The 'Ubangi River', also spelled 'Oubangi', ( or ) is a major
tributary of the
Congo River in
Central Africa. It is considered to begin at the junction of the
Mbomou and
Uele Rivers, flows west for about 350 km, then bends to the southwest, passes through
Bangui, then flows south for another 500 km to the Congo.
Together with the
Congo River, it provides an important transport artery for river boats between
Bangui and
Brazzaville.
From its start to 100 km below Bangui, the Ubangi defines the boundary between the
Central African Republic and the
Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Thereafter, it forms the boundary between the DRC and the
Republic of Congo until it empties into the Congo River.
In the 1960s, a plan was proposed to divert the Ubangi into
Lake Chad. The water from the Ubangi would revitalize that lake and provide livelihood in fishing and enhanced agriculture to tens of millions of central Africans and
Sahelians.
Tributaries
★
Uele River
External link
★
Map of the Ubangi River basin at Water Resources eAtlas
★
Map showing the Ubangi Subbasin at World Resources Institute