| Three quarters of Africa's water resources are | | | | 1400 km long. The Niger discharges into the Atlantic |
| concentrated into just 8 major river basins. Of these | | | | ocean at an area known as the Gulf of Guinea |
| the five longest rivers are the Nile, Congo, Niger, | | | | through the densely populated Niger delta an area of |
| Zambezi and Orange. The sheer nature of Africa | | | | approximately 70 000 square km. |
| means that many of parts of these rivers remain | | | | An unusual feature of the river is the Niger Inland |
| untamed and wild. They boast between them many | | | | Delta. This forms where the river suddenly becomes |
| world records as you will discover as you read on. | | | | less steep. This makes a region of connected |
| 1. The Nile at 6 600 km is not only the longest river in | | | | streams, marshes, and lakes over an amount of land |
| Africa but it is also the longest river in the world and | | | | the same size as Belgium. The yearly floods make |
| is arguably Africa's best known waterway. It drains | | | | the delta very good for fishing and farming. It is also |
| about 10 percent of the whole of Africa, about 3 | | | | an important stopover for migrating birds. The Niger |
| million square km and has two major tributaries: the | | | | drains an area approximately 2.1 million square km. |
| White Nile which rises in the great lakes region and | | | | 4. No less impressive but 640 km shorter is the |
| has its most distant source in Rwanda, the other | | | | Zambezi River. At 3 540 km it is Africa fourth largest |
| tributary being the Blue Nile, its source is in Ethiopia. | | | | river but is the largest east flowing river in to the |
| They meet near Khartoum, the capital of Sudan. | | | | Indian ocean. Its catchment basin is 1.4 million square |
| From there the river flows northward through the | | | | km about half the size of the Nile's. The source of |
| Sahara desert and finally discharges into the | | | | the Zambezi River lies at about 1 500 m above sea |
| Mediterranean Sea through a large delta. The Nile is | | | | level, very close to the border where Zambia, Angola |
| the life blood of most Egyptians and the majority of | | | | and the Congo meet. From there it flows through |
| them live on or close to the river. Major settlements | | | | Zambia, Angola, Namibia and Botswana, back into |
| on the river include Khartoum, Aswan, Luxor and | | | | Zambia and Zimbabwe then discharging at its delta in |
| Cairo. | | | | Mozambique. |
| 2. Africa's second longest river, the Congo flows | | | | Its best known feature is the Victoria Falls, the |
| westwards through central Africa for 4 700 km, | | | | largest curtain of water in the world and one of the |
| nearly 2000 km shorter than the Nile, but what it | | | | Seven Natural Wonders of the World. It boasts one |
| lacks in length it makes up in volume. Being located in | | | | of the largest Conservation areas in the world, the |
| Africa's largest rainfall belt it discharges a massive 34 | | | | Zambezi Transfontier Conservation Area. Which |
| 000 cubic meters of water a second into the Atlantic | | | | covers 280 000 square km. |
| ocean, second only in terms of water flow to the | | | | There are two major hydro electrical dams on the |
| Amazon. | | | | Zambezi which provide power to several African |
| It has the largest catchment basin in Africa covering | | | | countries. |
| 4.1 million square km, and thanks to some of its | | | | 5. A couple of Congo's tributaries aside the Orange |
| canyons, is the deepest river in the world. The | | | | River counts as Africa's Fifth longest River. Rising in |
| source is considered to be the Chembeshi River in | | | | Lesotho it flows for 2 200 km westward through |
| Northern Zambia not so far from the source of the | | | | South Africa forming the border between that |
| eastward flowing Zambezi River. | | | | country and Namibia before it exits at Alexandra Bay |
| The rest of the river lies within the Democratic | | | | into the Atlantic Ocean. |
| Republic of Congo or forms part of its border. Major | | | | Its catchment basin is approximately 973 000 square |
| settlements along the way include Kisangani, | | | | km and its major tributary is the Vaal River. The |
| Mbandaka, Kinshasa and the capital Brazzaville. | | | | Orange River is a major source hydro electric power |
| 3. The Niger River is Africa's third longest river at 4 | | | | and irrigation water. At least 29 dams have been |
| 180 km and is the principle river of West Africa. Its | | | | constructed in its basin, the largest of which is Gariep. |
| boomerang shape confused Europeans for 2000 | | | | It also supplies the Eastern Cape with water via the |
| years, as its source is only 240 km from the Atlantic | | | | 83km long Orange Fish Tunnel, the second longest |
| Ocean, in the Guinea Highlands, but the river flows | | | | supply tunnel in the world.As it progresses westward |
| away from the sea into the Sahara Desert of Mali, it | | | | it flows through semi arid regions of the Kalahari and |
| then turns near the ancient city of Timbuktu | | | | Namib deserts which receive less than 50 mm of |
| (Tombouctou). From here, it goes southeast through | | | | rainfall per annum therefore contributing little water |
| Niger along the Benin border and finally into Nigeria. | | | | to its volume. |
| Its major tributary is the Benue River which is itself | | | | |