What is the Congo River?

The Congo River, located in west-central Africa, is the continent’s second longest river after the Nile. The Congo River has a length of 2,900 miles (4,700 km) and its drainage basin covers an area of 1,335,000 square miles (3,457,000 square km). The river rises in the highlands of northeastern Zambia as the Chambeshi River, flowing in a giant counterclockwise arc to the northwest, west, and southwest before draining into the Atlantic Ocean. With its many tributaries, the Congo forms the continent’s largest network of navigable waterways, and though its navigability is limited by 32 cataracts in the river’s lower course, the river is an important navigational system in Africa. The Congo basin is home to the world’s second largest rainforest.