mainland depends on the climate and topography of certain areas. We can immediately say that the rivers are unevenly distributed. This is due to the fact that in some areas precipitation falls very rarely, in others - often. In places where it regularly rains, for example, the river network is quite dense. Three of the largest watercourses in Africa: the Nile, Congo and Niger.

A large number of waterfalls, which are formed due to the corresponding relief, are unsuitable for navigation, but hydroelectric power stations are actively used to generate hydropower. A large number of water flows are fed by rain, since snow, hail or glaciers are not typical for the local climate. In areas where precipitation falls once every few months, there are dry more detailed description rivers of Africa can be read below.

Nile

The greatest river in the world is the Nile. Its name is derived from the Greek "neylos". The source of the water stream, according to some sources, is located in Lake Victoria; the mouth is the Mediterranean Sea. Nile concurrently - the longest river in Africa and almost the largest on the planet Earth, taking 2nd place. The delta of the watercourse is formed at the mouth. The Sahara desert has no tributaries. For the hottest countries in Africa, the Nile is a salvation. Due to its waters, plantations are irrigated, and it is also used for drinking and meeting other needs of the population. The river bed is full-flowing, which contributes to the development of navigation and allows you to transport various kinds of goods. Until a hydroelectric power station was built on the water stream, the Nile River, whose flows were completely regulated, overflowed annually for several hundred kilometers.

Congo

The Kongo begins near Mumen. An interesting fact is that Zaire and Lualaba are no less popular names for this river. Distinctive feature The watercourse is that it crosses the equator twice. The Congo is practically the longest river in Africa. Although it is inferior to the Nile in size, it occupies an honorable first place on the mainland in terms of full flow. What is most interesting, it is full-flowing all year round. The mouth of the watercourse is the Atlantic Ocean.

Niger

The Niger closes the top three leading rivers along the length. Most of the watercourse is occupied by rapids and drains. It plays an important role for the state, as it flows through arid territories. Due to the fact that it allows you to irrigate the land, many dams and canals have been built on it. Flowing into the Atlantic Ocean, it forms a large delta. It feeds on rain, the predominant amount of which falls in the summer. Floods occur at this time of the year. The river itself is located in such a way that its upper and lower reaches receive sufficient rainfall due to the respective climate, while the middle one, on the contrary, is constantly subjected to evaporation and partial drought.

Zambezi

The Zambezi ranks fourth among the largest rivers. In addition, it is the longest among the watercourses flowing into the Indian Ocean. It is interesting what belongs to this river. Its height is almost 120 m. It is also a conditional boundary between the upper and middle reaches. The Zambezi is one of those rivers that have a huge number of tributaries. The largest of them is Kabompo.

The Atlantic Ocean is the mouth for Africa - the Congo. But the longest watercourse, the Nile, flows into the Mediterranean Sea. Thanks to the flow into one of the nearby oceans, namely the Indian. Due to the fact that the bottom of the rivers is stepped, new water slopes appear. A striking example is Victoria - the most beautiful and largest waterfall on the mainland.

For a long time there were disputes that have not stopped to this day, on the topic "How long is the Nile River?". Until 2013, it was the largest watercourse in the world. Now the Amazon has taken its place. In addition, there remain small disputes between scientists about the hydronyms of water flows. It is only known for certain that the name of the rivers of Africa is closely connected with the history of the state.

The Nile River has always been a special object for the inhabitants of Africa, which should be treated with respect and respect. Moreover, this, the second largest river in the world, was worshiped not only by the Egyptians, but also by the Greeks and Romans.

Giver of life

The longest river in Africa is unique, it does not even flow like all other rivers. Flowing from south to north, it gives life to the Sahara Desert. Thanks to this great river, Luxor and many other cities arose in the once deserted place.

The Egyptians are not spoiled by hectares of fertile land, everything they have is the merit of the Nile. Therefore, every patch of irrigated great river land is used for its intended purpose. Their work was not in vain, they have enough grown products not only for the needs of their own state, but also for export. It was thanks to the Nile that Egypt grew stronger and became a powerful country.

However, we must pay tribute, the river had a significant impact not only on the development Agriculture. Thanks to the waters of the Nile, it was possible to establish trade relations with other countries. The presence of a personal boat gave a person status.

Sources of the Nile

The question of where the longest river in Africa begins began to be thought about 2.5 thousand years ago. The Egyptians, having the ability to build pyramids, could not establish the headwaters of the widest river. In fact, it is not so easy to do this. The fact is that the river, flowing through Africa, passes through lakes and has many tributaries.

The great Herodotus believed that the Nile flows from the depths of the earth far to the south. According to his assumption, part of the outflowing water went north, while the rest of the water flowed south. Now we can say with certainty that Herodotus was wrong.

Five parts of the Nile


According to official documents, the Nile begins its run in Lake Victoria and has a length of 6583 km.

Conventionally, this full-flowing river can be divided into five parts.

The Victoria-Nile is a 420-kilometer stretch of track. Reaching Lake Albert, the river changes its name to Albert - Nile. Throughout the entire section, the river has a flat character, and as soon as it reaches a place called Nimule, it narrows to 25 meters and shows its stormy character. The area is replete with rapids, waterfalls and whirlpools.

Bahr el-Jebel (River Gor) is a rather swampy area, with a total length of nine hundred kilometers. It starts in the lower reaches of the city of Juba and ends in the Bahr el-Ghazal and Sobat area. The course of the river here is unhurried, it becomes full-flowing and is divided into many branches. There is magnificent vegetation here.

After the river reaches the Sobat tributary, the Nile gets a new name - the White Nile. The area is semi-desert. Reaching the city of Khartoum, two Nile meet - White and Blue. The river turns into a single full-flowing stream and acquires its usual name - the Nile.

Blue Nile - begins in the Abyssinian Highlands. It originates at an altitude of 1830 meters above sea level in Lake Tana. Ethiopians consider the Blue Nile sacred.

The longest river in Africa ends its journey, merging with the waters of the Mediterranean Sea.

Attractions


The Nile is of great interest to tourists. In the immediate vicinity of the longest river in Africa, the most significant objects of Luxor are located:

  • valley of the kings
  • tombs of queens;
  • Temple of Hatshepsut
  • Colossi of Memnon;
  • Karnak
  • The local population lives in poverty, but luxury hotels are built along the coast for tourists. If you decide to go to admire the local beauty, do not try to swim in the waters of the Nile River. Sanitary standards are not observed here, the river is used for various household needs.

    Africa is the second largest continent after Eurasia, washed by two oceans and two seas. On its territory there are various landscapes, including many rivers.

    general information

    Rivers are unevenly distributed on the mainland. characteristic feature for the rivers of Africa is the presence of rapids and waterfalls. That is why these water spaces are practically unsuitable for navigation. The full flow of rivers also depends on the climatic zones in which they are located. In the equatorial climate zone rivers are full-flowing almost all year round and form a dense river network. In the subequatorial belt, rivers fill up only during the rainy season, and in a tropical hot climate there are no surface water bodies, but artesian pools are common. The major rivers of the African continent are the Nile, the Congo, the Niger, and the Zambezi.

    Nile

    The Nile is the longest river in Africa. Its length is 6852 km. It flows into the Mediterranean Sea, originating in the East African Plateau. The Nile is not a flat river at all; on the way to the north, the waters of the river tend to go down, so rapids and waterfalls are often found in these places. The largest is Murchison Falls, which flows into Lake Albert. The Nile flows through the territory of many states, for example, Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya, Tanzania, Egypt.

    Rice. 1. River Nile.

    The state of Sudan is sometimes called the "country of three Niles" - White, Blue and the main one, which is formed as a result of the merger of the first two. All permanent rivers of the country belong to the Nile basin and are concentrated mainly in the south and east.

    Congo

    The Congo River is the second largest basin after the Nile. Its second name is Zaire, and it flows into the Atlantic Ocean. The river flows into Central Africa across Angola and the Republic of the Congo.

    Congo is the most deep river in the world (230 m.), as well as the deepest river in Africa. In the world, in terms of full-flowing water, it occupies an honorable second place after the Amazon. The length of the river is 4700 km, and the Portuguese traveler Diogo Can became the discoverer of these waters.

    Rice. 2. Congo River.

    Niger

    This river flows through West Africa. in terms of length and area of ​​​​the basin, it ranks third after the Nile and the Congo. The Niger has many tributaries, the largest of which is the Benue River. Also tributaries of the river are Milo, Bani, Sokoto, Kaduna.

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    Compared to the muddy waters of the Nile, the Niger is considered a fairly clear river, as it flows mostly through rocky terrain and does not carry much silt. Niger lies in the equatorial and subequatorial zones, which are characterized by dry semi-desert regions and the presence of monsoons.

    Lakes of Africa

    There are 14 lakes on the African continent, seven of which belong to the African Great Lakes. These include Victoria, Albert and Edward, which flow into the White Nile, Taganika and Kivu, which flow into the Congo. Lake Nyasa flows into the Zambezi, and Lake Rudolph is endorheic.

    The largest lake in Africa is Victoria. It is located simultaneously on the territory of several countries: Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya. The area of ​​the water space is 68 thousand square meters. km.

    Currently, the lake is a reservoir, and on its territory there are many parks and reserves.

    Africa is one of the largest continents on Earth. It is washed on all sides by seas and oceans: in the north - by the Mediterranean Sea, in the northeast - by the Red Sea, in the west - by the Atlantic Ocean, in the east - by the Indian. In addition to the adjacent waters, its own flow in it. The longest river in Africa is the Nile. Its length is almost 7 thousand km.

    The study of the structures of the political, economic and social spheres of the state is carried out by a special science called African studies.

    Africa

    The area of ​​the mainland is 29 million km. If we take into account the size of the islands, then this figure rises to 30 million km. 55 countries are formed on the territory. They are home to just over one billion people. Also, this continent is considered the birthplace of many ancient peoples. The longest river in Africa, as mentioned above, is the Nile. It plays a very important role for the state, helping to irrigate the land in the right amount, transport many materials on ships, and also meet the needs of the people living here.

    Africa is located in several climatic zones, and also crosses the equator. Unfortunately, due to the fact that precipitation here is irregular, due to which the irrigation of the land does not reach the desired level, the natural regulation of the atmosphere occurs only near the coast.

    Africa is the only continent in the world that stretches from the northern to the southern subtropical climate zone.

    The largest rivers in Africa

    This country is rich in water flows. Their distribution over the entire area of ​​​​the mainland depends on the climate and topography of certain areas. We can immediately say that the rivers are unevenly distributed. This is due to the fact that in some areas precipitation falls very rarely, in others - often. In places where it regularly rains, for example, the river network is quite dense. Three of the largest watercourses in Africa: the Nile, Congo and Niger.

    A large number of waterfalls, which are formed due to the corresponding relief, are unsuitable for navigation, but hydroelectric power stations are actively used to generate hydropower. A large number of water flows are fed by rain, since snow, hail or glaciers are not typical for the local climate. In areas where precipitation falls every few months, there are dry riverbeds. A more detailed description of the rivers of Africa can be found below.

    Nile

    The greatest river in the world is the Nile. Its name is derived from the Greek "neylos". The source of the water stream, according to some sources, is located in Lake Victoria; the mouth is the Mediterranean Sea. Nile concurrently - the longest river in Africa and almost the largest on the planet Earth, taking 2nd place. The delta of the watercourse is formed at the mouth. The Sahara desert has no tributaries. For the hottest countries in Africa, the Nile is a salvation. Due to its waters, plantations are irrigated, and it is also used for drinking and meeting other needs of the population. The river bed is full-flowing, which contributes to the development of navigation and allows you to transport various kinds of goods. Until a hydroelectric power station was built on the water stream, the Nile River, whose flows were completely regulated, overflowed annually for several hundred kilometers.

    Congo

    The Kongo begins near Mumen. An interesting fact is that Zaire and Lualaba are no less popular names for this river. A distinctive feature of the watercourse is that it crosses the equator twice. The Congo is practically the longest river in Africa. Although it is inferior to the Nile in size, it occupies an honorable first place on the mainland in terms of full flow. What is most interesting, it is full-flowing all year round. The mouth of the watercourse is the Atlantic Ocean.

    Niger

    The Niger closes the top three leading rivers along the length. Most of the watercourse is occupied by rapids and drains. It plays an important role for the state, as it flows through arid territories. Due to the fact that it allows you to irrigate the land, many dams and canals have been built on it. Flowing into the Gulf of Guinea, located in the Atlantic Ocean, it forms a large delta. It feeds on rain, the predominant amount of which falls in the summer. Floods occur at this time of the year. The river itself is located in such a way that its upper and lower reaches receive sufficient rainfall due to the respective climate, while the middle one, on the contrary, is constantly subjected to evaporation and partial drought.

    Zambezi

    The Zambezi ranks fourth among the largest rivers. In addition, it is the longest among the watercourses flowing into the Indian Ocean. Interestingly, Victoria Falls belongs to this river. Its height is almost 120 m. It is also a conditional boundary between the upper and middle reaches. The Zambezi is one of those rivers that have a huge number of tributaries. The largest of them is Kabompo.

    The Atlantic Ocean is the mouth of the deepest river in Africa - the Congo. But the longest watercourse, the Nile, flows into the Mediterranean Sea. Thanks to the Zambezi River, flow is carried out into one of the nearby oceans, namely the Indian. Due to the fact that the bottom of the rivers is stepped, new water slopes appear. A striking example is Victoria - the most beautiful and largest waterfall on the mainland.

    For a long time there were disputes that have not stopped to this day, on the topic "How long is the Nile River?". Until 2013, it was the largest watercourse in the world. Now the Amazon has taken its place. In addition, there remain small disputes between scientists about the hydronyms of water flows. It is only known for certain that the name of the rivers of Africa is closely connected with the history of the state.

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