Kouilou-Niari River
Encyclopedia
The Kouilou-Niari River — also spelled Kwilu, Kwila, or Kwil — is the main drainage path for the coastal basin of the Republic of the Congo
. The river is called the Kouilou River along most of its length, but its center section, in the Niari region of The Congo, is called the Niari River. The river eventually combines with the Louessé River and eventually flows into the Atlantic Ocean
. It covers about 450 miles from its origin in the plateaus of The Congo to its mouth at the coast.
The river has numerous waterfalls and is impassable from its mouth, which is blocked by multiple sandbars
, formed primarily by the action of the Benguela current
.
Republic of the Congo
The Republic of the Congo , sometimes known locally as Congo-Brazzaville, is a state in Central Africa. It is bordered by Gabon, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo , the Angolan exclave province of Cabinda, and the Gulf of Guinea.The region was dominated by...
. The river is called the Kouilou River along most of its length, but its center section, in the Niari region of The Congo, is called the Niari River. The river eventually combines with the Louessé River and eventually flows into the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
. It covers about 450 miles from its origin in the plateaus of The Congo to its mouth at the coast.
The river has numerous waterfalls and is impassable from its mouth, which is blocked by multiple sandbars
Shoal
Shoal, shoals or shoaling may mean:* Shoal, a sandbank or reef creating shallow water, especially where it forms a hazard to shipping* Shoal draught , of a boat with shallow draught which can pass over some shoals: see Draft...
, formed primarily by the action of the Benguela current
Benguela Current
The Benguela Current is the broad, northward flowing ocean current that forms the eastern portion of the South Atlantic Ocean gyre. The current extends from roughly Cape Point in the south, to the position of the Angola-Benguela Front in the north, at around 16°S. The current is driven by the...
.
List of waterfalls
- ZrinskiZrinskiThe Zrinski family was a Croatian noble family, influential during the period in history marked by the Ottoman wars in Europe in the Kingdom of Croatia and Hungary and in the later Austro-Hungarian Empire...
chutes: Honors Nikola Zrinski and Petar ZrinskiPetar ZrinskiPetar Zrinski was a Croatian Ban and writer. A member of the Zrinski noble family, he was noted for his role in the attempted Croatian-Hungarian rebellion of 1664-1670 which ultimately led to his execution for high treason.-Zrinski family:Petar Zrinski was born in Vrbovec, a small town near...
, CroatiaCroatiaCroatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
n nobles; "discovered" and named in 1882 by a Croatian member (Dragutin LermanDragutin LermanDragutin Lerman was a Croatian explorer. Lerman was born in Požega, Slavonia, but he left his home very early. He was a member of the 1882 Henry Morton Stanley expedition to Congo and was one of Stanley's most trusted men...
) of Henry Morton StanleyHenry Morton StanleySir Henry Morton Stanley, GCB, born John Rowlands , was a Welsh journalist and explorer famous for his exploration of Africa and his search for David Livingstone. Upon finding Livingstone, Stanley allegedly uttered the now-famous greeting, "Dr...
's exploration team. Local names, and local knowledge in general, are unfortunately ignored in such naming.