List of rivers of Rwanda

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This is a list of rivers in Rwanda. This list is arranged by drainage basin, with respective tributaries indented under each larger stream's name.

Contents

Congo basins

The western third of Rwanda is mainly covered by a mountain range to the east of the Albertine Rift. Rivers drain the west side of this range into the Congo River basin via the Ruzizi River, ultimately discharging into the Atlantic Ocean. The main rivers in Rwanda that supply the Congo River basin are the Sebeya, Koko, Ruhwa, Rubyiro and Ruzizi. [1]

Nile Basin

Most of Rwanda lies to the east of the Congo-Nile Divide and drains into the Nile basin. The main rivers are Mwogo, Rukarara, Mukungwa, Base, Nyabarongo and the Akanyaru. The Nyabarongo is called the Akagera after receiving the waters of Lake Rweru. [1]

Related Research Articles

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is the largest country of sub-Saharan Africa, occupying some 2,344,858 square kilometres (905,355 sq mi). Most of the country lies within the vast hollow of the Congo River basin. The vast, low-lying central area is a plateau-shaped basin sloping toward the west, covered by tropical rainforest and criss-crossed by rivers. The forest center is surrounded by mountainous terraces in the west, plateaus merging into savannas in the south and southwest. Dense grasslands extend beyond the Congo River in the north. High mountains of the Ruwenzori Range are found on the eastern borders with Rwanda and Uganda.

Geography of Rwanda

Rwanda is located in central Africa, to the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, at the co-ordinates 2°00′S30°0′E.

White Nile River originating in Burundi or Rwanda

The White Nile is a river in Africa, one of the two main tributaries of the Nile, the other being the Blue Nile. The name comes from colouring due to clay carried in the water.

African Great Lakes Series of lakes in the Rift Valley

The African Great Lakes are a series of lakes constituting the part of the Rift Valley lakes in and around the East African Rift. They include Lake Victoria, the second-largest fresh water lake in the world by area, Lake Tanganyika, the world's second-largest freshwater lake by volume and depth, and Lake Malawi, the world's eighth-largest fresh water lake by area. Collectively, they contain 31,000 km3 of water, which is more than either Lake Baikal or the North American Great Lakes. This total constitutes about 25% of the planet's unfrozen surface fresh water. The large rift lakes of Africa are the ancient home of great biodiversity, and 10% of the world's fish species live in this region.

Ruzizi River River in Central Africa

The Ruzizi is a river, 117 kilometres (73 mi) long, that flows from Lake Kivu to Lake Tanganyika in Central Africa, descending from about 1,500 metres (4,900 ft) to about 770 metres (2,530 ft) above sea level over its length. The steepest gradients occur over the first 40 kilometres (25 mi), where hydroelectric dams have been built. Further downstream, the Ruzizi Plain, the floor of the Western Rift Valley, has only gentle hills, and the river flows into Lake Tanganyika through a delta, with one or two small channels splitting off from the main channel.

Kagera River River in East Africa

The Kagera River, also known as Akagera River, or Alexandra Nile, is an East African river, forming part of the upper headwaters of the Nile and carrying water from its most distant source. With a total length of 597 km (371 mi) from its source located in Lake Rweru in Rwanda.

Albertine Rift Western branch of the East African Rift

The Albertine Rift is the western branch of the East African Rift, covering parts of Uganda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Rwanda, Burundi and Tanzania. It extends from the northern end of Lake Albert to the southern end of Lake Tanganyika. The geographical term includes the valley and the surrounding mountains.

Tourism in Rwanda is the largest source of foreign exchange earnings in Rwanda and was projected to grow at a rate of 25% every year from 2013-18. The sector is the biggest contributor to the national export strategy. Total revenues generated from the sector in 2014 alone was USD 305 millions. The sector has also attracted direct foreign investments with major international hotel brands setting up shop in the country including Marriot Hotels & Resorts, Radisson Blu, Park Inn by Radisson, Sheraton Hotels and Resorts, Protea Hotels by Marriott, Golden Tulip Hotels, and Zinc. With its new world-class convention center Rwanda is set to become a regional and international conference hub owing to ever improving conference facilities, an excellent and expanding transportation network, and straightforward immigration procedures such as the ability for online visa applications, visa-at-gate policy for all Africans, and a one tourist visa policy for the EAC.

<i>Labeobarbus somereni</i> Species of fish

Labeobarbus somereni, or Someren's barb, is a species of ray-finned fish in the family Cyprinidae. It is found in Burundi, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda. Its natural habitat is rivers. It is not considered a threatened species by the IUCN. Local names for the fish in Rwanda include ikinanga, inkwenwe, ifurwe (Satinsyi) and urwozi (Nyabarongo).

Wildlife of Rwanda

The wildlife of Rwanda comprising its flora and fauna, in prehistoric times, consisted of montane forest in one third the territory of present-day Rwanda. However, natural vegetation is now mostly restricted to the three National Parks and four small forest reserves, with terraced agriculture dominating the rest of the country.

Nile Basin Part of Africa drained by the Nile River and its tributaries

The Nile Basin is the part of Africa drained by the Nile River and its tributaries.

Nyabarongo River

The Nyabarongo is a major river in Rwanda, part of the upper headwaters of the Nile. With a total length of 351 km (218 mi), it is the longest river entirely in Rwanda. It is extended 421 km (262 mi) in Lake Rweru including a 69 km (43 mi) upper course of Kagera River before joining into Ruvuvu River to form the Kagera River. The river begins its course at the confluence of the rivers Mbirurume and Mwogo in the South West of the country. These two rivers themselves begin in Nyungwe Forest, and are considered by some to be the most distant source of the Nile. From its start, Nyabarongo flows northward for 85 km, and forms the border between the Western and Southern Provinces. At the confluence with the river Mukungwa, the river changes course and flows eastward for 12 km, then to a more South Eastern course for the last 200 km. For the longest stretch of this course, the river serves as the boundary between the Northern and Southern Provinces, then between the City of Kigali and the Southern Province, and lastly between the City of Kigali and the Eastern Province.

Rukarara River

The Rukarara River is a river in western Rwanda that is a tributary of the Mwogo River, in turn a tributary of the Nyabarongo River. It is the most distant headwater of the Nile.

The Rubyiro River is a river in southwestern Rwanda that is a left-hand tributary of the Ruzizi River. It joins the Ruzizi, which forms the boundary between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, about 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) above the point where the Ruhwa River, which forms the boundary between Rwanda and Burundi, enters the Ruzizi.

The Koko River is a river in the Rutsiro District of western Rwanda that flows into Lake Kivu.

Akanyaru River

The Akanyaru River is the main tributary of the Nyabarongo River. It rises in the western highlands of Rwanda and Burundi, flows east and then north along the border between those countries before joining the Nyabarongo River. The lower stretches contain important but unprotected wetlands, which are under threat from human activity.

Mwogo River River in Rwanda

The Mwogo River is a river in western Rwanda that is a tributary of the Nyabarongo River.

Congo-Nile Divide

The Congo-Nile Divide is the continental divide that separates the drainage basins of the Nile and Congo rivers. It is about 2,000 kilometres (1,200 mi) long.

References

  1. 1 2 "National Nile Basin Water Quality Monitoring Baseline Report for Rwanda" (PDF). Nile Basin Initiative. 2005. pp. 7–8. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2018-09-20. Retrieved 2013-04-02.