The Ogooué (or Ogowe), also known as the Nazareth River, some long, is the principal river of Gabon in west-central Africa and the fourth largest river in Africa by volume of discharge. Its watershed drains nearly the entire country of Gabon, with some tributaries reaching into the Republic of the Congo, Cameroon, and Equatorial Guinea.

Geography

Course

The first European explorer to trace the river to its source was Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza, who traveled in the area in the 1870s. The river rises in the northwest of the Batéké Plateau near Kengue, Republic of the Congo. It runs northwest and enters Gabon near Boumango. Poubara Falls are near Maulongo. From Lastoursville up to Ndjolé, rapids make the Ogooué unnavigable. From Ndjolé it runs west and enters the Gulf of Guinea near Ozouri, south of Port-Gentil.

Delta

The delta is quite large, about 100 km long and 100 km wide. A 30,000 ha site, including much of Mandji Island, has been designated an Important Bird Area by BirdLife International because it supports significant populations of many bird species.

Basin

The basin is , of which or 85 percent lies within Gabon.

Basin area by country:Distance from river mouth:River in confluence

Gauging stations along the Ogooué River:

Discharge

Tributaries

The river receives water of numerous tributaries including:

• Abanga, which rises in the Cristal Mountains, near Medouneu

• Baniaka

• Dilo

• Iyinda, the most important tributary

• Letili

• Lassio

• Lebombi

• Lekabi

• Lekedi

• Lekoni, which flows across Akieni and Leconi

• Letili

• Leyou

• Lolo

• Mbine

• Ngolo

• Ngounie

• Nke

• Offoue

• Okano, whose main tributary is the Lara River

• Mpassa, which flows across Franceville

• Sebe, which flows past Okondja

• Wagny

Ecology

It mostly consists of undisturbed rainforest with some savanna grassland where the mid-year dry season is longest. It is home to a high biodiversity. All three species of African crocodile, for instance, occur in the river: the Nile crocodile, the dwarf crocodile, and the slender-snouted crocodile. It is also the type locality for the catfish Synodontis acanthoperca.

Economy

The Ogooué is navigable from Ndjole to the sea. It is used to bring wood to the Port-Gentil Harbour. The basin includes several major conservation reserves, including Lope National Park. The catchment area has an average population density of 4 people per km². Towns along the river include Ayem, Adané, Loanda, Lambaréné, Ndjole, Booué, Kankan, Maulongo, Mboungou-Mbadouma, Ndoro, Lastoursville, Moanda, and Franceville near the Congo border. Towns in Congo include Zanaga.

References

• Perusset André. 1983. Oro-Hydrographie (Le Relief) in Geographie et Cartographie du Gabon, Atlas Illustré led by The Ministère de l'Education Nationale de la Republique Gabonaise. Pg 10-13. Paris, France: Edicef.

• Petringa, Maria. Brazza, A Life for Africa. Bloomington, IN: AuthorHouse, 2006. . Describes Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza's extensive explorations of the Ogoué River basin.

• National Geographic. 2003. African Adventure Atlas Pg 24,72. led by Sean Fraser.

• Gardinier David. 1994. Historical Dictionary of Gabon 2nd Edition. USA: The Scarercrow Press, Inc.

• Direction General de L'Environnement.1999. Stratégie nationale et Plan D'action sur la biodiversité biologique du Gabon.

• The Atlas of Africa. Pg 201. by Regine Van Chi-Bonnardel. Jeune Afrique Editions.

• Lerique Jacques. 1983. Hydrographie-Hydrologie. in Geographie et Cartographie du Gabon, Atlas Illustré led by The Ministère de l'Education Nationale de la Republique Gabonaise. Pg 14-15. Paris, France: Edicef.

External links

• World Resources Institute map of Ogooué watershed

• Map of the Ogoué River basin at Water Resources eAtlas

• Website about the dinosaur hunt