The Ituri River is a river of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is the main tributary of the

Aruwimi River The Aruwimi River is a tributary of the Congo River, located to the north and east of the Congo.Stanley, H.M., 1899, Through the Dark Continent, London: G. Newnes, Vol. One , Vol. Two The Aruwimi begins as the Ituri River, which rises near Lake ...

, which forms where the Ituri meets the

Nepoko River The Nepoko River is a river in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It joins the Ituri River at the town of Bomili to form the Aruwimi River. The river separates different groups of the Budu people of Wamba Territory, who speak different dialect ...

. It gives its name to

Ituri Province Ituri is one of the 21 new provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo created in the 2015 repartitioning. Ituri, Bas-Uele, Haut-Uele, and Tshopo provinces are the result of the dismemberment of the former Orientale province. Ituri was ...

Course

The Ituri has its headwaters in province of

Haut-Uélé Haut-Uélé (French for "Upper Uélé") is one of the 21 new provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo created in the 2015 repartitioning. Haut-Uélé, Bas-Uélé, Ituri, and Tshopo provinces are the result of the dismemberment of the f ...

in the mountains to the west of Lake Albert, about north of Kaladau. It flows generally south into Ituri province, and flows past

Mongbwalu Mongbwalu is a small town in the Djugu Territory of the Ituri Province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. History Before the Belgians arrived in the region the local Banyali people used gold to make jewellery, but otherwise did not see the ...

to the east. It is joined from the left by Shari River to the northeast of Irumu about south-southwest of

Bunia Bunia is the capital city of Ituri Province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). It was part of the Orientale Province until that province's dissolution. It lies at an elevation of on a plateau about west of Lake Albert in the Albe ...

. It is joined from the left by the Malibongo River near Komanda Helipad. From there it flows in a generally westward direction to Bomili in

Tshopo Tshopo is one of the 21 new provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo created in the 2015 repartitioning. It is situated in the north central part of the country on the Tshopo River, for which it is named. Tshopo, Bas-Uele, Haut-Uel ...

province, where it is joined by the Nepoko River to form the Aruwimi. The Ituri is long. The Aruwimi is long, giving a combined length of . The river flows through the

Ituri Rainforest The Ituri Rainforest is a rainforest located in the Ituri Province of northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. The forest's name derives from the nearby Ituri River which flows through the rainforest, connecting firstly to the Aruwimi Rive ...

. About one-fifth of the

rainforest Rainforests are characterized by a closed and continuous tree canopy, moisture-dependent vegetation, the presence of epiphytes and lianas and the absence of wildfire. Rainforest can be classified as tropical rainforest or temperate rainfores ...

is made up of the

Okapi Wildlife Reserve The Okapi Wildlife Reserve is a wildlife reserve in the Ituri Forest in the north-east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, near the borders with South Sudan and Uganda. At approximately 14,000 km2, it covers approximately one-fifth of t ...

, a

World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...

History

In 1903 prospectors working for the Congo Free State discovered gold in the Ituri River. This led to the opening of the Kilo mine in 1905 and the Moto mine in 1911, and in 1919 to creation of the '' Régie Industrielle des Mines de Kilo-Moto''.

Notes

Sources

* * * * {{Authority control Rivers of the Democratic Republic of the Congo