The Nile is the longest river in Africa. Its length is around 6,650 kilometers, and its drainage basin covers 11 African countries. The Congo is the second-longest river on the African continent, having an approximate length of 4,700 kilometers. Its drainage basin covers the area of the Congo Rainforest, the second-biggest in the world after the Amazon. The third longest river in Africa is the Niger, which extending for 4,180 kilometers.
The Nile River
The Nile is not only the longest river in Africa but also contends for the title of the longest river in the world with the Amazon River. With an area of 3.3 million square kilometers, the Nile has the third-largest drainage basin globally, after the Amazon and the Congo rivers. The two main tributaries of the Nile are the White Nile, originating from Lake Victoria between Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania, and the Blue Nile, which springs from Lake Tana in Ethiopia. In ancient times, the Nile coasts were subject to constant seasonal flooding. The fertile soil surrounding the river allowed the development of agricultural activities in Egypt. Still today, the Nile coasts are the most inhabited areas in Egypt, as the rest of the country remains predominantly desert.
Geography of Africa
The physical geography of Africa varies across regions. Desert areas are prevalent in the center-north of the continent. With an area of around nine million square kilometers, the Sahara Desert is the largest subtropical desert worldwide. In contrast, the sub-Saharan region is characterized by plateaus. East Africa hosts the continent’s highest mountains: Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Kenya. Worldwide, Africa is the continent with the largest land area after Asia. Algeria and the Democratic Republic of the Congo are the largest countries in Africa. They extend over around 2.4 million and 2.3 million square kilometers, respectively.
FAQs
The Nile is the longest river in Africa. Its length is around 6,650 kilometers, and its drainage basin covers 11 African countries. The Congo is the second-longest river on the African continent, having an approximate length of 4,700 kilometers.
What are the 4 major rivers in Africa? ›
Africa has four major rivers which are the Nile, the Congo, the Niger, and the Zambezi. The Ubangi is not considered one of the four major rivers.
What is Africa's longest river where does it empty? ›
Nile River, the longest river in the world, called the father of African rivers. It rises south of the Equator and flows northward through northeastern Africa to drain into the Mediterranean Sea.
What is the true source of the Nile river? ›
The British explorer John Hanning Speke (1827-64) is famed for being the first European to visit Lake Victoria and to identify it as the source of the Nile.
What is the deepest river in Africa? ›
The Congo river, formerly known as the Zaire, is the deepest river in the world: at some points the water can be up to 220 metres deep; the basin has a surface area of 3,457,000 square kilometres.
What is the longest freshwater lake in the world? ›
Lake Tanganyika, second largest of the lakes of eastern Africa. It is the longest freshwater lake in the world (410 miles [660 km]) and the second deepest (4,710 feet [1,436 metres]) after Lake Baikal in Russia.
Has the Nile river ever dried up? ›
In the 1980s, the Nile River basin suffered through the worst drought the area had seen in 500 years. The drought caused areas of the Nile to dry up completely in certain areas of Sudan. The river's flow fell to its lowest level in more than 100 years.
What is the longest river in the world? ›
The Nile River is the longest river in the world with the length of 6650 Km.
Which river crosses the equator twice? ›
The Congo River has a total length of 4,370 km (2,715 mi). It is the only river to cross the equator twice. The Congo Basin has a total area of about 4,000,000 km2 (1,500,000 sq mi), or 13% of the entire African landmass.
Can you swim in the Nile in Uganda? ›
Due to there being no record of bilharzia or other infectious diseases, and no presence of dangerous animals like crocodiles and hippos, you can swim in the River Nile. There's also jet boating, bungee jumping, kayaking and fishing on the river.
The White Nile is longer and rises in the Great Lakes region. It begins at Lake Victoria and flows through Uganda and South Sudan. The Blue Nile begins at Lake Tana in Ethiopia and flows into Sudan from the southeast. The two rivers meet at the Sudanese capital of Khartoum.
Which country owns the source of river Nile? ›
The Nile is made of two main tributaries – the White Nile which starts in Uganda through South Sudan to Sudan and the Blue Nile which begins in Ethiopia and meets the White Nile in Sudan and continues to Egypt.
Is the Amazon river the longest river in Africa? ›
While there is some debate about its length, the river is generally believed to be at least 4,000 miles (6,400 km) long, which makes it the second longest river in the world after the Nile River in Africa.
Which river is the longest river in the world and runs through 11 countries in Africa? ›
Nile River: The longest river in the world. 6,650 km in length, Nile River of North-East Africa is the lifeline of a number of countries. Eleven countries, namely, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Ethiopia, Eritrea, South Sudan, Sudan and Egypt share its water.
What is the largest lake in Africa? ›
Lake Victoria, largest lake in Africa and chief reservoir of the Nile, lying mainly in Tanzania and Uganda but bordering on Kenya. Its area is 26,828 square miles (69,484 square km).
Which river has the largest volume in Africa? ›
