12.06.2019
River in Nigeria. Regime of the Niger River: characteristic features. Lion of Africa saw Niger
Herodotus on his journey to southern Africa
Greek Herodotus, who was nicknamed the “father of history,” spoke about his journey from Libya to the southwest Africa five young nomads from Nasamon tribe. The Nasamons set off, trying to penetrate as far as possible into southern Africa. They crossed sandy deserts and reached fertile country, replete with various plants unfamiliar to them. But here they were captured by some short people with black skin, who spoke a language they did not understand, and took them away with them. The prisoners passed through vast swampy areas, beyond which they saw big river, flowing from west to east; they paid attention to a large number of crocodiles in its waters. After many adventures, the young Nasamons returned home safely.Herodotus's erroneous assumption that the Niger is a tributary of the Nile
It is hardly possible to say for sure whether the journey of the Nasamons took place in reality or was it a fiction. Based on the story of Herodotus, Europe first learned about the existence of a large river deep in West Africa, flowing from west to east. But at the same time, Herodotus made a mistake, understandable and justified given the then level of human knowledge about the world in which he lives, but finally refuted only in the 19th century. The Greeks had no idea about the actual size of the African continent, but they already knew quite well the Nile, in the valley of which a great civilization had developed Ancient Egypt, - Greece owed her a lot. It is natural therefore that Herodotus suggested as if big river, which was discussed in the story he recorded about the journey of the Nasamons, - west tributary of the Nile . And this look lasted for more than two thousand years. Geographical ideas of Herodotus became the basis on which maps of the interior of Africa were created, appearing in the writings of such ancient scientists as the Roman Pliny the Elder(1st century AD) and especially the great geographer ancient world Claudius Ptolemy. Exactly Ptolemy's map for many centuries became a source geographical information for people of the Middle Ages. This map, with all its imperfections, was for its time biggest scientific achievement.Cultural Heritage of the Middle East
Medieval Europe received the knowledge accumulated by the scientists of antiquity mainly in the transmission of Arab scientists: on Middle East cultural heritage preserved much better than in the early medieval states of Europe, where the omnipotent Catholic Church was suspicious of most pagan monuments, and the closed subsistence economy of feudal society did not really encourage the development of geography. In the Middle East at that time there were huge flourishing cities with developed crafts and lively trade relations.The Arabs were attracted by the geographical work of Ptolemy
It is clear that Arabs were attracted by the geographical work of Ptolemy. Native Central Asia, great mathematician, Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi in the 9th century revised Ptolemy's "Geography", supplementing it with the information that the Arabs were able to accumulate by this time. A century later, some Suhrab in turn, reworked the “Book of the Image of the Earth” by al-Khwarizmi, adding and enriching the appearance of the then known part with new features globe, drawn by Ptolemy.
But neither al-Khwarizmi nor Suhrab made any significant changes to the map of West Africa. Arab geography of that time was a “book” science and was based on ancient and Hellenistic theories. And Muslim merchants, by the 9th century. well mastered trade routes to Ghana - largest state in West Africa of that period - were not very interested in the nature of this part of the continent: trade routes or the goods that could be obtained here absorbed all their attention. Real knowledge is being gained about the African interior
But gradually, as they accumulated real knowledge of the African interior, Arab geographers' ideas about these areas are beginning to become more complex. Of course, this does not mean that they could give a clear answer to the question of what, for example, the Nile and Niger basins look like. The complication of the picture was expressed mainly in the appearance (starting from the third quarter of the 10th century) in the works of Arab geographers and on the maps they compiled, along with the familiar and well-known “Nile of Egypt”, several more Nile: “Nile of Blacks”, “Nile of Zinj”, etc. At the same time, most Arab writers seemed to tacitly adhere to the old point of view of Herodotus: for them the connection West African Nile With Egyptian Nile was a given. In the same way, they had no doubt that the “big river” on the map of West Africa (“Black Country”) flows from west to east.Conflicting information about the Niger and Sinegal rivers
But as the Muslim merchants moved south, complications arose: having become acquainted with two different rivers - Niger and Senegal, merchants, and after them geographers begin to mix them up. For the first time such a mixture of these large Western African rivers appears in the Book of Paths and States by the Spanish-Arab geographer and historian al-Bekri in the middle of the 11th century. Al-Bekri himself haven't been to West Africa, he described it based on materials from the rich archives of Cordoba, where many reports of Muslim merchants from different cities of Spain were kept. These merchants traded more than any other with the peoples living south of the Sahara. And al-Bekri either did not pay attention to the contradiction between different documents talking about big river in ancient Ghana and adjacent countries (some documents stated that the river flows from east to west, and in others - from west to east), or, as Arab historians and geographers of the Middle Ages often did, he cited information from both without criticism , relying on the usual formula in such cases: “Allah knows best!” But if al-Bekri simply recorded a contradiction, then the great geographer al-Idrisi(XII century) adopted a point of view that was directly opposite to the previously dominant one. He also mixes Niger and Senegal, but his West African “Nile” flows only from east to west. The scientific authority of al-Idrisi turned out to be great enough for this mistake (however, one of many) secure for several centuries. It could not be refuted by the very definite testimony of the traveler Ibn Battuta(XIV century) that the “Black Nile” flows from west to east. But Ibn Battuta was the first of the authors of Arab geographical works to personally visit Niger. At the same time, being a practical man, far from scientific discussions, he firmly adhered to the old point of view: the “Nile of Egypt” and the “Nile of the Blacks” are the same river. Of course, in the eyes of people involved in geographical science, the testimony of a simple merchant could not compete with the opinion of such a scientist as al-Idrisi.Lion of Africa saw Niger
Moreover, even when through one and a half centuries after Ibn Battuta, the areas along the Niger were visited twice by the North African traveler and scientist al-Hasan ibn Wazzaz al-Fasi, known in Europe under the name Lion of Africa, the authority of al-Idrisi remained decisive. African Lion Not only saw Niger with my own eyes; he swam along it more than once and went down this river from Timbuktu to Djenne. It seemed that he could not help but know which way the river flowed! But, unfortunately, in his “Description of Africa”, which glorified his name, Leo Africanus did not say a single word about the direction in which the Niger flows. And this silence was perceived as agreement with al-Idrisi.
For two and a half centuries, the book of Leo Africanus remained in Europe the main source of information about the African continent. And it never occurred to anyone to refute al-Idrisi’s opinion about the direction of the Niger. Of course, it cannot be said that the accumulation of information about the geography of the interior of West Africa has completely stopped. European scientists heard vague rumors about the existence of a huge lake somewhere far off the coast, which could be reached through the lands of the Hausa people, that is, through what is now Northern Nigeria. And a major geographer of the late 16th century. Ortelius connected with this lake - real Lake Chad- current of the Niger. On his map, the river begins south of the equator, crosses it, flows into Chad, and from there flows west, to a certain “Lake Guber.” After passing this supposed lake, the Niger flows into the Atlantic Ocean at the actual mouth of the Senegal. Ortelius's ideas are interesting, by the way, because they contain a lot of very real, but absolutely fantastically mixed material. Portuguese knowledge of West Africa
to the Portuguese probably already at the end of the 15th century. it became known about the existence of several lakes along the upper reaches of the Niger above Timbuktu - lake Debo, Fagibin, Tanda etc. Something also became known about the rich Hausan cities further to the east; one of the most important among them was Gobir. And in 1564, on the map of the Italian Giacomo di Castaldi appears in the depths West Africa the huge “Lake Guber” (by the way, Europeans first learned about Guber from the same “Description of Africa” by Leo Africanus). “Lake Guber” was regularly reproduced on their maps by everyone who studied the geography of Africa until the end of the 18th century. And almost all this time continued to consider Niger and Senegal as one river. True, in these erroneous views there was also a certain positive side: already did not confuse Niger with the Nile, and the name “Niger” itself since the 16th century. firmly established on European maps.Expanding geographical knowledge of Africa
But in general expanding geographical knowledge of Africa in the period between the appearance in 1550 of the first Italian edition of the Description of Africa and the first expedition Mungo Park in the mid-90s of the 18th century. progressed much more slowly than at the beginning of the era of the Great Geographical Discoveries of the 15th - first quarter of the 16th century. Discovery of America and successful penetration of Europeans into the areas South Seas led to the fact that the leading role in the European economy passed from the Mediterranean countries to the countries of the Atlantic coast. At the same time, the seizure of almost all North Africa The Ottoman Empire contributed to an even greater weakening of the usual contacts between Southern Europe and the Middle East. And in Africa itself, the main connections with Europeans moved to the west coast: from here to New World the main export product was sent - slaves for plantations and mines. Africa was turning, in the words of K. Marx, into a “reserved hunting ground for blacks.”Slave trade
In search of new sources of this terrible product, European sailors quickly explored Atlantic coast Africa and mapped it quite accurately. But with the deep regions the situation was different. Since slaves were brought to the coast by African rulers, there was no need for Europeans to move away from coastal markets and penetrate deeper into the continent. Besides, slave trade was so profitable for the African rulers themselves that they would hardly have favorably accepted the penetration of Europeans into the interior of the country. Therefore, the difficulties and obstacles on the way of those who tried to move at least a little away from the coastal fort-factories were great. For some time, this situation more or less suited European merchants and African leaders. But in the second half of the 18th century. circumstances began to change rapidly. In European countries, the positions of those who sought to ban the slave trade. Many reasons contributed to this, and not last role played by the desire of British merchants and industrialists to prevent the development of the economy of the former North American colonies, which was largely built on mass use plantation slavery.The Industrial Revolution triumphed in England
In the same time in England finally the industrial revolution won I; The capitalist mode of production became undividedly dominant in the country's economy. The strengthened British bourgeoisie needed new sources of raw materials, new strongholds in all parts of the world. After the successful end for England of the Seven Years' War in 1763 the question of ownership of India was resolved in favor of the British. Britain's colonial interests moved from North America and West Indies to the east. But this did not at all mean a weakening of attention to other areas of the globe. It is no coincidence that just at this time in England, interest in geographical studies of overseas lands is growing unusually quickly, and among these lands Africa ranks first. But discoveries could only be expected with a certain level of organizational and financial support for research enterprises. Well, the British bourgeoisie was rich enough, enterprising enough, and far-sighted enough to provide such support to their compatriots who would decide to take on the difficult task of exploring unknown lands.Creation of the African Society
In 1788 in London there was African Society organized(society for promoting the discovery internal regions Africa). It is characteristic that, when announcing the creation of the society, its founders specifically drew attention to the fact that European ideas about the interior of Africa were almost entirely based on information reported by al-Idrisi and Leo Africanus. And in the first place among the tasks to be resolved, it was put to determine where does the Niger begin and where does it flow?. The message about the founding meeting of the company said:“The course of the Niger, the places of its source and end, and even its existence as an independent river have not yet been determined.”Thus, from the end of the 18th century systematic exploration of inner Africa begins. Already in the first year of its existence, the society sent two researchers to Africa who had to cross the continent in different directions. First, John Ledyard, it was prescribed to go “from east to west along the latitude of Niger.” Second, Simon Lucas, had
"cross the Sahara Desert, moving from Tripoli to Fezzan",and then return to England
"via Gambia or via the Guinean coast."Neither Ledyard nor Lucas failed to complete these tasks. The first died before he could even leave Cairo, and the second, having landed in Tripoli in October 1788, could not wait for the end of the war that was waged between the nomadic tribes living along the main caravan road to the Fezzan. And without this there was no point in even thinking about traveling. In July 1789 Lucas returned to England. Then the leaders of the society decided to try another route to Niger - through Gambia (this route was shorter, although they did not yet know about it).
Houghton's Journey to Africa
It was from here that he began his journey into the hinterlands Africa retired major Houghton, who served for several years in the colonial forces on the coast of West Africa. In November 1790, he moved from the mouth of the Gambia to the east with the task of visiting"the cities of Timbuktu and Hausa". He managed to reach the Bamboo region in the upper Senegal, and Houghton hoped to reach Timbuktu. But, having crossed Senegal, near the present Malian city of Nioro, Houghton died. Scientific results of the Houghton expedition, despite his death, were very important. Houghton established:
- that the Niger flows from west to east.
- His news from Africa contained confirmation that the river in its middle course passes through areas inhabited by the Hausa people.
Mungo Park Expedition
And only in 1795 a young Scottish doctor offered his services to the society Mungo Park. In May 1795 he went from the mouth of the Gambia by the same route as Houghton. It took him more than a year to reach the city of Segou (in the modern Republic of Mali), where he first saw Niger. It was July 20, 1796.“I,” wrote Park, “with great pleasure saw the main goal of my expedition - the majestic Niger, about which I had been thinking for so long, wide as the Thames at Westminster, sparkling in the morning sun and flowing to the east.”. Park was the first modern European to see with his own eyes that the river, after all, flows from west to east(Houghton’s data was based on numerous interviews with local residents who had a good idea of the real picture). Of course it was a great success. However, no less successful was the fact that Park managed to return to England and in 1799 published a report on his journey. The book was accompanied by a voluminous note from the largest geographer of England at that time James Rennell, dedicated to the scientific results of Park’s journey. In it, Rennell hypothesized that the Niger flows into “vast lakes” in eastern Africa, from where excess water evaporates due to large area water mirror. This theory has received almost universal acceptance.
Notes by Friedrich Hornemann
However, some researchers still preferred to believe that the Niger is connected to the Nile. The confluence of the Niger into the Nile was also mentioned in the diaries of Friedrich Hornemann, a young German scientist sent from Fezzan, who was invited by the African Society to try to approach the Niger from the north. Latest records in the diary he kept Horneman, which suggests the connection of the Niger with the Nile, dates back to April 1800, after which there was no information about Horneman. Later it became known that he managed to reach the state of Nupe on the lower Niger and died there. After great success Park expeditions science had only hypotheses regarding the sources of the Niger and its mouth. And only new travels could confirm or refute them. By this time, a significant change had occurred in the organization of geographical research by English scientists in Africa. Under pressure from the English bourgeoisie, interested in opening new markets, the British government is decisively involved in the planning and financing of expeditions.Second Mungo Park Expedition
The list of government expeditions was opened Mungo Park's second expedition, which set off for Africa from England in January 1805. Park should have reached the Niger and descended along it to the mouth, wherever it might be. The traveler was going to repeat the route he took ten years ago. He intended to build a ship in Segou and go down the river (it was for this purpose that he included shipbuilders in the expedition). In total, Park's group included forty-four Europeans and one African guide. Perhaps this choice of satellites largely predetermined the tragic failure of the entire enterprise: in last letter Park, written by him in November 1805, reported that only five Europeans remained alive - the unusual climate and tropical diseases had taken their toll. And although Park managed to travel down the Niger more than one and a half thousand kilometers (to the city of Busa in modern Nigeria), the expedition ended in complete disaster: Park and three of his companions who had survived by that time died on the rapids near Busa. The expedition did not produce any scientific results. All of Park's records died with him..
Before Park's departure on the second expedition, a new hypothesis was put forward that Niger and Congo - one river(at the beginning of the 19th century, European sailors knew only the mouth of the third great river of Africa, although the first Portuguese ships reached this mouth more than three hundred years earlier). The British government tried to test the hypothesis that the Niger and Congo were one river in 1816. Captain Takka's Expedition
Captain Takka's Expedition was supposed to climb up the Congo, and the second expedition, led by Major Peddy, go to the Niger and go down its current. But almost all the participants in both expeditions died from disease during the trip, and these expeditions also remained fruitless. Then in England for some time they abandoned attempts to reach Niger from the ocean, and the northern direction again came to the fore.Ritchie and Lyon Expedition
The very next year it moved south from Tripoli Ritchie and Lyon expedition, whose task was to achieve Timbuktu. But she also failed to do this. The travelers only reached Murzuka, center Fezzan region: Ritchie died here, and Lyon, who tried to continue his journey, soon had to return due to lack of funds. However, Lyon, having interviewed a large number of Africans involved in one form or another in the caravan trade across the Sahara, came to the conclusion that the waters of the Niger are connected to the great Nile of Egypt.Dr. Audney's Expedition
The first successful attempt to explore the interior of West Africa from the Mediterranean coast belonged to an expedition that set off in 1821. It was led by Dr. Audney, the expedition included Major Denham and Navy Lieutenant Clapperton. Coming out of Tripoli, the expedition, after many months of struggle with harsh nature and obstacles posed by warlike tribes roaming the desert, reached Lake Chad. True, this did not bring Denham and his comrades any closer to solving the Niger problem, although Denham really hoped that a solution would be found here. But already that the first time Europeans reached Lake Chad was no small event. Denham remained in the state of Bornu on the banks of Chad, while Clapperton and Oudney moved west, intending to explore the regions of the Hausa people and, if possible, reach the Niger. But only Clapperton arrived in Kano, the largest of the Hausa cities; Audney died on the road. In Kano, Clapperton first heard that Quorra(as the Niger was called here) flows into the ocean in the Yoruba country (in the southwest of present-day Nigeria), where European ships come. True, this idea in itself was not unexpected: after all, at the beginning of the century, the German geographer Karl Reichard wrote about such a possibility. But then his point of view did not meet with support: it was believed that the river’s path to the Bay of Benin was blocked by a chain of granite mountains.
From Kano, Clapperton moved further west. In Sokoto, the capital of the huge sultanate that the Fulani people had just created, he was warmly received by the Sultan Muhammad Bello. In conversations with a European, the Sultan confirmed that it was indeed possible to reach the sea along the large river. However, on the map that Muhammad Bello drew for his guest, the Niger was connected to the Nile, and in order to avoid misunderstandings, an explanation was given to the map: “This is the river Quorra, which reaches Egypt and which is called the Nile.”Now it is difficult to say how the unexpected contradiction between the Sultan’s words and his map can be explained: admiration for the traditional ideas of Muslim geographers or sober political calculations. After all, Muhammad Bello had enough information to fear the penetration of the British into his country. The Sultan was fully aware that in addition to the loss of benefits from mediation in trade, the penetration of the guest's compatriots into his country could lead to unpleasant political consequences. It is not for nothing that during Clapperton’s second visit to Sokoto in 1827, he was told:
“If the English are encouraged too much, they will certainly come to the Sudan one after another until they are strong enough to take over the country... as they did in India, which was wrested from the hands of the Muslims.”Perhaps it was difficult to say more clearly. Be that as it may, Clapperton was not allowed to visit Niger. He had to return to Borna. Denham, who remained here, also collected information about the Niger and heard confirmation that this river merges with the Nile. Thus, the expedition, despite its undoubted success, did not establish the main thing - where the Niger begins and where it flows: neither the source nor the mouth of the Niger were still found. In 1824 Denham and Clapperton returned to their homeland. After their journey, the erroneous view regarding the connection of the Niger and the Nile. But essentially by this time it had already been irrefutably proven that merging with Neil Niger can't, no matter which direction it flows. Moreover, this was proven not speculatively, but strictly experimentally, based on barometric measurement absolute altitude most likely source of the great West African river. The man who made this discovery was called
Everyone famous river Niger most important river in Western. Length 4180 km, basin area 2118 thousand km², third according to these parameters in Africa after and. The exact origin of the river's name is unknown and is currently debated among scientists. ( 11 photos)
2. The river receives its main waters from summer monsoon rains. The average annual water flow of the Niger at the mouth is 8630 m³/s, the annual flow is 378 km³, flow rates during floods can reach 30-35 thousand m³/s. But there are also tributaries, here are the five main ones - Milo (right), Bani (right), Sokoto (left), Kaduna (left), Benue (left).
5. It is believed that the name of the river comes from Tuareg nehier-ren- “river, flowing water.” According to one hypothesis, the name of the river comes, in turn, from the words “Egerev n’Egerev”, which in Tamashek (one of the Tuareg languages) means “ great river"or "river of rivers." This was the name given to the Niger and some other peoples who lived on its banks. There are many different hypotheses, but it is not known for certain where the river gets its name.
7. In 1805, the Scottish doctor Mungo Park visited the Niger for the second time and explored its course from Bamako to Bussang, where he was killed by local aborigines.
The Niger is a West African river flowing through the territory of 5 states. In the world ranking it ranks 14th in terms of length, approximately 4180 km. This watercourse is unique and quite interesting, which is why it is important to find out what the regime of the Niger River is. This will be discussed in the article.
On the African continent, the Niger River is second only to the Congo and the Nile. Her waterway unusual in its shape. It carries its waters like a boomerang from the Guinean Highlands to the bay of the same name. The place of confluence - the mouth - is considered to be the Atlantic Ocean. At its very sources, the Niger is called Joliba and flows to the northeast, changing direction to the east in the Timbuktu region and turning to the southeast in the town of Burem. There are several versions about the origin of the name of the river. One, the most reliable, can be considered a translation from Tuareg, which literally means “river, flowing water.”
Features of currents
In the middle reaches of the Niger - lowland river. Rapids are often found in the upper and lower parts, where the path flows along the slopes of the Guinean Highlands. Originating in the northern side of the mountains, the water stream flows through rough terrain and has several waterfalls. This affects the character and regime of the Niger River. Here the watercourse is deep and swift. Starting from Saleh, the river flow slows down. She is moving north east direction along the inner delta. The river flow becomes faster when passing Timbuktu. Here the watercourse changes the direction of its movement. The waters of the smaller rivers flowing into the lower reaches of the basin again saturate the Niger, making it full of water. Among the many tributaries, the main ones are: Benue, Bani, Kaduna, Milano, Sokoto.
River transport
The regime of the Niger River allows the channel to be used for the passage of ships. Downstream the stream is navigable all year round, in the upper and middle - depending on the high water. Its peculiarity is that everything is different in different areas. For example, the river area from Bammako to Timbuktu is navigable only from July to January. From June to October the section between Gabba and Lokoji is accessible for ships.
Feeding regime of the Niger River and water flow
Like most other African rivers, the Niger is fed by rain. The drainage basin covers an area of more than 2.117 thousand square meters. km. Water is consumed in a volume approximately equal to 8630 cubic meters per second. Water consumption during floods increases significantly and reaches about 30-35 thousand cubic meters. meters per second. More than half of moisture loss occurs through evaporation and filtration. The driest area is between Segou and Timbuktu. These losses are not compensated even by the infusion of water from the Bani River, near the city of Mopti. During the year, the river carries about 378 cubic meters. km of water.
The Niger flows through the territory of: ,. The Niger is the third largest river after and the 2nd most abundant western river, bearing various names among the coastal natives, of which upper reaches the predominant name is Joliba, in the middle - Eguirreu, in the lower - Kvara or Quorra, the Arabs call it Nil el-Abid (Nile of Slaves). Niger originates at 8°36` northern latitude and 10°33` West longitude (from Greenwich) in the East of the Kong Mountains, in Kuranko, at an altitude of 850 meters above sea level and at the beginning flows North towards , then turns to the South-East and South and, through several branches , of which the largest are: Sombrero, Nen, Brass and Forcado, pours into the Gulf of Guinea.
140 kilometers from its source, which, being sacred, is inaccessible to foreigners and precise definition, Niger, still called Tembi, takes on the left wide river Faliko with its tributary Tamikon, after which, under the name Dzholiba, it flows north to 10° north latitude. Turning to the North-East, it receives several small tributaries on the left, and significant tributaries on the right: Mifu and Yandan, or Nianna, turning again to the north it receives Milo and Tankisso; here the slope of the Niger is reduced to half (only 329 meters above sea level), its bed becomes wider, but shallower - and for 400 kilometers it flows to the northeast, forming the border line between and the kingdom of Ségou. At Bomak, the Niger in high water is up to 800 meters wide and forms rapids, capriciously changing the width of the channel; near Niamina it becomes navigable and turns south; its slope becomes even smaller, its bed lower; at Massino it divides into two main branches, which head north to Lake Debu. At Diafaraba, these sleeves are connected to each other by natural channels, which, intersecting, form the network of the island area of Burgu of 200 square kilometers; on one of these islands lies the ancient Djenné, or Guineve, ch. The land of the blacks, from which the whole country received its name Guinea. Further, the Niger enters the territory of the fellahs, where it is called Issoy and heads to the North, crossing Lake Debo, receives many tributaries and is again divided into the Danko and Mayo Balleo branches; near Kabara, the harbor of the city, reaches 17° north latitude and flows east along the desert; On this route, the Tozaye rapids impede navigation with a slow current, and among the extremely low-lying banks, the Niger reaches the country of Ussa, where it bears the new name Gulbi-nkovary, or Kovara. At Burrum the river turns sharply to the Southeast and enters, after the lowlands of Massina and the rocky desert of Timbuktu, into a hilly country with a tropical one and again forms a whole network of branches near Gago, the ancient capital of the Sanray empire. Having broken through the rapids surrounding the island of Bornu Guntu, the Niger spreads out like a wide tablecloth and only at Akarambai, to the south of the island of Ansongo, it narrows again, constrained by the walls of rocks, to a width of 30 meters.
In the middle reaches, the Niger receives: Gorajende, flowing from Libtako, Kassani, or Tederimt, Sirbia, or Chirba, and Gulbi-n-Sokoto at Gomba. From Gomba to the rapids of Bussa, the Niger is navigable; steamships sail between Rabba and Lokoja, although sandy shoals sometimes interfere with navigation here. Here Kaduna, or Liful, and a little further Gurara flow into the Niger; its most significant tributary, the Benue, flows into Lokoja, originating north of Ngawandare in Adamei, in rainy time year it connects to the lake. From Lokoja at Ebo (at the head of the delta) the Niger, connected with the Benue, flows in a majestic stream, rushing south among the rocks and, sloping in gradual terraces, receives on the left the parallel tributary Amambaru. The width of the Niger is increasing, and it flows towards the Gulf of Guinea, into which it flows through the aforementioned branches. The Niger Delta covers an area of 25,000 square kilometers and is low-lying, marshy and covered with mangroves. The navigability of the Niger depends, in addition to rapids and waterfalls, on its high or shallow waters. In the upper reaches of the Niger to Timbuktu, high water occurs from July to early January, and here it is navigable from Bammako to Timbuktu; in the middle reaches of the Niger there is plenty of water and is navigable from the Gabba to Lokoja, from June to October; in the lower reaches from Lokoja to Akassa, thanks to the influx of Benue waters, the Niger is high from June to the end of September and has a secondary high from January to the end of April, depending on the high water in the upper reaches; Here it is navigable at all times of the year.
Niger's way of eating: The river is fed by summer waters.
Tributaries of the Niger: Milo (right), Bani (right), Sokoto (left), Kaduna (left), Benue (left).
Inhabitants of Niger: in Niger it is very developed, the main commercial fish species are: carp, perch, barbel (or barbel) and others.
Niger Freeze: doesn't freeze.
The Niger River is the most important river in West Africa. Length 4,180 km, basin area 2,118 thousand km², the third according to these parameters in Africa after the Nile and Congo. Flows through the territory of Guinea, Mali, Niger, Benin, Nigeria. Source: Guinean Highlands, southeast Guinea. Estuary-Atlantic Ocean. The basin area is 2,117,700 km².
Niger is fed by the waters of the summer monsoon rains. In the upper reaches, the flood begins in June and near Bamako reaches its maximum in September - October. In the lower reaches, the rise of water begins in June from local rains, and in September it reaches its maximum. The average annual water flow of the Niger at the mouth is 8630 m³/s, the annual flow is 378 km³, flow rates during floods can reach 30-35 thousand m³/s.
The water supply along the current is not traditionally distributed. The lower and upper reaches of the river are located in places with high rainfall. but in the middle reaches of the river the climate is already dry.
The main tributaries of the Niger are the Bani, Sokoto, Milo, Kaduna, and Benue rivers.
Niger also has an internal delta. Locals they call her Masina. This vast territory is located in the middle reaches of the river. It is a large, heavily swampy floodplain valley. The river there has a large number of branches, oxbow lakes, and lakes. Downstream they join into one channel. The delta has a length of four hundred twenty-five kilometers and a width of eighty-seven kilometers.
To date, the origin of the name of the river has not been established. One version says that the name of the river comes from the Latin word niger - “black”. But the indigenous people call the river in their own way. In the upper reaches it is called Joliba, in the middle - Eguirreu, and in the lower reaches - it is Quara. The Arabs also call it differently - Nil el-Abid, which translated means “Nile of Slaves”.
According to one hypothesis, the name of the river comes in turn from the words “Egerev n’Egerev”, which in Tamashek (one of the Tuareg languages) means “great river” or “river of rivers”. This was the name given to the Niger and other peoples who lived on its banks.
The source is in Guinea, then the river flows through Mali, Niger, along the Benin border, then flows through Nigeria and flows into the Gulf of Guinea.
It originates under the name Djoliba on the slopes of the Leon-Liberian Upland, flows into the Gulf of Guinea Atlantic Ocean, forming a delta. The main tributaries are: on the right - Milo and Bani, on the left - Sokoto, Kaduna and Benue. From the sources to approximately 10° N. w. The N. flows to the north-east. in the mountains, mostly in a narrow valley, and then opens onto the plains of Sudan. From Kurusa to Bamako and below the city of Ségou the valley is wide; here the river significantly increases its water content due to the confluence of tributaries; navigable. Between the years Ke-Masina and Timbuktu N. is divided into many branches and flows in a wide, heavily swampy valley with an abundance of channels, oxbow lakes and lakes. This area is the inner delta of N.; here the river once flowed into a large drainless lake. In the Timbuktu region, the branches join into one channel. Further, the river flows eastward for approximately 300 km along the southern edge of the Sahara Desert, without receiving significant tributaries. From the village of Burem the river turns south-east, below the town of Elva it crosses the North Guinea Upland, where it receives many small tributaries. Further, up to the mouth (about 750 km), the river flows in a wide valley and is accessible for navigation. Having received its largest tributary from the city of Lokoja - the river. Benue, N. turns into a mighty stream up to 3 km wide and up to 20 m deep and more. The N. delta (24 thousand km2) begins 180 km from the ocean (near the city of Aba). In terms of length, the longest branch is Nun; for navigation, the deeper Forcados branch is used. Sea tides cover most of the delta and only 35 km do not reach its top; their height on Forcados is about 1.2 m.
The Niger River flows through five countries. The main current passes through the territory of Mali. This river is the main one water artery of this state. In these arid lands, without Niger, existence would be very difficult. The local population still believes that various spirits live in the river.
The Niger River originates just east of the Kong Mountains. There the altitude above sea level is eight hundred and fifty meters. First it heads north, towards the desert, then the river turns southeast, and then south. The river flows into the Gulf of Guinea of the Atlantic Ocean. A large delta with an area of twenty-five thousand kilometers is formed there. This area is covered with dense thickets and swampy.
In the upper reaches of the Niger there are often rapids, and already in the middle reaches it has the calm character of a flat river.
At the point where the Niger merges with the tributary of the Bani, there was once a large drainless lake. But today this lake is formed only during the wet season, when there is a lot of rainfall. During a flood, the total area of the delta can increase from four to twenty thousand square kilometers.
Niger is rich in fish. The river is home to carp, perch, barbel and other types of fish. In the countries where the Niger flows, fishing is very developed. Often it is fishing is the only source of food for the local population.
There is a large amount of oil in the Niger delta. Wise use of oil resources could help local people escape poverty. But due to pollution environment oil and its products, the situation only becomes more complicated.
