28 | The Lion King
Country Focus
Village on the Congo River near Bounda
Islet on Congo River near Bounda, Plateaux Region, Republic of the Congo
Loufoulakari falls, south Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo
Congo river, suburb of Brazzaville
Photo: yannarthusbertrand2.org
Congo River Photos from
The Loufoulakari
Falls
The Loufoulakari Falls is a
spectacular drop at the
confluence of the Congo and
Loufoulakari rivers. Loufoulakari
Falls, which is surrounded by
tropical rain forests, lie 80 km
southwest of Brazzaville in the
Republic of the Congo. The
waterfall is U-shaped, has several
cascades and is more than 40
m tall. It offers one of the most
picturesque views in the country.
The River Congo
The Congo River is the world's deepest
river, with measured depths in excess of
720 ft. It is the second largest river in the
world by discharge (after the Amazon).
It is the most powerful river in Africa -
during the rainy season over 50, 000
cubic meters of water per second flow
into the Atlantic Ocean.
As such, opportunities for the Congo
River and its tributaries to generate
hydropower are enormous. Scientists
have calculated that the entire Congo
Basin accounts for thirteen per cent of
global hydropower potential. This would
provide sufficient power for all of sub-
Saharan Africa's electricity needs.
Currently there are about forty
hydropower plants in the Congo Basin.
The largest is the Inga Falls dam, about
200 kilometres southwest of Kinshasa.
In terms of aquatic life, the Congo
River Basin has a very high species
richness; almost 700 fish species have
been recorded from the Congo River
Basin, and large sections remain
virtually unstudied. Several species of
turtles, and the slender-snouted, Nile
and dwarf crocodile are native to the
Congo River Basin. African manatees
inhabit the lower parts of the river.
