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{{River|Congo|[[Image:ISS007-E-6305.jpg|275px|thumb|right|Image of Kinshasa and Brazzaville, taken by NASA; the Congo River is visible in the center of the photograph]]|4,380||41,800|3,680,000||[[Atlantic Ocean]]||[[Democratic Republic of the Congo|Dem. Rep. of the Congo]],<br> [[Central African Republic]],<br> [[Republic of the Congo]]}}

The '''Congo''' is the largest [[river]] in Western Central [[Africa]]. Its overall length of 4,380 km (2,720 mi) makes it the second longest in Africa (after the [[Nile]]). If the [[Chambeshi River]] is taken as the source, the overall length increases to 4,670 km (2900 mi). The river and its [[tributary|tributaries]] flow through the second largest [[rain forest]] area in the world, only the [[Amazon Rainforest]] being (much) larger. The river also has the second-largest flow in the world, behind the [[Amazon River|Amazon]], and the second-largest [[watershed]] of any river, again trailing the [[Amazon River|Amazon]] and slightly ahead of the [[Mississippi River|Mississippi]]. The Congo also gives its name to the [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]] and the [[Republic of the Congo]], both countries lying along its banks, and to the ancient [[Kingdom of Kongo]]. Between [[1971]] and [[1997]] the government of then-[[Zaire]] called it the '''Zaire River'''.

The sources of the Congo are in the [[Highland (geographic feature)|highland]]s and [[mountain]]s of the [[East Africa Rift]], as well as [[Lake Tanganyika]] and [[Lake Mweru]], which feed the [[Lualaba River]], which then becomes the Congo below [[Boyoma Falls]].

The Congo flows generally west from [[Kisangani]] just below the falls, then gradually bends southwest, passing by [[Mbandaka]], joining with the [[Ubangi River]], and running into the [[Pool Malebo]] ([[Stanley Pool]]). [[Kinshasa]] (formerly [[Léopoldville]]) and [[Brazzaville]] are on opposite sides of the river at the Pool, then the river narrows and falls through a number of [[cataract]]s in deep canyons (collectively known as the [[Livingstone Falls]]), running by [[Matadi]] and [[Boma]], and into the sea at the small town of [[Muanda]].

The mouth of the Congo was visited in [[1482]] by the [[Portugal|Portuguese]] [[Diogo Cão]], and in [[1816]] a British expedition went up as far as [[Isangila]]. [[Henry Morton Stanley]] was the first [[Europe]]an to navigate along the river's length and report that the Lualaba was not a [[source of the Nile]] as had been suggested.

Nearly the entire Congo is readily navigable, and with [[railway]]s now bypassing the three major falls, much of the trade of central Africa passes along it, including [[copper]], [[palm oil]] (as kernels), [[sugar]], [[coffee]], and [[cotton]]. The river is also potentially valuable for [[hydroelectric power]], and the [[Inga]] facility below Pool Malebo is the first to exploit the river. 
In February [[2005]] [[South Africa]]'s [[Nationalisation|state-owned]] power company, [[Eskom]], announced a proposal to drastically increase the capacity of the [[Inga]] facility through improvements and the construction of a new [[Hydroelectric|hydroelectric]] dam. The project would bring the maximum output of the facility to 40 GW, double that of [[China]]'s [[Three Gorges Dam]]. [http://www.guardian.co.uk/congo/story/0,12292,1425023,00.html]

==Tributaries==

Sorted in order from the mouth heading upstream.

* [[Inkisi River|Inkisi]]
** [[Zadi River|Zadi]]
* [[Nsele River|Nsele]] (south side of Pool Malebo)
* [[Bombo River|Bombo]]
* [[Kasai River|Kasai]] (between Fimi and Congo, known as Kwa)
** [[Fimi River|Fimi]]
** [[Kwango River|Kwango]]
** [[Sankuru River|Sankuru]]
* [[Likouala River|Likouala]]
* [[Sangha River|Sangha]]
* [[Ubangi River|Ubangi]]
** [[Giri River|Giri]]
** [[Mbomou River|Mbomou]]
** [[Uele River|Uele]]
* [[Ruki River|Ruki]]
** [[Busira River|Busira]]
** [[Momboyo River|Momboyo]]
* [[Lulonga River|Lulonga]]
* [[Mongala River|Mongala]]
** [[Ebola River|Ebola]]
* [[Itimbiri River|Itimbiri]]
* [[Aruwimi River|Aruwimi]]
** [[Ituri River|Ituri]]
* [[Lomami River|Lomami]]
* [[Lindi River|Lindi]]
* [[Tshopo River|Tshopo]]
* [[Lualaba River|Lualaba]]
** [[Lowa River|Lowa]]
** [[Ulindi River|Ulindi]]
** [[Luama River|Luama]]
** [[Lukuga River|Lukuga]]
** [[Lufira River|Lufira]]
** [[Lubudi River|Lubudi]]
** [[Luvua River|Luvua]]

== References ==
* [[H. Winternitz]], ''East Along the Equator: A Journey up the Congo and into Zaire'' (1987)

== External Links == 
*[http://earthtrends.wri.org/maps_spatial/maps_detail_static.cfm?map_select=289&theme=2 Information and a map of the Congo's watershed]

[[Category:African rivers]]
[[Category:Congo]]
[[Category:Geography of the Democratic Republic of the Congo]]

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