You Gotta Know These African Bodies of Water

Nile River

Longest river in the world, 4,132 miles long.

Blue Nile

Major tributary from Ethiopia, feeds the Nile.

White Nile

Longer headstream of the Nile, includes Lake Victoria.

Aswan High Dam

Creates Lake Nasser, reduces Nile floods.

Congo River

Africa's second-longest river, 2,900 miles long.

Boyoma Falls

Seven cataracts marking the Congo River's start.

Malebo Pool

Area where Upper Congo meets Lower Congo.

Zambezi River

Flows into Indian Ocean, features Victoria Falls.

Victoria Falls

Largest waterfall by flow rate in Africa.

Niger River

Third-longest river, flows into Gulf of Guinea.

Benue River

Main tributary of the Niger River.

Niger Delta

Rich in fisheries and petroleum, social unrest area.

Limpopo River

Rises in South Africa, known for flooding.

Okavango River

Terminates in the Okavango Delta, inland swamp.

Lake Victoria

Africa's largest lake, shared by three countries.

Nile Perch

Introduced species causing cichlid extinctions in Victoria.

Lake Tanganyika

Second-largest lake, second-deepest, over 4,700 feet.

Lake Malawi

Southernmost Great Rift Valley lake, rich in cichlids.

Lake Volta

World's largest man-made lake, created by Akosombo Dam.

Akosombo Dam

Generates over a gigawatt of power for Ghana.

Lake Chad

Surface area reduced by over 90% since 1960s.

Orange River

Notable river in Africa, mentioned for context.

Senegal River

Another significant river in Africa, included for context.

Gambia River

Important river in West Africa, mentioned for context.