Main rivers in Africa, by length

The Nile is the longest river in Africa. Its length is around 6,650 kilometers, and its drainage basin covers 11 African countries. The Congo is the second-longest river on the African continent, having an approximate length of 4,700 kilometers. Its drainage basin covers the area of the Congo Rainforest, the second-biggest in the world after the Amazon. The third longest river in Africa is the Niger, which extending for 4,180 kilometers.

The Nile River

The Nile is not only the longest river in Africa but also contends for the title of the longest river in the world with the Amazon River. With an area of 3.3 million square kilometers, the Nile has the third-largest drainage basin globally, after the Amazon and the Congo rivers. The two main tributaries of the Nile are the White Nile, originating from Lake Victoria between Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania, and the Blue Nile, which springs from Lake Tana in Ethiopia. In ancient times, the Nile coasts were subject to constant seasonal flooding. The fertile soil surrounding the river allowed the development of agricultural activities in Egypt. Still today, the Nile coasts are the most inhabited areas in Egypt, as the rest of the country remains predominantly desert.

Geography of Africa

The physical geography of Africa varies across regions. Desert areas are prevalent in the center-north of the continent. With an area of around nine million square kilometers, the Sahara Desert is the largest subtropical desert worldwide. In contrast, the sub-Saharan region is characterized by plateaus. East Africa hosts the continent’s highest mountains: Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Kenya. Worldwide, Africa is the continent with the largest land area after Asia. Algeria and the Democratic Republic of the Congo are the largest countries in Africa. They extend over around 2.4 million and 2.3 million square kilometers, respectively.