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Navigable rivers

In the following you’ll get a brief overview about the navigable waterways in Africa. However, the rivers mentioned herein are just a few of the largest waterways on which a relief ship like the one designed by RDI can be used.

AFRICAS MAIN RIVERS

Nile:

Aside from the Amazon the Nile is the second largest river on earth.  
Origin: The Nile has two origins: the Blue Nile on the one hand, and the considerably larger White Nile on the other. However, the White Nile is mentioned as the main river. The Luvironza is the utmost headstream of the White Nile and is therefore mentioned as headstream of the Nile. Its origin is located approx. 45 km east of Lake Tanganyika in the high mountains of Burundi.
Length: 6,671 km
Countries: Burundi, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, Sudan and Egypt.
Navigable: Navigation on the Nile is still interrupted by the first cataract at Aswan.
Estuaries: Two big estuary creeks are located 200 km north of Cairo (Rosette and Damiette), and the Nile delta with a size of 24,000 km² as well as several bays and lagoons toward the Mediterranean.

Congo:

Origin: From the Lualaba in the south of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) to the southern foothills of the Mitnumba mountains. Approx. 150 km north, in the Congo basin, the Luvua-Luapula-Chembeshi flows into the Lualaba. And from the Boyoma waterfalls at Kisanangani this river is called Congo.

Length: 4, 374 km
Countries: DR Congo, Republic of Congo, Angola.
Navigable: 3, 000 km
Estuary: The Congo flows into the Atlantic Ocean through a 40 km wide funnel in the Zairian lowlands right at the border to Angola.

Lomami:

Left tributary of the Congo river.
Origin: North of the Lunda barrier in the Katanga province of DR Congo.
Length: 1,450 km
Countries: DR Congo
Navigable: in its lower stretches

Estuary: North of Isangi the Lomami flows into the Congo.

Ubangi:

This is the right main tributary of the Congo river.
Origin: This river originates at the confluence of the Mbomou and the Uele at Yakomaan right at the border of DR Congo and the Central African Republic.
Length: 1,120 km
Countries: Central African Republic, DR Congo, Republic of Congo
Navigable: approx. 550 km, downstream Bangui.
Estuary: It flows into the Congo approx. 90 km south-west of Mbandaka.

Kasai:

This is the left tributary of the Congo river.
Origin: in the east part of the Angolan highland of Bie in DR Congo.
Length: 2,153 km
Countries: DR Congo
Navigable: no information available
Estuary: North of Bandundu the Kwango flows into the Kasai. From this point on it is called Kwa and flows into the Congo approx. 170 km north-east of Kinshasa.  

Sankuru:

This is the largest tributary of the Kasai river.
Origin: The Sankuru is called Lubilash in its headwaters. The Lubilash originates in the northern foothills of the Lunda barrier in the Katango province of DR Congo.
Length: 1, 200 km
Countries: DR Congo
Navigable: Downstream Lusambo.
Estuary: At Bena-Bendi the Sankuru flows into the Kasai.

Aruwimi:

This is a right tributary of the Congo river.
Origin: The Aruwimi is called Ituri in its headwaters. The Ituri originates in the north-western foothills of the Blue Mountains in the north-east of DR Congo. From Bomili it is called Aruwimi.
Length: 1,287 km
Countries: DR Congo
Navigable: no information available
Estuary: at Basoko it flows into the Congo river.

Niger:

This is the third largest African river.

Origin: It originates in the Loma Mountains of Guinea.
Length: 4,184 km
Countries: Guinea, Mali, Niger, Nigeria
Navigable: With small boats in the headwaters, from Koulikoro also with bigger ships.
Estuary: The Niger flows into the Golf of Guinea in the big Nile delta in Nigeria. An annual average of 30,000 m³/s of water is flowing into the Atlantic Ocean at this estuary.

Benue:

This is a tributary of the Niger.

Origin: North of Ngaoundéré in the southern highlands of Adamaua in Cameroon.
Length: 1,400 km
Countries: Cameroon, Nigeria
Navigable: The lower stretches to Adamaua.
Estuary: The Benue flows into the Niger at Lokodja in Nigeria.

Zambezi:

This is the fourth largest African river and also the largest African river that flows into the Indian Ocean.
Origin: This river originates in the Zambian Lunda barrier.
Length: 2,574 km
Countries: Zambia, Angola, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Mozambique.
Navigable: The lower stretches from Tete.
Estuary: The Zambezi flows into the Indian Ocean at a delta in Mozambique that has a size of 880 km².

Senegal:

The state of the same name was named after the river.
Origin: At the confluence of the Bafing and the Bakoyées which originate in the highlands of Fouta Djalon in north Guinea.
Length: 1,086 km
Countries: Senegal
Navigable:
Estuary: Flows into the Atlantic Ocean at Saint-Louis.

Gambia:

This is one of Africa’s main rivers. The country was named after the river.

Origin:  in the highlands of Fouta Djalon in north Guinea.
Length: 1,120 km
Countries: Guinea, Senegal, Gambia 
Navigable: approx. 500 km of its lower stretches

Estuary: It flows into the Atlantic Ocean through a 22 km wide funnel at Banjul.

 

Below you will see a comparison of the huge African rivers with the Rhine and the Elbe, two of the largest rivers in Germany:

Rhine:
Length: 1,320 km, 852 km of which belong to Germany.  

Elbe:
Length: 1,165km, 770 km of which belong to Germany.