Basin
The Tshopo basin has an area of about 17,200 square kilometres (6,600 sq mi), mostly covered by Guinean-Congolian rainforests. It is elongated, and almost entirely north of the equator. The river flows from east to west and enters the Congo River 13 kilometres (8.1 mi) downstream from Kisangani where it joins the Lindi River. The great falls near the river mouth vary in height from 11.2 to 13.8 metres (37 to 45 ft) depending on the height of the Congo River. About 120 metres (390 ft) further upstream the small falls are 3.2 metres (10 ft) high over a section of rapids.
The location in the continental interior by the equator with two rainy seasons and two dry seasons, and the vegetation covering the basin, result in a fairly constant flow. There are low waters in February–April and in June–August, and high waters in April–May and particularly in October–December. Average annual flow is about 300–450 cubic metres per second (11,000–16,000 cu ft/s). At the great falls just above the river mouth the flow is 100–700 cubic metres per second (3,500–24,700 cu ft/s), with a velocity of 5–6 metres per second (16–20 ft/s). The water is pH 6.6–6.8, and has a temperature of 26–28 °C (79–82 °F) in January and June 1987.
The Congo River, formerly also known as the Zaire River, is the second-longest river in Africa, shorter only than the Nile, as well as the third largest river in the world by discharge volume, following the Amazon and the Ganges rivers. It is also the world's deepest recorded river, with measured depths of around 219.5 m (720 ft). The Congo-Lualaba-Chambeshi River system has an overall length of 4,700 km (2,920 mi), which makes it the world's ninth-longest river. The Chambeshi is a tributary of the Lualaba River, and Lualaba is the name of the Congo River upstream of Boyoma Falls, extending for 1,800 km (1,120 mi).
The Lualaba River flows entirely within the eastern part of Democratic Republic of the Congo. It provides the greatest streamflow to the Congo River, while the source of the Congo is recognized as the Chambeshi. The Lualaba is 1,800 kilometres (1,100 mi) long. Its headwaters are in the country's far southeastern corner near Musofi and Lubumbashi in Katanga Province, next to the Zambian Copperbelt.
Kisangani 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 largest of the cities that lie in the tropical woodlands of the Congo.
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 gentle hills, and the river flows into Lake Tanganyika through a delta, with one or two small channels splitting off from the main channel.
Marcusenius is a genus of elephantfishes native to Africa. Its members are highly diverse in size, with the smallest species reaching less than 15 cm (6 in) and the largest more than 1 m (3.3 ft).
The Topoke people are an ethnic group that live in the Isangi Territory south of the Congo River, downstream from Kisangani in Tshopo District of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. They speak the Poke language, in the Soko–Kele languages group of Bantu languages.
The Félou Falls are located on the Sénégal River 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) upstream of Kayes in western Mali. The river tumbles 13 metres (43 ft) down an irregular series of rocky steps. The waterfalls mark the furthest point from the mouth of the river that can be reached by boat. In 2009 work started on the construction of the Félou Hydroelectric Plant, a 62.3 megawatts (83,500 hp) run-of-the-river hydroelectric plant at the falls replacing a small 600 kW plant dating from the 1920s.
The Kahuzi-Biega National Park is a protected area near Bukavu town in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is situated near the western bank of Lake Kivu and the Rwandan border. Established in 1970 by the Belgian photographer and conservationist Adrien Deschryver, the park is named after two dormant volcanoes, Mount Kahuzi and Mount Biega, which are within its limits. With an area of 6,000 square kilometres (2,300 sq mi), Kahuzi-Biega is one of the biggest national parks in the country. Set in both mountainous and lowland terrain, it is one of the last refuges of the rare species of Eastern lowland gorilla, an endangered category under the IUCN Red List. The park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, inscribed in 1980 for its unique biodiversity of rainforest habitat and its eastern lowland gorillas. In 1997, it was listed on the List of World Heritage in Danger because of the political instability of the region, an influx of refugees, and increasing wildlife exploitation.
Bas-Uele District was a district of the Belgian Congo and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It was formed from part of Uele District in 1912. Later it was merged back into Uele District, then split out again. There were various boundary changes. It roughly corresponded in area to the present Bas-Uélé province.
The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Kisangani, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Aruwimi District was a district of the Congo Free State and Belgian Congo. It went through various changes in extent before being absorbed into other districts.
Stanleyville District was a district of the Belgian Congo and Democratic Republic of the Congo. It went through various changes in extent. Between 1933 and 1963 it had roughly the same extent as the current Tshopo province.
Uele District was a district of the Congo Free State and the Belgian Congo. It roughly corresponded to the current provinces of Bas-Uélé and Haut-Uélé.
Stanley Falls District was a district of the Congo Free State. It covered most of the eastern part of the colony along the Congo River south from Stanleyville.
The Districts of the Congo Free State were the primary administrative divisions of the Congo Free State from 1885 to 1908. There were various boundary changes in the period before the Congo Free State was annexed by Belgium to become the Belgian Congo.
The Itimbiri River is a right tributary of the Congo River, which it joins above Bumba. At one time it was important as a navigable waterway for transporting good from the northeast of the country down to the Congo.
The Nzoro River is a river in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is a right tributary of the Kibali River. It is used to supply hydroelectric power to the Kibali Gold Mine.
Léon Roget was a Belgian soldier and colonial administrator who was active in the Congo Free State. He was the first commander of the Force Publique, the armed force used to police the colony.
Willem Frans Van Kerckhoven, or Guillaume François van Kerckhoven was a Belgian soldier, explorer, colonial administrator who was active in the service of the International Association of the Congo and the subsequent Congo Free State. He is known for his extended expedition through the Uele River basin and onward towards the Nile, which was responsible for the deaths of over 1,800 people and established a Belgian presence in the region. He died in an accident before reaching the Nile.
