Who discovered the Congo river?

Who discovered the Congo river?

explorer Diogo Cão
European exploration of the Congo begins in 1482, when Portuguese explorer Diogo Cão discovered the river estuary (likely in August 1482), which he marked by a Padrão, or stone pillar (still existing, but only in fragments) erected on Shark Point.

Who was the first to discover the Congo?

Portuguese exploration In 1482–1483, Captain Diogo Cão, sailing southwards on the uncharted Congo River, discovered the mouth of the river, and became the first European to encounter the Kingdom of Kongo.

How many people died in the Congo river?

No fewer than 27 people, mostly students, have been killed and 54 others missing after an overcrowded boat sank in a river in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Where does Congo River begin?

Lake Tanganyika
Chambeshi RiverEast African RiftLake Mweru
Congo River/Sources

Who was the first European to travel the Congo to the sea?

Bartolomeu Dias
Nationality Portuguese
Other names Bartholomew Diaz
Occupation Navigator and explorer
Known for Being the first European mariner to round the southern tip of Africa

What was the Congo called before?

The Democratic Republic of the Congo has been known in the past as, in chronological order, the Congo Free State, Belgian Congo, the Republic of the Congo-Léopoldville, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of Zaire, before returning to its current name the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

How deep is the Congo River?

722′
Congo River/Max depth

In addition, the Congo River is the world’s deepest recorded river at 720 feet (220 meters) deep in parts — too deep for light to penetrate, The New York Times reported. It’s also the second-longest river in Africa, spanning a length of approximately 2,920 miles (4,700 kilometers), according to Phys.org.

Is River Congo the second largest river in Africa?

Congo River, formerly Zaire River, river in west-central Africa. With a length of 2,900 miles (4,700 km), it is the continent’s second longest river, after the Nile.

Who was the first explorer to discover the Congo River?

Henry Stanley, the determined explorer who sailed the full length of the Congo River. In May 1482, Diogo Cão sailed from Lisbon, Portugal, to the African coast. His crew was in desperate need of drinking water when Cão noticed muddy brown water rushing into a bay. He followed the source of the water and inadvertently discovered the Congo River.

What was the name of the white man on the Congo River?

The word mazungu, white man, was being screamed and repeated along both banks. It was disconcerting, to say the least. I felt like a wolf that had inadvertently strolled into a farming community and was being hunted down. I had to go faster.

How much water does the Congo River produce?

During the rainy season over 50,000 cubic metres (1,800,000 cu ft) of water per second flows into the Atlantic Ocean. Opportunities for the Congo River and its tributaries to generate hydropower are therefore enormous. Scientists have calculated that the entire Congo Basin accounts for 13 percent of global hydropower potential.

What did the Portuguese do in the Congo River?

Cão’s crew was fascinated by the exotic animals along the Congo. They settled into a cove and stayed there for a month. The Portuguese struck up a friendship with the native Bakongo tribe. Cão sent some of his men upstream to find the Bakongo king, Manikongo.