Africa continent combined of hot and pleasant places such as desert, rain forest and plains, the rivers here longer and acquires lots of drainage area since the continent large in size and thousands of tributaries join to the rivers. Many countries in Africa are naturally rich by a depth of forest with a variety of animals including endangered. The Rivers usually flow heavily in the rainy season and create many streams which merge to main rivers where that Make rivers’ size larger could be longer. As everyone knows the Nile is the longest river on earth that measured officially but there are some discussions about whether Nile or Amazon is the longest in the World.
1. Nile River
The Nile is the Longest River in Africa and even in the World which flows through 11 African countries (Ethiopia, Eritrea, Sudan, Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, Egypt, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and South Sudan). The main outflow is Mediterranean and its total length is about 6,650 km, the Drainage area of 3,254,555 km2 with an average discharge of around 5,100 cubic meters per second.
Length: 6,650 km
Countries: Ethiopia, Eritrea, Sudan, Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, Egypt, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Sudan
2. Zaire (Congo–Chambeshi)
Merge into the Atlantic Ocean and flow through many countries and different landscapes meet this river including desert and rain forest. The Congo River length is 4,700 km with a discharge of 41,800 cubic meters per second.
Length: 4,700 km
Countries: Countries: The Democratic Republic of the Congo, Central African Republic, Angola, Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Cameroon, Zambia, Burundi, Rwanda
3. Niger River
The third longest river in Africa with main source water from Guinea Highlands in Southern Guinea, and merges into the Atlantic Ocean, it has a total discharge of 9,570 cubic meters per second. Its primary tributaries are Sokoto River, Kaduna River, Benue River, Bani River and flow through many cities.
Length: 4,200 km
Countries: Nigeria, Mali, Niger, Algeria, Guinea, Cameroon, Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, Benin, Chad
4. Zambezi
The fourth-longest, its water source starts from Mwinilunga in Zambia and flows into the Indian ocean, the famous Victoria Falls and Chavuma Falls created by the Zambezi. Its average discharge is around 3,400 cubic meters per second with a catchment area of 1,390,000 km2.
Length: 2,693 km
Countries: Zambia, Angola, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Malawi, Tanzania, Namibia, Botswana
5. Ubangi–Uele
Ubangi and Ulele rivers are the longest tributaries of the Congo River which flow into the Congo River, the combined Ubangi, and Ulele length is about 2,270 km. The Rivers are an important transport artery between Bangui and Brazzaville, its drainage basin 772,800 km2.
Length: 2,270 km
Countries: The Democratic Republic of the Congo, Central African Republic, Republic of Congo
6. Kasai River
The Kasai is flowing into the Congo River at Kwamouth northeast of Kinshasa, the main tributaries include the Fimi, Kwango and Sankuru rivers, and the catchment area is about 880,200 km2, the most valuable diamond found in this river.
Length: 2,153 km
Countries: Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo
7. Orange River
The primary water source is Thaba Putsoa located in Maloti Mountains in Lesotho and the Orange River is the longest river in South Africa and plays the important role in the economy by providing water for irrigation and hydroelectricity, its drainage basin is 973,000 km2.
Length: 2,092 km
Countries: South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Lesotho
8. Limpopo River
It rises in central southern Africa and flowing into the Indian ocean, it discharges 170 cubic meters per second at its mouth with a drainage basin of 415,000 km2 in size, its main water source is the Marico and Crocodile river which located in Botswana and South Africa border at the elevation of 872 meters.
Length: 1,800 km
Countries: Mozambique, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Botswana
9. Senegal River
Senegal River named after the country Senegal has 2 large dams along its course, the river has a drainage basin of 270,000 km2 with a mean flow of 60 cubic meters per second at its mouth in the Atlantic Ocean.
Length: 1,641 km
Countries: Guinea, Senegal, Mali, Mauritania
10. Blue Nile River
The Blue Nile is the tributary of the Nile River and its origin from Lesser Abay and Lake Tana creates Blue Nile Falls at Lake Tana, the flow of the Blue Nile reaches maximum volume in the rainy season to 2,349 cubic meters per second with a catchment area of 325,000 km2.
Length: 1,600 km
Countries: Ethiopia, Sudan
11. Okavango River
Length: 1,600 km
Countries: Namibia, Angola, Botswana
12. Volta River
Length: 1,600 km
Countries: Ghana, Burkina Faso, Togo, Côte d’Ivoire, Benin
13. Jubba–Shebelle River
Length: 1,580 km
Countries: Ethiopia, Somalia
14. Benue River
Length: 1,400 km
Countries: Cameroon, Nigeria
15. Lomami River
Length: 1,280 km
Countries: The Democratic Republic of the Congo
16. Vaal River
Length: 1,210 km
Countries: South Africa
17. Shire River
Length: 1,200 km
Countries: Mozambique, Malawi
18. Sankuru River
Length: 1,150 km
Countries: The Democratic Republic of the Congo
19. Kwango River
Length: 1,000 km
Countries: Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo
20. Draa River
Length: 1,000 km
Countries: Morocco
