Overview
Which river has the largest drainage basin in Africa?. The river with the largest drainage basin in Africa is Congo–Chambeshi (Zaïre) which receives inflows from a basin area of 3,680,000 square kilometers in Democratic Republic of the Congo, Central African Republic, Angola, Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Cameroon, Zambia, Burundi and Rwanda and flows out primarily to the Atlantic Ocean. At second and third, are Nile–White Nile–Kagera–Nyabarongo–Mwogo–Rukarara with a drainage basin of 3,254,555 km2 and outflows to Mediterranean Sea, and Niger that receives inflows from a basin area of 2,090,000 km2.
( A drainage area is any area of land where precipitation collects and drains off into a common outlet, such as into a river, bay, or other body of water. )
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Here are Africa's largest rivers by drainage areas.
Congo–Chambeshi (Zaïre) is the 2nd largest river by drainage area in the world at 3,680,000 km2.
Congo–Chambeshi (Zaïre) is a river that is 4,700 kilometers (or 2,920 miles) long and drains from a 3,680,000 km2 drainage basin in Democratic Republic of the Congo, Central African Republic, Angola, Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Cameroon, Zambia, Burundi and Rwanda.
Its average discharge rate is 41,800 m3/3 and the river flows out into Atlantic Ocean.
Compare Congo–Chambeshi (Zaïre) with Lomami from Africa.
Compare Congo–Chambeshi (Zaïre) with Aruwimi from Africa.
Nile–White Nile–Kagera–Nyabarongo–Mwogo–Rukarara.
Nile–White Nile–Kagera–Nyabarongo–Mwogo–Rukarara is the longest river in the world at 7,088 kilometers (4,404 miles).
Nile–White Nile–Kagera–Nyabarongo–Mwogo–Rukarara is a river that is 7,088 kilometers (or 4,404 miles) long and drains from a 3,254,555 km2 drainage basin in Ethiopia, Eritrea, Sudan, Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, Egypt, Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Sudan.
Nile–White Nile–Kagera–Nyabarongo–Mwogo–Rukarara discharges at 2,800 m3/3 and flows out into Mediterranean Sea.
Compare Nile–White Nile–Kagera–Nyabarongo–Mwogo–Rukarara with Shire from Africa.
Niger is the 3rd longest river in Africa at 4,200 kilometers (2,610 miles).
Niger is a river that is 4,200 kilometers (or 2,610 miles) long and drains from a 2,090,000 km2 drainage basin in Nigeria (26.6% of river), Mali (25.6%), Niger (23.6%), Algeria (7.6%), Guinea (4.5%), Cameroon (4.2%), Burkina Faso (3.9%), Côte d'Ivoire, Benin and Chad.
Niger discharges at 5,589 m3/3 and flows out into Gulf of Guinea.
Draining from an area as wide as 1,330,000 km2 in Zambia (41.6% of river), Angola (18.4%), Zimbabwe (15.6%), Mozambique (11.8%), Malawi (8.0%), Tanzania (2.0%), Namibia and Botswana, Zambezi (Zambesi) has a length of 2,693 kilometers (1,673 miles).
Zambezi (Zambesi) discharges at 4,880 m3/3 and flows out into Mozambique Channel.
Senegal is a river that stretches 1,641 kilometers (or 1,020 miles) in length, draining from a 419,659 km2 basin in Guinea, Senegal, Mali and Mauritania.
Compare Senegal with Nile–White Nile–Kagera–Nyabarongo–Mwogo–Rukarara from Africa.
Compare Senegal with Congo–Chambeshi (Zaïre) from Africa.
Limpopo is a river that stretches 1,800 kilometers (or 1,118 miles) in length, draining from a 413,000 km2 basin in Mozambique, Zimbabwe, South Africa and Botswana.
Blue Nile is a river that stretches 1,600 kilometers (or 994 miles) in length, draining from a 326,400 km2 basin in Ethiopia and Sudan.
More on the longest and largest river systems in the world:
World: Longest | Largest by Discharge Volume | Largest by Drainage Area
By Country: Australia | Brazil | Canada | China | France | Russia | UK | USA
Europe: Longest | Largest by Discharge Volume | Largest by Drainage Area
Asia: Longest | Largest by Discharge Volume | Largest by Drainage Area
Africa: Longest | Largest by Discharge Volume | Largest by Drainage Area
Oceania: Longest | Largest by Discharge Volume | Largest by Drainage Area
North America: Longest | Largest by Discharge Volume | Largest by Drainage Area
South America: Longest | Largest by Discharge Volume | Largest by Drainage Area
Outflows: Amazon River | Atlantic Ocean | Black Sea | Mississippi River | Pacific Ocean