The MAJOR rivers of Africa
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Africa It is one of the continents into which our planet is divided, possessing a large surface area only surpassed by the Asian and American continents. The great extension of this land caused that there are many rivers that flow throughout the entire territory, some of them being extremely important. To get to know these rivers better in this lesson from a TEACHER we are going to talk about the rivers of africa with map.
Index
- The rivers of Africa on the Mediterranean side
- The rivers of Africa on the Atlantic slope
- Indica slope in Africa
- Other major African rivers
The rivers of Africa on the Mediterranean side.
To begin this lesson we must talk about the rivers that are part of the African Mediterranean slope, all those that flow into the Mediterranean Sea. This slope is characterized by having the important Nile, but also by the scarcity of important rivers apart from this one, the majority being tributaries of the Nile.
Blue Nile
The Blue Nile is one of the main tributaries of the Nile, although its waters do not flow directly into this great river. The Blue Nile is born in Ethiopia in the so-called Lake Tana, and after flowing through Sudan it empties into the White Nile which carries its waters to the Nile. Its length is 1,606 kilometers, and the surface of its basin is 325,000 km2.
White Nile
The White Nile is a river in northwestern Africa recognized as one of the largest tributaries of the Nile. Its source takes place in Lake Victoria and after passing through Sudan, South Sudan and Uganda, its waters flow into the Nile. It has a length of 3,155 kilometers and the surface of its basin is 1,849,988 km2.
Kagera River
It is an eastern river that is born due to the confluences of the Akagera and Ruvubu rivers and empties into Lake Victoria, to later join the Nile and finally empty into the Mediterranean. Its length is 400 km, although if we count its sources it goes up to 621.
Nile
The Nile is the main river of the African continent, being the second longest in the world. It is born in the Kagera River, and after passing through up to 10 countries it empties into the Mediterranean Sea, forming the Nile Delta. It has an incredible length of 6853 kilometers, and the extension of its basin is 3,254,555 km2.
Image: Google Sites
The rivers of Africa on the Atlantic slope.
The part of the rivers that flow into the Atlantic Ocean are the so-called Atlantic slopes, the rivers being the largest and longest as a general rule. The main rivers of this slope are the following:
Vaal River
It is a South African river that serves as a tributary of the Orange, flowing into it after being born in the Drakensberg Mountains. It has a length of 1,120 kilometers, and the extension of its basin is 196,438 km2.
Niger River
This born is born in Guinea and passes through up to five African countries before emptying into the Gulf of Guinea. With their 4184 km is the third longest river in all of Africa, and its basin of 2,262,000 km2 It is the fourth in the entire continent.
Senegal River
This river is born at the confluence of the Bafing and Bakoye rivers, and after passing through four countries it reaches its mouth in the Atlantic. It has a length of 1790 kilometers, and the extension of its basin is 337,000 km2.
Gambia River
The Gambia is a river that rises in the Futa Yallon massif in Guinea, and empties into the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of The Gambia. It has a length of 1130 kilometers and the surface of its basin is 60,000 km2.
Congo River
The Congo was born in Kundelengu and after passing through 4 countries it empties into the Atlantic Ocean. It is the ninth largest river in the world, and the second in Africa, with a length of 4700 kilometers. The surface of its basin is 3,700,000 km2, being one of the most important in all of Africa.
Orange river
It is a South African river that originates in the Drakensberg Mountains and empties into the Atlantic Ocean after passing through three African states. It has a length of 2,090 kilometers, and the surface of its basin is 973,000 km2.
Image: SlideShare
Indica slope in Africa.
The indica slope is the one formed by all those rivers that flow into the Indian Ocean, being generally small, but very important. Some of the main rivers of the slope are the following.
Limpopo River
This river is born by the union of the Cocodrile and Marico rivers, and its mouth takes place in the Pacific Ocean after passing through 4 states. It has a length of 1,800 kilometers, and the surface of its basin is 413,000 km2.
Zambezi River
The Zambezi is the fourth river in Africa, with a length of 2,574 kilometers, and a basin of 1,390,000 km2. It is born in the northwest of Zambia, and after passing through 7 countries it empties into the Pacific Ocean.
Juba River
This river shared by Somalia and Ethiopia is born at the junction of the Dawa and Ganale rivers, and empties into the Pacific after traveling 1,808 kilometers through African lands.
Image: SlideShare
Other major African rivers.
To conclude this lesson on rivers of africa with mapWe must talk about the main rivers that do not belong to any of the aforementioned slopes. These rivers that generally flow into lakes are the following:
Chari River
The Chari is born in the Central African Republic and flows into Lake Chad after a journey of 1,400 kilometers. Its basin has an extension of about 548,747 km2, being one of the largest in the world.
Komadugu Yobe River
This river is born in Nigeria and during its journey it becomes a natural barrier between the Nigerian country and Niger. It has a length of 1200 kilometers, and the surface of its basin reaches 115,000 km2.
Barka River
The Barka is born in the highlands of Eritrea and empties into the Red Sea. It has a length of 640 kilometers.
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