One of the largest natural water flows on Earth is the hottest continent in close proximity to the parallels of 0 °.What is the river that crosses the equator twice?On what continent is the watercourse?This article provides detailed answers to the mysteries of the fascinating geography.
On what continent is the river that crosses the equator twice?
usually latitude measured from the parallels of 0 °.This is the equator, crossed by all the meridians.An imaginary line on the globe and the map is conditional boundary between northern and southern hemispheres.Equator crossing:
- Africa - in the central part of the continent;
- South America - to the north;
- many large and small islands in the Pacific, Indian and Atlantic Oceans.
Thousands of watercourses in these areas occur near land latitude of 0 °.But there is only one major river that crosses the equator twice, - p.Congo on the continent of Africa.The second largest and the hottest of the continents of the Earth, in its northern part is very arid.Center of the continent is in the equatorial climate zone, where rainfall is over 2,000 mm / year, but also a significant evaporation.
large areas in this region takes Gilea - moist evergreen forest (jungle).Sub-Saharan Africa bordering the relatively cold waters of the Gulf of Guinea.To the north of the forest belt is gradually transformed into vast expanses of savannah.From the east and west, the Congo basin is bounded by mountains that serve as a watershed.
Congo - Africa's most abundant river
largest natural watercourses Atlantic Basin have similarities and differences.On the continent of Africa in the diet of these rivers is dominated by rain type.After all, the origins are in the equatorial regions, where much rain falls.Nile - the longest waterway - begins in mountain areas of East Africa, it flows north and empties into the Mediterranean Sea.Congo River crosses the equator twice, or parallel to 0 °.It is easy to see this if you look at a map of the world or Africa.First, waterway from the area in the southern hemisphere is directed to the north, taking the path of numerous tributaries.River about 2 ° north of the equator turns south-west.Congo returned to southern hemisphere and rushes to the Gulf of Guinea.It is the most full-flowing river, which crosses the equator twice.Congo, the volume flow in the world ranking second only to the South American river.Amazon.On the map of Africa often indicate another hydronym - Zaire.Historically, that the river has two names.
Congo Basin is located in subequatorial and equatorial climates.Numerous tributaries of the river takes in the Northern and Southern hemispheres.In the region south of the equator for about 75% of the basin, which sets the seal on the water regime.Thus, the rise of the level observed from March to October, when most rainfall receive northern tributaries.The second peak is October to March, when the most humid conditions occur south of the equator.Stoke Congo River is uniform throughout the year.This still needs to add the presence of a significant drop in the channel, rapids and waterfalls upstream.
depth Congo
known American edition of National Geographic provides a comparative analysis of the high-water rivers of the Earth.The first line is the Amazon, crossing the continent of South America from west to east.African river that crosses the equator twice, the depth is superior to other experts examined the waterways of the world.According to National Geographic, the depth in some areas of the Congo channel is more than 230 m. This is almost two times more than that of the Amazon.
Geographers explain the considerable depth of the Congo and the whole structure of the bed of the river valley.The largest watercourse in Central Africa on its way to the Gulf of Guinea for thousands of years made his way through the gorge in mountainous terrain.Now it is the South Guinean highlands, where the channel narrows to Congo 300-500 m. But the plain African river overflows 10-15 km.A powerful stream of water rushes into the gorge and fills it.Consumption of river at the site reaches a record high - 42 thousand. M3 / s.
Research Congo Basin
Portuguese navigator Diogo trader Kahn explored the west coast of Africa and the confluence of the Congo in the Gulf of Guinea, and in 1482 opened his origins in the mountains.The river crosses the equator twice in Central Africa.For a long time this area has been the least understood on the continent, full of "white spots".
impassable jungle, moorland, lack of roads hampered the work of cartographers and other scientists.One gileyu compared with the "green hell", because in the forest travelers had barely find their way with machetes.Around the rampage and prevent pass vines grow strong and numerous stilted roots.Under the forest canopy gloomy and damp, because almost every day there is rain, and the crown of several layers of trees and shrubs close light.Animals prefer to live and feed on the branches, sometimes going down.
main characteristics of the Congo River
know what the river crosses the equator twice in Africa, we can describe it in more detail.The length of the bed of variously estimated at 4.3-4.7 thousand. Km.A more accurate answer depends on which one of the tributaries of the river taking its source.The whole area of the basin reaches the impressive size - nearly 3.7 million km2.Most geographic publications as a source calls the river, originating on a plateau Shaba, west of the city of Kisangani.
Congo on the way to the Atlantic Ocean receives numerous tributaries of the left and right.The largest of them: Mobangi, Hands, Lulongo and others.Significant differences between the height of the origins and the mouth, and fall slope of the river in some areas it provides a huge hydropower potential.Built several powerful hydroelectric power stations, energy supplying the Central African country.The lower part of the river is widely used for navigation, alloy timber.Fisheries Development, mined in the waters of the Congo Nile perch, freshwater herring.
