The Lualaba River flows entirely within the eastern
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (french: République démocratique du Congo (RDC), colloquially "La RDC" ), informally Congo-Kinshasa, DR Congo, the DRC, the DROC, or the Congo, and formerly and also colloquially Zaire, is a country in ...
. It provides the greatest
streamflow
Streamflow, or channel runoff, is the flow of water in streams and other channels, and is a major element of the water cycle. It is one component of the movement of water from the land to waterbodies, the other component being surface runoff. Wate ...
to the
Congo River
The Congo River ( kg, Nzâdi Kôngo, french: Fleuve Congo, pt, Rio Congo), formerly also known as the Zaire River, is the second longest river in Africa, shorter only than the Nile, as well as the second largest river in the world by discharge ...
, while the
source
Source may refer to:
Research
* Historical document
* Historical source
* Source (intelligence) or sub source, typically a confidential provider of non open-source intelligence
* Source (journalism), a person, publication, publishing institute o ...
of the Congo is recognized as the
Chambeshi. The Lualaba is long. Its headwaters are in the country's far southeastern corner near Musofi and
Lubumbashi
Lubumbashi (former names: ( French), (Dutch)) is the second-largest city in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, located in the country's southeasternmost part, along the border with Zambia. The capital and principal city of the Haut-Katanga ...
in
Katanga Province
Katanga was one of the four large provinces created in the Belgian Congo in 1914.
It was one of the eleven provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo between 1966 and 2015, when it was split into the Tanganyika Province, Tanganyika, Hau ...
, next to the
Zambia
Zambia (), officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country at the crossroads of Central Africa, Central, Southern Africa, Southern and East Africa, although it is typically referred to as being in Southern Africa at its most cent ...
n
Copperbelt
The Copperbelt () is a natural region in Central Africa which sits on the border region between northern Zambia and the southern Democratic Republic of Congo. It is known for copper mining.
Traditionally, the term ''Copperbelt'' includes the ...
.
Course
The source of the Lualaba River is on the
Katanga plateau, at an elevation of above sea level. The river flows northward to end near
Kisangani
Kisangani (formerly Stanleyville or Stanleystad) is the capital of Tshopo province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is the fifth most populous urban area in the country, with an estimated population of 1,312,000 in 2021, and the larg ...
, where the name
Congo River
The Congo River ( kg, Nzâdi Kôngo, french: Fleuve Congo, pt, Rio Congo), formerly also known as the Zaire River, is the second longest river in Africa, shorter only than the Nile, as well as the second largest river in the world by discharge ...
officially begins. From the Katanga plateau it drops, with waterfalls and rapids marking the descent, to the Manika plateau. As it descends through the upper
Upemba Depression
The Upemba Depression (or Kamalondo Depression) is a large marshy bowl area ( depression) in the Democratic Republic of the Congo comprising some fifty lakes, including 22 of relatively large size including Lake Upemba (530 km) and Lake Kisale ...
(Kamalondo Trough), in . Near Nzilo Falls it is dammed for hydroelectric power at the
Nzilo Dam
Nzilo Hydroelectric Power Station is an operational hydropower plant in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with installed capacity of . It is operated by the Congolese electricity utility company, Société Nationale d'Électricité (SNEL). ...
.
At
Bukama
Bukama is a town in Haut-Lomami Province of south-eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. As of 2009 it had an estimated population of 42,718.
Climate
Köppen-Geiger climate classification system classifies its climate as a tropical savanna cli ...
in
Haut-Lomami District
Haut-Lomami District was a district of the pre-2015 Katanga Province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The district dates back to the days of the Belgian Congo.
At its greatest extent it roughly corresponded to the northern part of the cu ...
the river becomes navigable for about through a series of marshy lakes in the lower
Upemba Depression
The Upemba Depression (or Kamalondo Depression) is a large marshy bowl area ( depression) in the Democratic Republic of the Congo comprising some fifty lakes, including 22 of relatively large size including Lake Upemba (530 km) and Lake Kisale ...
, including
Lake Upemba
Lake Upemba is a lake in Bukama, Haut-Lomami District, the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It, and nearby Lake Kisale, is surrounded by the Upemba Depression in Upemba National Park. The nearest town is Nyonga, and the nearest hospital is loca ...
and
Lake Kisale
Lake Kisale is a lake in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), in Bukama Territory, Haut-Lomami District.
At about in area, it is the second largest of the lakes in the Upemba Depression (Kamolondo Depression), an extensive marshy area partl ...
.
Ankoro
Ankoro is a town in Tanganyika province, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
It lies on the west bank of the Lualaba River opposite the point where it is joined by the Luvua River.
Civil war
Towards the end of the Second Congo War (1998-2003) the c ...
lies on the west bank of the Lualaba River, opposite its
confluence
In geography, a confluence (also: ''conflux'') occurs where two or more flowing bodies of water join to form a single channel. A confluence can occur in several configurations: at the point where a tributary joins a larger river (main stem); o ...
with the
Luvua River
The Luvua River (or ''Lowa River'') is a river in the Katanga Province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). It flows from the northern end of Lake Mweru on the Zambia-Congo border in a northwesterly direction for to its confluence with ...
from the east. Some geographers call the combined river below this point the "Upper Congo".
Below
Kongolo, the river becomes unnavigable as it enters the narrow gorge of Portes d'Enfer (''Gates of Hell''). Between
Kasongo
Kasongo, also known as Piani Kasongo, is a town and a Territory, located in the Maniema Province of the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Geography
Kasongo lies east of the Lualaba River, northwest of its confluence with the Luama River ...
and Kibombo, the river is navigable for about , before rapids make it unnavigable again between Kibombo and
Kindu
Kindu is a city in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the capital of Maniema province. It has a population of about 200,000 and is situated on the Lualaba River at an altitude of about 500 metres, and is about 400 km west of Bukavu.
Kindu ...
(''Port-Empain''). From Kindu up to the
Boyoma Falls
Boyoma Falls, formerly known as Stanley Falls, is a series of seven cataracts, each no more than high, extending over more than along a curve of the Lualaba River between the river port towns of Ubundu and Kisangani (also known as Boyoma) in t ...
at
Ubundu
Ubundu, formerly known as Ponthierville or Ponthierstad, is a town located in the Tshopo Province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and is the administrative center of the territory of the same name. It is on the Lualaba River, or Upper Congo ...
, the stream is navigable again for more than 300 kilometres. The Boyoma Falls or Stanley Falls are made up of seven cataracts, over a stretch of of the river, between Ubundu and Kisangani. The river's end is marked after the seventh cataract, near
Kisangani
Kisangani (formerly Stanleyville or Stanleystad) is the capital of Tshopo province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is the fifth most populous urban area in the country, with an estimated population of 1,312,000 in 2021, and the larg ...
, where it becomes the Congo River.
The Lualaba River serves as the northern and western boundary of
Upemba National Park
Upemba National Park is a large national park in Haut-Lomami, Lualaba Province & Haut-Katanga Province (formerly in Katanga Province) of the southeastern Democratic Republic of Congo, formerly Zaire.
Geography
At the time of the creation of Upem ...
, protecting habitats on the
Kibara Plateau in Katanga Province of the southeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Tributaries
The largest tributaries of the Lualaba River are:
*
Ulindi River
The Ulindi River is a tributary of the Lualaba River in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). There is a proposal to build a hydroelectric power plant on the river to power a gold mining project.
Location
The river rises in the east of Sout ...
*
Luama River
The Luama River is a tributary of the Lualaba River in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
Location
The Luama rises in the mountains to the west of Lake Tanganyika, in the Kalemie Territory of Tanganyika District. It flows north and nor ...
*
Lukuga River
The Lukuga River is a tributary of the Lualaba River in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) that drains Lake Tanganyika. It is unusual in that its flow varies not just seasonally but also due to longer term climate fluctuations.
Location
...
— ''drains
Lake Tanganyika
Lake Tanganyika () is an African Great Lake. It is the second-oldest freshwater lake in the world, the second-largest by volume, and the second-deepest, in all cases after Lake Baikal in Siberia. It is the world's longest freshwater lake. ...
''.
*
Lufira River
The Lufira River is a tributary of the Lualaba River in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
The Lufira rises in the Shaba plateau south of Likasi.
The river was dammed in 1926 at Mwadingusha near Likasi to form Lake Tshangalele, a rese ...
*
Lubudi River
*
Luvua River
The Luvua River (or ''Lowa River'') is a river in the Katanga Province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). It flows from the northern end of Lake Mweru on the Zambia-Congo border in a northwesterly direction for to its confluence with ...
*
Elila River
The Elila River is a tributary of the Lualaba River in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It rises in Mwenga Territory of Sud-Kivu Province and flows west through Shabunda Territory and then Pangi Territory in Maniema Province, entering the Lu ...
*
Lowa
Cities and towns
Cities and towns along and near the Lualaba River include:
*
Ankoro
Ankoro is a town in Tanganyika province, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
It lies on the west bank of the Lualaba River opposite the point where it is joined by the Luvua River.
Civil war
Towards the end of the Second Congo War (1998-2003) the c ...
—''on west bank, opposite confluence with Luvua River''.
*
Bukama
Bukama is a town in Haut-Lomami Province of south-eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. As of 2009 it had an estimated population of 42,718.
Climate
Köppen-Geiger climate classification system classifies its climate as a tropical savanna cli ...
*
Kabalo Kabalo is a town in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is in Tanganyika province on the Lualaba River and is the administrative center of Kabalo territory.
Transport
Kabalo is the junction of railway lines to the north and to Lake Tanganyi ...
*
Kasongo
Kasongo, also known as Piani Kasongo, is a town and a Territory, located in the Maniema Province of the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Geography
Kasongo lies east of the Lualaba River, northwest of its confluence with the Luama River ...
*
Kongolo
*
Kisangani
Kisangani (formerly Stanleyville or Stanleystad) is the capital of Tshopo province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is the fifth most populous urban area in the country, with an estimated population of 1,312,000 in 2021, and the larg ...
— ''near the seventh cataract of Boyoma Falls''.
*
Ubundu
Ubundu, formerly known as Ponthierville or Ponthierstad, is a town located in the Tshopo Province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and is the administrative center of the territory of the same name. It is on the Lualaba River, or Upper Congo ...
— ''just above first cataract of Boyoma Falls''.
History
The Lualaba River was once considered a possible source of the
Nile
The Nile, , Bohairic , lg, Kiira , Nobiin language, Nobiin: Áman Dawū is a major north-flowing river in northeastern Africa. It flows into the Mediterranean Sea. The Nile is the longest river in Africa and has historically been considered ...
, until
Henry Morton Stanley
Sir Henry Morton Stanley (born John Rowlands; 28 January 1841 – 10 May 1904) was a Welsh-American explorer, journalist, soldier, colonial administrator, author and politician who was famous for his exploration of Central Africa
Cen ...
journeyed down it and proved that it drained into the
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...
.
[Stanley, H.M., 1899, Through the Dark Continent, London: G. Newnes, Vol. One , Vol. Two ] Stanley referred to it as the Livingstone. "Had not
Livingstone spoken of the river at
Nyangwe
Nyangwe is a town in Kasongo, Maniema on the right bank of the Lualaba River, Lualaba in the Democratic Republic of Congo (territory of Kasongo). It was an important hub for the Arabs for trade goods like ivory, gold, iron & slaves: it was one of ...
as the Lualaba, I should not have mentioned the word except as a corruption by the Waguha of the Wenya term Lu-al-ow-wa..."
[
French colonial governor ]Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza
Pietro Paolo Savorgnan di Brazzà, later known as Pierre Paul François Camille Savorgnan de Brazza; 26 January 1852 – 14 September 1905), was an Italian-born, naturalized French explorer. With his family's financial help, he explored the Ogoou ...
also explored the Lualaba.
Notes
References
*Maria Petringa, ''Brazza, A Life for Africa''. Bloomington, IN: AuthorHouse, 2006.
External links
{{Authority control
Rivers of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Tributaries of the Congo River
Lake Tanganyika
Haut-Lomami
Lualaba Province
Tanganyika Province