Zaire River, formerly (until 1971) Congo.
Second longest river in Africa, rising near
the Zambia-Zaire border (and known as the
Lualaba River in the upper reaches) and
flowing 4,500 km/2,800 mi to the Atlantic,
running in a great curve that crosses the
equator twice, and discharging a volume of
water second only to the Amazon. The chief
tributaries are the Ubangi, Sangha, and
Kasai. Navigation is interrupted by dangerous
rapids up to 160 km/100 mi long, notably from
the Zambian border to Bukama; below Kongolo,
where the gorge known as the Gates of Hell is
located; above Kisangani, where the Stanley
Falls are situated; and between Kinshasa and
Matadi. Boma is a large port on the estuary;
Matadi is a port 80 km/50 mi from the
Atlantic, for ocean-going ships; and at Pool
Malebo (formerly Stanley Pool), a widening of
the river 560 km/350 mi from its mouth, which
encloses the marshy island of Bamu, are
Brazzaville on the western shore and Kinshasa
on the southwestern. The Inga dam supplies
Matadi and Kinshasa with electricity. history
The mouth of the Zaire was seen by the
Portuguese navigator Diego Cao 1482, but the
vast extent of its system became known to
Europeans only with the explorations of
Livingstone and Stanley. Its navigation from
source to mouth was completed by the
expedition 1974 led by the English explorer
John Blashford-Snell (1936-), supported by
President Mobutu.