What kind of lake exists in Africa. African inland waters

Among the African rivers, the following rivers flow into the Atlantic Ocean: Congo (Zaire) - the deepest and second longest river in Africa, Niger, Senegal, Gambia and Orange. To the Mediterranean Sea - the Nile (the longest river in Africa). The flow into the Indian Ocean is carried out mainly by the Za Mbezi River.

The stepped surface causes rapids in many rivers and the formation of waterfalls. The largest and most beautiful waterfall in Africa is on the Zambezi River (the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe).

About one-third of Africa's area is an area of internal flow, in the main temporary watercourses. Unique a natural phenomenon inland flow - (in Botswana)

Rivers of Africa:

Gambia- a river in West Africa (Guinea, Senegal and Gambia). Length about 1200 km. Flows into the Atlantic Ocean. Floods from July to October. It is navigable for 467 km from the mouth, where the city of Banjul is located.

Zambezi- the fourth longest river in Africa. The basin area is 1,570,000 sq. km, length is 2,574 km. The source of the river is in Zambia, the river flows through Angola, along the borders of Namibia, Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe, to Mozambique, where it flows into the Indian Ocean. The name Zambezi was given to the river by its European discoverer, David Livingstone, and comes from a corruption of Kasambo Wayzi, a name in one of the local dialects.
One of the most striking features of the Zambezi is Victoria Falls, one of the world's greatest waterfalls.
There are many other notable waterfalls in the Zambezi: Chavuma on the border of Zambia and Angola and Ngambwe, in Western Zambia. Along the entire course of the river across the Zambezi there are only five bridges in the cities: Chingwingi, Katima Mulilo, Victoria Falls, Chirundu and Tete.
2 large hydroelectric power stations were built on the river - the Kariba Hydroelectric Power Station, which supplies electricity to Zambia and Zimbabwe, and the Cabora Bassa Hydroelectric Power Station in Mozambique, which supplies electricity to Zimababwe and South Africa. There is also a small power station in the city of Victoria Falls.

Congo (Zaire)- a large river in Central Africa, flows under the name Chambesi between lakes Nyasa and Tanganyika at an altitude of 1590 m above sea level, Lake Bangweolo flows and under the name Luapuda - Lake Moero, connects with Luadaba and Lukuga; both in the upper and lower reaches it forms many rapids and waterfalls (Stanley Falls and a number of Livingston waterfalls); flows into the Atlantic Ocean in a wide (11 km) and deep channel.
Congo is 4374 km long and navigable for 1600 km. The basin area is 3680 thousand sq. km.
Tributaries on the right: Aruvimi, Rubi, Mongalla, Mobangi (Ouelle), Saaga-Mambere, Likuala-Lekoli, Alima, Lefini; from left: Lomami, Lulongo, Ikelemba, Ruki, Kassai with Sankuru and Kuango, Lualaba.

Limpopo- river in South Africa, flows south of Pretoria from the Witwatersrand mountains (1800 m), into upper reaches in its own way, crosses the Mogali Mountains and connects with Mariko. After traveling 1600 km and receiving many tributaries, it flows into the Indian Ocean north of Delagoa Bay.
The Limpopo is navigable from the point where it joins Nuanetsi at 32°E.

Niger- the most important river in West Africa. The length is 4160 km, the basin area is 2092 thousand sq. km, the third according to these parameters in Africa after the Nile and Congo.
The source is in Guinea, then the river flows through Mali, Niger, along the Benin border, then flows through Nigeria and flows into the Gulf of Guinea.
Main tributaries: Milo, Bani (right); Sokoto, Kaduna and Benue (left).

Nile- a river in northern and northeastern Africa, one of the two longest rivers in the world. The length of the Nile (including Kagera) is about 6,700 km (the most commonly used figure is 6,671 km), from Lake Victoria to Mediterranean Sea- approximately 5,600 km.
The area of the basin, according to various sources, is 2.8-3.4 million square kilometers (fully or partially covering the territories of Rwanda, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Sudan and Egypt). The average flow rate at Aswan is 2,600 m3/sec, but in different years Fluctuations from 500 m3/sec to 15,000 m3/sec are possible. The river originates on the East African plateau and flows into the Mediterranean Sea, forming a delta. In the upper reaches it takes major tributaries- Bahr el Ghazal (left) and Aswa, Sobat, Blue Nile and Atbara (right). Below the mouth of the right tributary of the Atbara, the Nile flows through a semi-desert, having no tributaries for the last 3000 km.

Orange- a river in southern Africa. It originates in the Drakensberg Mountains on the border of South Africa and Lesotho, flows through Namibia and flows into the Atlantic Ocean. Length 2200 km, basin area 973,000 sq. km.
On the Orange River there is the famous 146-meter Augrabis Falls (South Africa).
The name of the river comes from the Oran dynasty.

Senegal River located in West Africa and forms a natural border between the states of Senegal and Mauritania. The length of the river is about 1970 km.
The area of the river basin is 419`575 km2 and the annual discharge of water into the Atlantic Ocean is close to 8 million km2. Main tributaries: Falem, Karakoro and Gorgol.
In 1972, Mali, Senegal and Mauritania founded the Senegal River Restoration Organization to jointly manage the river basin. Guinea joined this organization in 2005.

On the vast, arid continent of Africa, rivers represent life and well-being. Life-giving power water arteries penetrates mountains, plains, deserts, and emerges into sea spaces. Some African rivers are recognized as the deepest and longest on the planet.

general information

The river system belongs to the world waters of the Atlantic and Indian. The third factor is determined by internal runoff.

The watercourses of the Atlantic waters occupy half of the land in Africa. 30% of the territory is covered by internal drainage reservoirs. The Indian Ocean receives flows from a fifth of the continent.

The characteristics of the flow intensity are determined by undeveloped river channels. The upper reaches are marked by turbulent, rushing streams. In the lower reaches there are rapids areas with waterfalls. Among them, Victoria Falls on the Zambezi became world famous. The stepped surface affects the limitation of navigation along the entire length of watercourses. It is carried out only in certain areas. However, this deficiency is being made up for by the development of hydropower, which accounts for 20% of Africa's energy resources.

The state of the water area is influenced climatic zones. Most reservoirs are filled by rain. Reserves from sediments are available to a few reservoirs in mountainous areas. At the equator, high water levels are observed throughout the year.

Another characteristic of water content in subequatorial belt where the shallow water begins. In the tropics, river reserves are becoming scarcer. Moisture occasionally enters dry riverbeds. The African platform, with its slope, influences the geography of rivers. A significant flow goes into the bowels of the Atlantic.

Nile - River of Africa

The Nile is the longest river in Africa. She is welcomed on the lands of numerous countries in the north of the continent. Along its route, the Nile is subject to a variety of weather and terrain conditions. The river is recognized as the longest not only in Africa. On a planetary scale, it is second only to the Amazon.

Characteristics of the watercourse:

length – 6680 kilometers;
filling – 2.9 million km2;
flow rate - 2590 m3/sec.

The Nile remains a geographical mystery to this day. Scientists cannot reach a consensus on the place of origin natural wonder. The ancient thinker Herodotus wrote that the Nile begins in southern Africa. The version of Ptolemy Claudius claimed that the beginning is the Rwenzori range (in ancient times the Moon Mountains). The truth came with the discovery of Lake Victoria in the 19th century. Research has confirmed that the source is located in one of the tributaries of the Kagera River - Rukarara.

Throughout its entire length, the Nile's bed changes character - calm and rapids, deep and shallow.

The current rushes north, rushing from above into the lowlands. Falls down with powerful waterfalls. From a height of 40 meters, the Murchison Cascade flows into Lake Albert, from which the Albert Nile originates. The Ugandan plain calms the rushing stream. The Nile reaches South Sudan, where it splits into many branches.

The further course of the watercourse intersects with Lake Net and reaches the capital of Sudan - Khartoum. At this point, the water changes color from yellow, due to clay impurities, to a transparent color. For this reason, they begin to call it not the White Nile, but the Blue Nile.

The next tributary, the Atraba, further fills the basin in front of the Sahara Desert. The great Nile flows in a wide strip across the Egyptian expanses to the Suez Canal, where it flows into the Mediterranean Sea. The end of the path is characterized by spreading into separate branches, the formation of a huge estuary.

Congo

The Congo, or Zaire, is one of the significant rivers in Central Africa. It is the deepest on the continent.

The streams fall from the 1580 m highlands of Zambia called Chambezi. As it flows, it leaves behind cascades and turbulent streams of Central African territory. It reaches the shores of the Atlantic through a 12-kilometer deep channel.

Characteristics of the watercourse:

length – 4376 kilometers;
volume – 3675 km2;
maximum depth – 240 m.

The African river has many diverse tributaries.

Shipping is developed in many areas. Africans extract oil, clay, sand. The main source of food remains river resources - fish and plants. There are many power plants in operation.

Niger

The third longest river in Africa has its main advantage - fresh water. The Niger River, which originates in Guinea, is an indispensable source of life-giving moisture in West Africa.

Characteristics of the watercourse:

length – 4155 kilometers;
volume – 2096;
annual flow – 270 km3

From the mountain peaks of 850 m, the watercourse moves north along the Malian plain, where it abruptly changes direction to the south. It flows through the territory of Nigeria, Benin to the Gulf of Guinea - the mouth of the Niger. The intricate winding river route has always instilled mystical sentiments in the aborigines. Local residents consider the source sacred, believe in ancient spirits and protect it from foreigners.

At the mouth there is a vast delta. The unique reservoir has an internal mouth called Masina. The swampy valley is flooded by rivers and lake overflows for a length of 427 km.

One of the important tributaries, the Benue, makes the watercourse deep and wide - up to 3.5 km. Heavy rainfall combines the tributary with Lake Chad.

Navigation depends on the topography and the fullness of the basin, so it is not present on the entire river.

Rivers of Africa on the Map

The water system of the continent consists of lakes and rivers of Africa, marked on the map. The hydraulic system of antiquity has been modified over the centuries, thanks to large reservoirs on the site of current deserts. With climate change, the surface of the earth changed, becoming mountainous on the outskirts of the plateau. Their slopes were sources of new reservoirs. Today, modern maps of water areas, deserts and savannas are being compiled.

Largest African rivers

Noting the largest rivers in Africa, we should characterize the fourth longest - the Zamzebi, stretching for 2570 km. The Zambezi, crossing the Angolan savanna, ends up in Mozambique. The long river of Africa ends its journey in the waves of the Indian Ocean.

The Orange River originates in the mountains of South Africa. A section of 2190 km washes the shores of South Africa and Namibia, ending in the waves of the Atlantic. Vessels do not sail along the Orange River due to the shallowness of the watercourse. The name of the watercourse has nothing to do with the color scheme. The name is associated with the name of the Dutch nobleman William of Orange. Over the years, the name has transformed and turned from Orange to Orange.

Which African river is the most famous in Russia? The river, glorified by the writer Korney Chukovsky, is known to everyone as the Limpopo. Throughout the 1,590 km waterway it is fed by numerous small and medium-sized streams. Flows into the Indian Ocean.

Senegal, a large river in West Africa, creates a natural border between states. The reservoir's capacity is more than 400 thousand km2.

List of important river arteries in Africa

Atraba - plays the role of a right-hand tributary of the Nile at a distance of 1130 km. It is a geographical landmark for Ethiopian and Sudanese settlements. During the dry season, the lower reaches dry out; during the monsoon season, it fills and reaches the Nile.
Juba is a watercourse of Ethiopian and Somali lands with a shared basin of 748 thousand square meters with Webi-Shebeli. km. The deep river of Africa has an important economic importance, thanks to shipping.
Lualaba is the name of the upper reaches of the Congo, which is 2100 km long from the source to the Boyoma cascades.

Conclusion

The river basins of the African continent give life to its inhabitants. Many rivers are not so significant in scale and not the largest, but they enliven the landscape and contribute to the development of livestock and agriculture.

Given that most of the continent's peoples live in poverty, water supply is of strategic importance. Hydroelectric power stations are being built on rivers. They supply the local population with resources and contribute to the development of industrial facilities. Many bodies of water are taken under the protection not only of individual states, but also on a planetary scale.

The area of Kivu is 2700 km². The maximum length of the lake is 89 km, width is 48 km. The average depth of the lake is about 240 meters, and the maximum depth exceeds 480 meters. The lake was formed as a result of volcanic activity. The water in Kivu is fresh. The coastline of the reservoir is indented, there are a lot of islands, the largest of which is called Idjvi.

The lake poses a potential danger as it contains methane deposits. Despite this, the shores are densely populated. People catch telapia, sardines, carp and catfish there. The Nyungwe, Kahuzi-Biega and Virunga Forest national parks are home to chimpanzees, antelope, elephants, buffalo and giraffes. Pelicans, ibises and gulls nest along the banks overgrown with bamboo and papyrus. The lake is shared between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda.

general information

Rivers are distributed unevenly on the mainland. Characteristic feature for the rivers of Africa is the presence of rapids and waterfalls. That is why these water spaces are practically unsuitable for navigation. The full flow of rivers also depends on the climatic zones in which they are located. In the equatorial climatic zone The rivers are full almost all year round and form a dense river network.

Tana

Tana covers an area of 3000 to 3500 km². The maximum length of the lake is 84 km, width is 66 km. The maximum depth during the rainy season does not exceed 15 meters. The lake was formed as a result of volcanic activity that blocked the flow of inflowing rivers about 5 million years ago. It was originally much larger than it is today.

Tana is a freshwater lake. From it originates a great African river- Blue Nile. Due to the gradual decline in water levels, the shores of the lake become swampy, becoming home to aquatic birds such as ducks, geese and pelicans. Local residents make money by catching fish, which is found here in abundance. The lake is located in Ethiopia.

Congo

The Congo River ranks second in size to the basin after the Nile. Its second name is Zaire, and it flows into the Atlantic Ocean. The river flows in Central Africa through Angola and the Republic of Congo.

The Congo is the deepest river in the world (230 m), as well as the deepest river in Africa. In the world, it ranks second after the Amazon in terms of abundance of water. The length of the river is 4,700 km, and the discoverer of these waters was the Portuguese traveler Diogo Can.

Rice. 2. Congo River.

Bangweulu

The surface area of permanently open water is approximately 3,000 km², and expands significantly when marshes and floodplains overflow their banks at the end of the rainy season in May. The total area of the lake and wetlands reaches 15,000 km². The average depth of Bangweulu does not exceed four meters. This freshwater lake is of tectonic origin.

Niger

This river flows through the territory West Africa. In terms of length and area of the basin, it ranks third after the Nile and Congo. Niger has many tributaries, the largest of which is the Benue River. Also tributaries of the river are Milo, Bani, Sokoto, Kaduna.

TOP 4 articles who are reading along with this

Compared to the murky waters of the Nile, the Niger is considered a river with fairly clear water, as it flows mainly through rocky terrain and does not carry much silt. Niger lies in the equatorial and subequatorial zones, which are characterized by dry semi-desert areas and the presence of monsoons.

Mweru

The area of the lake is 5120 km². The maximum length of the lake is 131 km, width is 56 km. The average depth does not exceed seven meters, and the maximum depth is about 20-27 meters. Fresh water filled the tectonic depression, shaped like a heart. Mweru is part of the Congo River system. Thanks to this, the lake level does not depend on weather changes and drought.

Lake map

On African continent There are 14 lakes, seven of which belong to the Great African Lakes. These include the Victoria, Albert and Edward, which flow into the White Nile, Taganyika and Kivu, which flow into the Congo. Lake Nyasa flows into the Zambezi, and Lake Rudolf is drainless.

The most big lake Africa is Victoria. It is located simultaneously on the territory of several countries: Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya. The area of the water space is 68 thousand square meters. km.

Currently, the lake is a reservoir, and on its territory there are many parks and reserves.

Rice. 3. Lake Victoria.

What have we learned?

There are many rivers and lakes in Africa. Most long river is the Nile, and the largest lake is Victoria. Also big rivers Congo, Niger, Zambezi, which lie on the territory of several states, are considered.

If you find an error, please highlight a piece of text and press Ctrl Enter.

The length of the lake is 676 km from north to south, which is a kind of record, its average width is 50 km. The total area is 32.9 thousand square meters. km, the coastline stretches for 1830 km. The shore in many places consists of sheer walls, sometimes reaching a height of 2000 m. They are separated directly from the water by narrow flat strips. On a large-scale map of the area, it is easy to discern the massive outlines of the lake's many bays, bays and headlands.

The maximum depth, according to modern data, is 1470 m, the average is 600 m. The reservoir is located at an altitude of about 770 m above sea level. The Tanganyika bowl consists of 3 basins - Kigoma in the northern part with a maximum depth of 1300 m, Kungwa with a maximum depth of 885 m and Kipili in the south with a maximum depth of 1470 m.

Two rivers flow into Tanganyika - Ruzizi from the north and Malagarasi from the east; only 1 river flows out of the lake - Lukuga, which in the west flows into the Congo, carrying its waters to the Atlantic Ocean. Thus, Tanganyika is part of the Atlantic basin.

The annual flow of water into the lake from precipitation is almost 41 cubic meters, from tributaries - 24 cubic meters. The main water consumption (94.4%) is carried out by evaporation and amounts to 61 cubic meters.

The water on the surface is very warm; on particularly hot days it warms up to 30°C, while the temperature at depth does not exceed 6-8°C.

Lake Victoria, located in the eastern part, is considered the largest lake in Africa. The lake ranks 2nd in area among freshwater lakes in the world. The height above sea level is 1135 m. The length of the reservoir from north to south is 320 km. Shipping and fishing are developed on the territory of the lake.

Albert

The area of the lake is 5300 km². The maximum length of the lake is 160 km, width is 30 km. The average depth is 20 meters, the maximum depth does not exceed 60 meters. The reservoir is located in a tectonic depression. Throughout the year, the water in Alberta remains warm. Thanks to this, the ichthyofauna is well developed here.

Part of the coastline is represented by cliffs and ledges from which hot springs flow. The flat areas are covered with savannas. In some places the shores turn into wetlands, a favorite habitat of crocodiles and other dangerous reptiles. Lake Albert is located in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda.

Rudolf

The area of the lake is 6405 km². The maximum length of the lake is 290 km, width is 32 km. The average depth does not exceed 30 meters, and the maximum reaches 109 meters. The water is brackish. The three adjacent islands are national parks. The tribes living on the sandy shores are engaged exclusively in fishing.

Chad

Historically, Lake Chad ranks among the largest lakes in Africa, although its surface area varies greatly depending on the season and also from year to year. Previously, the area of the lake reached about 17,800 km², however, at the beginning of the 21st century it decreased to approximately 1,500 km². The average depth of the lake is 1.5 meters, the greatest depth is 11 meters.

Lake Chad was formed due to depression in the earth's crust. The coastal line is swampy. There are many islands in the northeastern part. The northern border is dunes. They grow in the south tropical plants. The waters of Lake Chad contain a lot of algae, which are a source of food for fish.

The largest lake in Asia

Name	Depth (m)	Area (km 2)	Volume (km 3)
Caspian Sea	1026	372000	79548
Upper	406	82003	12107
Victoria	81	68900	2770
Huron	229	59600	3538
Michigan	282	58030	4928
Tanganyika	1480	32873	18800
Baikal	1640	316500	24000
Great Bear Lake	446	31080	2236
Malawi (Nyasa)	696	29044	8390
Great Slave Lake	624	28940	2100
Erie	65	25720	490
Winnipeg	37	24553	293
Ontario	250	19507	1739
Ladoga lake	229	18129	910
Balkhash	27	18399	110
East	999	15700
Lake Onega	119	9892	279
Titicaca	279	8145	900
Nicaragua	24	7900
Athabasca	253	7890	199
Taimyr	25	4600
Turkana	105	6395	214
Raindeer Lake
Issyk-Kul	179	6200	2038
Urmia	14	5901
Wenern	107	5445	149
Winnipegosis	260	5503
Albert	59	5309	279
Mweru	30	5130	40
Nettiling		5049

The largest bodies of water, which are included in the Top 30 largest lakes in the world, are located mainly in Eurasia and America.

The largest lakes in the world: what are they, where are they located and why are they unique?

The largest lake in Russia is the Caspian Sea, which is also called the “Caspian Sea”. The lake has no connection with the World Ocean, and therefore is drainless.

The bottom of the Caspian Sea is the earth's crust, which belongs to the oceanic type, so scientists claim that the age of the reservoir is at least 12 million years. The shallowest part of the lake is the northern part, its depth on average is only 4 m.

The largest lake in Europe is freshwater Lake Ladoga. Cold gusty winds prevail over the surface of the reservoir.

The greatest depth of the lake – 229 m – is reached in the northern part of the reservoir. For 160 years, building and decorative stone was actively mined on the northern part of the coastal shores. There are more than 650 islands on the territory of Lake Ladoga.

Tonle Sap is the largest lake in Asia, which is located in its southeastern part. The reservoir is freshwater. Locals call Tonle Sap the “Baikal of Cambodia”. Fishing is well developed on the territory of the lake, since its waters are home to more than 3 hundred species of fish.

For several months of the year the lake has a relatively small area, but during the rainy seasons its area reaches 16,000 km2.

The largest body of water in North America Lake Superior is considered a freshwater lake. In the southern part of the coastal environs, flat terrain predominates, while in the northern part, mainly rocky shores. IN warm months The sandy shores of the lake serve as a resting place for local residents.

The water temperature in the depths is constant and amounts to 4 degrees. There are many islands on the surface of the lake; the length of the largest of them is 72 km. The lake attracts visitors with the diversity of the surrounding landscape, so thousands of tourists come to the reservoir every year.

Maracaibo is considered the largest lake in South America. More than 20% of the total population live in coastal areas South America. Sometimes the lake is called a strait, as it is connected by a strait to the Gulf of the Caribbean Sea.

The length of the reservoir is 160 km from north to south. The deepest places are located on the southern side of the lake. The age of the reservoir is about 30 million years. The reservoir is of tectonic origin.

Lake Eyre is the largest endorheic lake in Australia. The reservoir received its name in honor of its discoverer, Eyre. The lake is located 15 m below sea level, and during the rainy season its absolute height can reach 9 m below sea level. The salinity of the lake at a depth of 4 m is identical to the salinity of water in the sea.

There are about 117 million lakes in the world, which occupy 4% of the Earth's surface. The largest lakes are located in the territory Russian Federation and in the European part of the mainland.

Article design: Oleg Lozinsky

Nyasa

The area of Nyansa is 29,604 km². The maximum length of the lake is 560 km, width is 75 km. The average depth is 292 meters, the maximum depth is 706 meters. The lake is considered one of the deepest on Earth. It was formed at the site of a tectonic fault. The coastline is amazingly diverse. There are rocky shores, bays, sandbanks and river deltas.

There are 1,000 species of fish in the lake, many of which live at great depths. The abundance of ichthyofauna attracts birds such as eagles, herons and cormorants. Large animals are represented mainly by hippopotamuses and crocodiles. Lake Nyansa is located in the following African countries: Malawi, Mozambique and Tanzania.

Tanganyika

The area of the lake is 32900 km². The maximum length of the lake is 673 km, width is 72 km. The average depth is 570 meters, the greatest depth is 1470 meters. The reservoir is located in a tectonic depression. Over the 10 million years of its existence, the lake has never dried up, so there is a unique undersea world.

The coastline has a rocky landscape. In the east it is represented by a flat strip. Tanganyika is associated with molluscs, crustaceans, amphibians and waterfowl. Millions of people live along the shores of the lake, so shipping is developed on it. Tanganyika is located in Tanzania, Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Victoria

Victoria is the largest freshwater lake on the African continent, and covers an area of approximately 68,800 km². The maximum length of the lake is 337 km, width is 250 km. The average depth is 40 meters, the greatest depth is 83 meters. The coastline is low and flat. In the north the land is covered with savannas, and in the west - equatorial forests.

The lake is home to 200 species of fish. The adjacent forests are home to lizards, exotic birds, porcupines and mongooses. Rubondo Island Nature Reserve is a gem for tourists. Major threats to Lake Victoria include deforestation, water pollution and water lily overgrowth. The lake is found in Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda.

The largest rivers and lakes in Africa are our topic today. Most big river Africa is the Nile (length 6500 km). It originates in the mountains of East Africa and flows through Lake Victoria. In this case, a series of waterfalls are formed in the upper reaches. Coming out onto the plain, the Nile flows slowly through vast swamps and breaks into separate branches.

Whole floating islands are formed from densely intertwined swamp plants, which, moving along the river, clutter its bed and impede navigation.

Here the river is called the White Nile. It connects with the Blue Nile, flowing from the Abyssinian Highlands. After this confluence, the river makes large bends, many rapids are formed, along which its waters quickly rush through granite rocks. Navigation here is possible only in certain areas.

In its lower reaches, the Nile passes through deserts, receiving no tributaries at all and losing a lot of water from strong evaporation. The river flows into the Mediterranean Sea and forms a large delta.

Due to tropical rainfall in the upper reaches, especially on the Abyssinian Highlands, the Nile rises its level in summer and carries a mass muddy water, gradually spreading downwards.

Therefore, the Nile in its lower reaches (in Egypt), despite the prevailing heat and complete absence of rain, floods widely at the end of summer and beginning of autumn. It provides water for irrigating fields and leaves fertile silt on them after the spill. Egypt, a country of ancient agriculture, lying among deserts, is entirely a “gift of the Nile.”

The largest rivers and lakes in Africa. The second largest major river in Africa is the Congo, it flows through the humid equatorial region and is characterized by extreme high water levels. There are a lot of waterfalls and rapids on the river, so only certain sections of it are navigable.

The deep-flowing Niger flows into the Gulf of Guinea. It starts in the mountains near the coast Atlantic Ocean and first heads into the interior of Africa, but then turns back to the ocean. The Niger also has many rapids and waterfalls, and forms a delta at its mouth.

The Zambezi is the largest river flowing into the Indian Ocean. It is home to the large Victoria Falls. The water here falls with a strong roar from a height of 120 m into a narrow crevice crossing the river bed. The roar and roar of water can be heard for tens of kilometers around.

Above the waterfall, huge columns of spray and water dust rush upward for hundreds of meters. Reflecting in them Sun rays give rise to multi-colored rainbows that flash, go out and light up again, shimmering with wonderful colors.

The largest rivers and lakes in Africa. The largest and deepest lakes are located in eastern Africa. They occupy depressions in the East African fault zone.

Sub-Saharan Africa in the middle of Africa is the drainless but freshwater Lake Chad. It is shallow, often changes the outline of the banks, becoming smaller and larger in size - this depends on the frequency and intensity of rains and the flood of the rivers flowing into it.

Land waters: main river systems, lakes, groundwater basins, their hydrological features.

Pool	Name
Indian Ocean	Zambezi Limpopo
Atlantic Ocean	Nile (2nd longest in the world, 1st longest on the mainland) Congo (2nd deepest in the world, 1st deepest on the mainland) Senegal Niger Orange
Inland drainage basin (flow into Lake Chad)	Shari

The continental divide runs along the eastern highlands of Africa, resulting in the Atlantic Ocean basin accounting for 36.5% of Africa's area, the Indian Ocean basin - 18.48%, and the Mediterranean Sea basin - 14.88%.

The flow is carried out mainly by five main rivers: Congo, Nile, Niger, Zambezi and Orange, whose basins cover about 1/3 of the area of Africa. Of these, Congo by volume of annual flow (1230 km 3 ) second only to the Amazon.

Endorheic basins and areas of internal drainage cover 30.5% of Africa's area; as a result of the increasing dryness of the climate, ancient lakes into which ancient rivers flowed decreased in size or disappeared. Such lakes existed in the Sahara (Paleo-Saharan Sea, etc.), in the Chad Basin (Paleo-Chad Lake).

Feeding most rivers mainly rain . Unpaved food predominates in semi-deserts and deserts.

Surface runoff distribution very uneven. The runoff layer reaches its greatest value (1000-1500 mm per year) in areas of excess moisture and outcrops of crystalline rocks and laterite layers (northwestern coast of the Gulf of Guinea, eastern slopes of Madagascar); in the Congo basin, the runoff layer is 500-600 mm. IN subtropical latitudes drainage increases to 200 mm. Almost all rivers in Africa have significant seasonal fluctuations in flow; in most rivers, flow is predominantly summer and autumn. In winter, runoff predominates in the northwestern and southeastern outskirts, in areas with a Mediterranean climate. 37% of Africa's area has episodic flow.

The following types of rivers are distinguished in Africa::

equatorial (only with rain nutrition and uniform flow);
Sudanese (the most common - with a predominance of rain supply from summer and autumn runoff); Saharan (which includes temporary or occasional water pipes, in the Sahara are called wadi(ued));
Mediterranean (with rain and partly snow fed and a sharp reduction or cessation of summer flow).

Lakes

PAlmost all the large lakes in Africa lie in tectonic depressions on the East African plateaus: they are long, narrow and very deep.

Lake Tanganyika second place in the world in depth (1435 m) after Baikal.

Bmost in Africa Lake Victoria (area 68 thousand km 3 ) is the second freshwater reservoir on Earth after Lake Superior (USA).

Lake Tana , formed as a result of valley damming lava flow- the largest in the Ethiopian Highlands.

Lake Chad. a closed relic lake located in central Africa on the territory of four countries: Chad, Cameroon, Niger and Nigeria. With very rare abnormal increases in the lake level, water begins to flow along the Bahr el-Ghazal channel towards the Bodele depression. The lake is located in the southern part of a vast depression, at an altitude of approximately 240 m above sea level. The area of the lake and the water level in it vary greatly from year to year and by season, being directly dependent on the influx of water from the rivers feeding the lake, since the lake itself is located in a region with a very arid climate and precipitation provides less than 1/5 of total volume water entering the lake. Until the 60s of the 20th century, the area of Lake Chad ranged from 10 to 26 thousand km², but then a sharp reduction in size began and the area of the lake decreased to 1350 km².

Lake Rudolph . Located within the Great Rift Valley. There are 3 volcanic islands in the lake: South Island, Crocodile Island or Central Island, North Island. On south coast Teleki volcano is located. Several rivers flow into the lake, the most notable of which is the Omo. This river flows into the lake only five kilometers from its shore, flowing along the dam it created and forming a delta far from the shore. The lake itself has no flowing rivers; it is drainless.

Lake Nyasa . The third largest and southernmost lake in the Great Rift Valley in East Africa, which fills deep depression V earth's crust between Malawi, Mozambique and Tanzania. The lake runs from north to south, length is 560 km, depth is 706 m. It is the ninth largest and third deepest (after Baikal and Tanganyika) among freshwater reservoirs in the world. It contains 7% of the world's liquid fresh water and creates the most diverse lake ecosystem in terms of the number of species, most of of which are endemic. "Nyasa" is a Yao word that means "lake".

In the arid regions of Africa, relict lakes of internal drainage predominate, with relatively shallow depths, flat shores, and salty water (except for the brackish Lake Chad, which has underground drainage in the Bodélé depression). In the northwestern part of the Sahara and in the Atlas, temporary salt lakes are called shots or sebhas .

Groundwater lie at shallow depths under the beds of temporary watercourses; The groundwater are found mainly in the continental Lower Cretaceous sandstones of the Sahara and Northern Sudan; in South Africa they accumulate in cracks in bedrock, in sandstones and karst limestones of the Karoo system.

It is possible to use for irrigation surface, ground and underground waters. Irrigated lands in Africa make up less than 5% of all cultivated areas and are concentrated mainly in the valleys of the Nile (Sudan), Niger (Mali) and South Africa. The transport significance of African rivers is small due to the rapidity of many sections of the riverbeds.

$mob_info$