The Congo River (river zaire)
River
The Congo River near Mossaka
Countries	Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Tanzania, Zambia
Mouth	Atlantic Ocean
Length	4,700 km (2,920 mi) [1]
Basin	4,014,500 km2 (1,550,007 sq mi) [1]
Discharge
- average	41,000 m3/s (1,447,901 cu ft/s) [1]
- max	75,000 m3/s (2,648,600 cu ft/s) [1]
- min	23,000 m3/s (812,237 cu ft/s) [1]

The Congo River (in the past also known as the Zaire River) is a river in Africa, and is the deepest river in the world, with measured depths in excess of 220 m (720 ft).^[2] It is the third largest river in the world by volume of water discharged. Additionally, its overall length of 4,700 km (2,920 mi) makes it the ninth longest river.

The Congo gets its name from the ancient Kingdom of Kongo which inhabited the lands at the mouth of the river. The Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of the Congo, both countries lying along the river's banks, are named after it. Between 1971 and 1997 the government of then-Zaire called it the Zaire River.

Basin and course[link]

The Congo's drainage basin covers 4,014,500 square kilometres (1,550,000 sq mi).^[1] The Congo's discharge at its mouth ranges from 23,000 cubic metres per second (810,000 cu ft/s) to 75,000 cubic metres per second (2,600,000 cu ft/s), with an average of 41,000 cubic metres per second (1,400,000 cu ft/s).^[1]

The river and its tributaries flow through the Congo rainforest, the second largest rain forest area in the world, second only to the Amazon Rainforest in South America. The river also has the second-largest flow in the world, behind the Amazon; the third-largest drainage basin of any river, behind the Amazon and Río de la Plata rivers; and is one of the deepest rivers in the world, at depths greater than 220 m (720 ft).^[2][3] Because its drainage basin includes areas both North and South of the equator, its flow is stable, as there is always at least one part of the river experiencing a rainy season.^[4]

The Congo river at Maluku.

The town of Mbandaka is a busy port on the banks of the Congo River.

The sources of the Congo are in the highlands and mountains of the East African Rift, as well as Lake Tanganyika and Lake Mweru, which feed the Lualaba River, which then becomes the Congo below Boyoma Falls. The Chambeshi River in Zambia is generally taken as the source of the Congo in line with the accepted practice worldwide of using the longest tributary, as with the Nile River.

The Congo flows generally northwards from Kisangani just below the Boyoma falls, then gradually bends southwestwards, passing by Mbandaka, joining with the Ubangi River, and running into the Pool Malebo (Stanley Pool). Kinshasa (formerly Léopoldville) and Brazzaville are on opposite sides of the river at the Pool, where the river narrows and falls through a number of cataracts in deep canyons (collectively known as the Livingstone Falls), running by Matadi and Boma, and into the sea at the small town of Muanda.

The Congo River Basin is one of the distinct physiographic sections of the larger Mid-African province, which in turn is part of the larger African massive physiographic division.

Economic importance[link]

The beginning of the Livingstone Falls near Kinshasa.

Although the Livingstone Falls prevent access from the sea, nearly the entire Congo is readily navigable in sections, especially between Kinshasa and Kisangani. Large river steamers worked the river until quite recently. The Congo River still is a lifeline in a land without roads or railways.^[5]

See Congo River Steamers

Railways now bypass the three major falls, and much of the trade of Central Africa passes along the river, including copper, palm oil (as kernels), sugar, coffee, and cotton. The river is also potentially valuable for hydroelectric power, and the Inga Dams below Pool Malebo are first to exploit the Congo river.

Hydro-electric power[link]

The Congo River is the most powerful river in Africa. During the rainy season over 50,000 cubic meters (1,800,000 cu ft) of water per second flow into the Atlantic Ocean. Opportunities for the Congo River and its tributaries to generate hydropower are therefore enormous. Scientists have calculated that the entire Congo Basin accounts for thirteen percent of global hydropower potential. This would provide sufficient power for all of sub-Saharan Africa's electricity needs.^[6]

Currently there are about forty hydropower plants in the Congo Basin. The largest is the spectacular Inga Falls dam, about 200 km (120 mi) southwest of Kinshasa. The prestigious Inga Project was launched in the early 1970's and at that time the first dam was completed. The plan as originally conceived called for the construction of five dams that would have had a total generating capacity of 34,500 megawatts. To date only two dams have been built, which are the Inga I and Inga II, with a total of fourteen turbines.^[6]

In February 2005, South Africa's state-owned power company, Eskom, announced a proposal to increase the capacity of the Inga dramatically through improvements and the construction of a new hydroelectric dam. The project would bring the maximum output of the facility to 40 GW, twice that of China's Three Gorges Dam.^[7]

It is feared that these new hydroelectric dams could lead to the extinction of many of the fish species that are endemic to the river.^[8]

Natural history[link]

Satellite picture of Brazzaville, Kinshasa and the Malebo Pool of the Congo River.

The Congo River formed 1.5-2 million years ago during the Pleistocene.^[9]

The Congo's formation may have led to the allopatric speciation of the bonobo and the common chimpanzee from their most recent common ancestor.^[10] The bonobo is endemic to the humid forests in the region, as are other iconic species like the Allen's swamp monkey, dryas monkey, aquatic genet, okapi and Congo Peafowl.^[11][12]

In terms of aquatic life, the Congo River Basin has a very high species richness, and among the highest known concentrations of endemics.^[13] Until now, almost 700 fish species have been recorded from the Congo River Basin, and large sections remain virtually unstudied.^[14] Due to this and the great ecological differences between the regions in the basin, it is often divided into multiple ecoregions (instead of treating it as a single ecoregion). Among these ecoregions, the Lower Congo Rapids alone has more than 300 fish species, including approximately 80 endemics^[8] while the southwestern part (Kasai Basin) alone has about 200 fish species, of which about a quarter are endemic.^[15] The dominant fish families–at least in parts of the river–are Cyprinidae (carp/cyprinids, such as Labeo simpsoni), Mormyridae (elephantfishes), Alestidae (African tetras), Mochokidae (squeaker catfishes), and Cichlidae (cichlids).^[16] Among the natives in the river is the huge, highly carnivorous giant tigerfish. Two of the more unusual endemic cichlids are the whitish (non-pigmented) and blind Lamprologus lethops, which is believed to live as deep as 160 metres (520 ft) below the surface,^[8] and Heterochromis multidens, which appears to be more closely related to cichlids of the Americas than other African cichlid.^[17] There are also numerous endemic frogs and snails.^[16][18] Several hydroelectric dams are planned on the river, and these may lead to the extinction of many of the endemics.^[8]

Several species of turtles, and the slender-snouted, Nile and dwarf crocodile are native to the Congo River Basin.

Tributaries[link]

Sorted in order from the mouth heading upstream. Inkisi Nzadi Nsele (south side of Pool Malebo) Bombo Kwa (called Kasai from inflow of Fimi upstream) Fimi Lukenie Kwango Sankuru Lefini Likouala Sangha Ubangi Giri Uele Mbomou Lomami River Luvua Luapula Chambeshi

Course and Drainage basin of the Congo River with countries marked Course and Drainage basin of the Congo River with topography shading.

Literature[link]

• 1837: Silence – A Fable is a short story by Edgar Allan Poe, written in 1837 (see: bibliography). Although the first paragraph of this story contains the sentence: "The region of which I speak is a dreary region in Libya, by the borders of the river Zaire." it would not immediately appear to refer to the Equatorial-African River Zaire (River Congo), as the River Zaire of the story is described as being in Libya, which is in North Africa. It may be, however, that, given the level of geographical knowledge of Africa at the time of writing, the name Libya is used as a generic name for the African continent. In this case the story may, in fact, be an attempt to describe the River Congo of Equatorial Africa. It was adapted into a radio program of the same name.

Pirogues on the Congo River.

• 1878: Henry Morton Stanley documented his journey down the Congo River in Through the Dark Continent, first published in 1878.^[19]

• 1902: Although not explicitly cited, the Congo River provides the setting for Joseph Conrad's 1902 novel Heart of Darkness^[20].

• 1914: American poet Vachel Lindsay portrays a dark and savage society around the Congo River in his 1914 poem The Congo: A Study of the Negro Race.

• 1921: The Congo is mentioned in Langston Hughes's poem "The Negro Speaks of Rivers".

• 1980: The Congo River is featured in a chapter of Michael Crichton's novel Congo (published in 1980), as well as in the 1995 film based on the book.

• 1995: The Congo River is featured in the action film Congo, by director Frank Marshall, although it is not mentioned by name in the film. The film is based on the 1980 novel of the same name by Michael Crichton.

• 1996: British author Redmond O'Hanlon has a travelogue published by Penguin Books under the title of Congo Journey (1996).

• 1998: The river's history is discussed in the 1998 book King Leopold's Ghost (by Adam Hochschild).

• 2006: The river's history is discussed in the book Brazza, A Life for Africa (by Maria Petringa, Bloomington, IN: AuthorHouse, 2006).

• 2007: The Congo River and the Democratic Republic of Congo are the scenario for the 2007 book Blood River by journalist Tim Butcher,^[21] based on his intrepid travels up and down Africa's second longest river. Blood River was an attempt to retrace Henry Morton Stanley's trip down the Congo River, documented in Through the Dark Continent (first published, 1878), and was shortlisted for the 2008 British Book Awards.

• 2010: The Congo River is a central element in the 2010 novel by Mario Vargas Llosa, El sueño del celta (The Dream of the Celt), a fictionalisation of episodes in the life of the Irishman Roger Casement. The book is to be published in English in 2012.

See also[link]

Africa portal

• Hydrology transport model
• Portage railway
• Congo Basin

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Congo River

• Bibliography on Water Resources and International Law Peace Palace Library
• Information and a map of the Congo's watershed
• Map of the Congo River basin at Water Resources eAtlas
• Interesting pictures and details to see
• The Congo Project, American Museum of Natural History (AMNH)

v t e Rivers of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Congo left bank (south) Congo Inkisi Lomami Lukaya Lulonga Ndjili Tshuapa Kasai and tributaries Kasai Fimi Fwa Kwango Kwilu Lubu Lukenie Sankuru Congo right bank (north) Aruwimi Ebola Mbomou Ubangi Uele Lualaba and tributaries Lualaba Elila River Luama River Luapula Lubudi River Lufira River Lukuga River Luvua River Ulindi River Other Chiloango Ruzizi Semliki

Coordinates: 6°04′45″S 12°27′00″E / 6.07917°S 12.45°E / -6.07917; 12.45

Tommy Makem
Tommy on stage, 2005
Born	(1932-11-04)November 4, 1932 Keady, County Armagh, Northern Ireland
Died	August 1, 2007(2007-08-01) (aged 74) Dover, New Hampshire, United States
Occupation	Musician, artist and poet
Children	4
Website
www.makem.com

Thomas "Tommy" Makem (November 4, 1932 – August 1, 2007) was an internationally celebrated Irish folk musician, artist, poet and storyteller. He was best known as a member of The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem. He played the long-necked 5-string banjo, guitar, tin whistle, and bagpipes, and sang in a distinctive baritone. He was sometimes known as "The Bard of Armagh" (taken from a traditional song of the same name) and "The Godfather of Irish Music".^[1]

Life and work[link]

Makem was born and raised in Keady, County Armagh (the "Hub of the Universe" as Makem always said), in Northern Ireland.^[2] His mother, Sarah Makem, was an important source of traditional Irish music, who was visited and recorded by, among others, Diane Guggenheim Hamilton, Jean Ritchie, Peter Kennedy and Sean O'Boyle. His father, Peter Makem, was a fiddler who also played the bass drum in a local pipe band named "Oliver Plunkett", after a martyr of the Cromwell age. His brother and sister were folk musicians also. Young Tommy Makem, from the age of 8, was member of the St. Patrick's church choir for 15 years where he sang Gregorian chant and motets. He didn't learn to read music but he made it in his "own way".^[3]

He started to work at 14 as a clerk in a garage and later he worked for a while as a barman at Mone's Bar, a local pub and as a local correspondent for The Armagh Observer.

He emigrated to the United States in 1955, carrying his few possessions and a set of bagpipes (from his time in a pipe band). Arriving in Dover, New Hampshire, he worked at Kidder Press, where in 1956 his hand was accidentally crushed by a press.^[4] With his arm in a sling, he left Dover for New York to pursue an acting career.^[5]

The Clancys and Makem were signed to Columbia Records in 1961. The same year, at the Newport Folk Festival, Makem and Joan Baez were named the most promising newcomers on the American folk scene. During the 1960s, The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem^[6] performed sellout concerts at such venues as Carnegie Hall, and made television appearances on shows like The Ed Sullivan Show and The Tonight Show. The group performed for President Kennedy. They also played in smaller venues such as the Gate of Horn in Chicago. They appeared jointly in the UK Albums Chart in April 1966, when Isn't It Grand Boys reached number 22.^[7]

Makem left the group in 1969 to pursue a solo career. In 1975, he and Liam Clancy were both booked to play a folk festival in Cleveland, Ohio, and were persuaded to do a set together. Thereafter they often performed as Makem and Clancy, recording several albums together. At a concert in 1977, Tommy noticed an audience member having a good time and exclaimed, "What have you been smoking? Good whatever you have, pass it around to the rest of them we'll all get goin'!" He once again went solo in 1988. Throughout the 70's and 80's Makem performed both solo and with Liam Clancy on The Irish Rovers various television shows, which were filming both in Canada and Ireland.

In the 1980-90s, Makem was a principal in a well-known Irish music venue in New York City, "Tommy Makem's Irish Pavilion." This East 57th Street club was a prominent and well-loved performance spot for a wide range of musicians. Among the performers and visitors were Paddy Reilly, Joe Burke, and Ronnie Gilbert. Makem was a regular performer, often solo and often as part of Makem & Clancy, particularly in the late fall and holiday season. The club was also used for warm-up performances in the weeks before the 1984 reunion concert of The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem at Lincoln Center.

In 1997 he wrote a book, Tommy Makem's Secret Ireland, and in 1999 premiered his own one-man theatre show, Invasions and Legacies, in New York. His career includes various other acting, video,^[8] composition, and writing credits.^[9] He also established the Tommy Makem International Festival of Song in South Armagh in 2000.^[10]

Family[link]

Makem was married to Mary Shanahan, a native of Chicago, for 37 years, and had four children - daughter Katie Makem-Boucher, and sons Shane, Conor and Rory. They also had two grandchildren, Molly (Dickerman) Makem and Robert Boucher. Mary died in 2001.^[10][11]

Makem's three sons (who perform as "The Makem Brothers") and nephews Tom & Jimmy Sweeney continue the family folk music tradition.

Death[link]

Makem died in Dover, New Hampshire on August 1, 2007, following a lengthy battle with lung cancer. He continued to record and perform until very close to the end. Paying tribute to him after his death, Liam Clancy said, "He was my brother in every way"^[12] He is buried next to his wife at New Saint Mary Cemetery in Dover.

Compositions[link]

Makem was a prolific composer/songwriter. His performances were always full of his compositions, many of which became standards in the repertoire. Some, notably "Four Green Fields", became so well known that they were sometimes described as anonymous folk songs. During the fall of the Iron Curtain, Makem often proudly told the story that his song "The Winds Are Singing Freedom" had become a sort of folk anthem among Eastern Europeans seeing a new future opening before them.

Makem's best-known songs include "Four Green Fields", "Gentle Annie", "The Rambles of Spring", "The Winds Are Singing Freedom", "The Town of Ballybay", "Winds of the Morning", "Mary Mack", and "Farewell to Carlingford". Even though many people mistakenly believe that Makem wrote "Red is the Rose", it is a traditional Irish folk song.^[13]

Performance notes[link]