(Period: 1971–2000)2,286.3 m/s (80,740 cu ft/s)
31-619: Ruvuma River , formerly also known as the Rovuma River , is a river in the African Great Lakes region. During the greater part of its course, it forms the border between Tanzania and Mozambique . The river is 998 km (620 mi) long, with a drainage basin of ~155,000 km (60,000 sq mi) in size. Its mean annual discharge is 475 m/s (16,800 cu ft/s) to 2,286 m/s (80,700 cu ft/s) at its mouth. Average and maximum discharge of
62-470: A depression between the Eastern and Western Rifts, formed by the uplift of the rifts to either of its sides. Around two to three million years ago, Lake Turkana was larger and the area more fertile, making it a center for early hominids . Richard Leakey led numerous anthropological excavations in the area, which yielded many important discoveries of hominin remains. The two-million-year-old Skull 1470
93-706: A region with great potential after independence, the Great Lakes region has suffered from civil war and conflict in the four decades around the turn of the 21st century ( c. 1980 –2020). In 2022 the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees commended Tanzania for consistently welcoming and aiding refugees from other countries in the region. The highlands are relatively cool, with average temperatures ranging between 17 °C (63 °F) and 19 °C (66 °F) and abundant rainfall. Major drainage basins include those of
124-464: A swampy valley flanked by plateau escarpments containing several small backwaters of the river. The mouth is near 10° 28′ S, 40° 30′ E , the boundary near the coast being formed by the parallel of 10° 40′ S . The length of the Ruvuma is about 500 miles (800 km). A bridge called Unity Bridge across the river between Mozambique and Tanzania was proposed as early as 1975, and although construction
155-407: Is home to hundreds of species of birds endemic to Kenya. The flamingo wades in its shallows. The East African rift system also serves as a flyway for migrating birds, bringing in hundreds more. The birds are essentially supported by plankton masses in the lake, which also feed the fish there. Vegetation ranges from rainforest to savanna grasses. In some lakes, rapidly growing invasive plants, like
186-541: Is hot and very dry. A short rainy season in October is followed by a longer one from April to May. The Western Rift Valley lakes are freshwater and home to an extraordinary number of endemic species. More than 1,500 cichlid fish species live in the lakes, as well as other fish families. The lakes are also important habitats for a number of amphibian species. Nile crocodiles are numerous. Mammals include elephants , gorillas and hippopotamus . The Lake Turkana area
217-524: Is the capital of the province. There are a minimum estimated 450,000 Yao people living in Mozambique. They largely occupy the eastern and northern part of the Niassa province and form about 40% of the population of Lichinga, the capital of this province. The Ruvuma River forms much of the northern boundary of the province with Ruvuma Region , Tanzania , while Lake Niassa forms the western border of
248-784: The North American Great Lakes . This total constitutes about 25% of the planet's unfrozen surface fresh water. The large rift lakes of Africa are the ancient home of great biodiversity, and 10% of the world's fish species live in this region. Countries in the area which are bounded by the lakes of the Great Lakes region include Burundi , the Democratic Republic of the Congo , Ethiopia , Kenya , Malawi , Mozambique , Rwanda , Zambia , Tanzania , and Uganda . The following are included on most lists of
279-538: The Yao language 31%, speakers of the Nyanja or Chewa language a 11%, and Portuguese speakers 9%. The majority in Niassa province practice Islam. Monotheist religion adherence was asked in the 2007 census (Protestant / Catholic / Muslim / Zion) leaving aside so-called traditional religion followers. Answers provided a majority of protestants (74%) in the administrative post of Cobue, bordering Lake Niassa and inhabited mostly by
310-571: The public domain : Chisholm, Hugh , ed. (1911). " Rovuma ". Encyclopædia Britannica . Vol. 23 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 782. African Great Lakes The African Great Lakes ( Swahili : Maziwa Makuu ; Kinyarwanda : Ibiyaga bigari ) are a series of lakes constituting the part of the Rift Valley lakes in and around the East African Rift . The series includes Lake Victoria ,
341-432: The second-largest freshwater lake in the world by area; Lake Tanganyika , the world's second-largest freshwater lake by volume and depth; Lake Malawi , the world's eighth-largest freshwater lake by area; and Lake Turkana , the world's largest permanent desert lake and the world's largest alkaline lake. Collectively, they contain 31,000 km (7,400 cu mi) of water, which is more than either Lake Baikal or
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#1732771938172372-491: The African Great Lakes, grouped by drainage basin . The exact number of lakes considered part of the African Great Lakes varies by list, and may include smaller lakes in the rift valleys, especially if they are part of the same drainage basin as the larger lakes, such as Lake Kyoga . The Great Lakes region (rarely: Greater Lakes region) consists of ten riparian countries: Burundi , the Democratic Republic of
403-413: The Congo , Ethiopia , Kenya , Malawi , Mozambique , Rwanda , Tanzania , Uganda , and Zambia . The adjective interlacustrine ("between lakes") can refer to the region, or more specifically, the nations or area bounded by the lakes. The Swahili language is the most commonly spoken language in the African Great Lakes region. It also serves as a national or official language of five nations in
434-597: The Congo-Zaire, Nile, and Zambezi rivers, which drain into the Atlantic Ocean , Mediterranean Sea , and Indian Ocean , respectively. Forests are dominant in the lowlands of the Congo-Zaire Basin, while grasslands and savannas (dry grasslands) are most common in the southern and eastern highlands. Temperatures in the lowlands average about 35 °C (95 °F). Around Lake Turkana , the climate
465-523: The DRC. GDP per capita fluctuates between $ 600 in DRC and Burundi and $ 800 in Uganda. Niassa Province 13°15′S 36°30′E / 13.250°S 36.500°E / -13.250; 36.500 Niassa [ˈnjasɐ] is a province of Mozambique with an area of 129,056 km and a population of 1,810,794 (2017). It is the most sparsely populated province in the country. Lichinga
496-505: The Lujenda River finally issues as a stream 80 yards (73 m) wide. Lower down it varies greatly in breadth, containing in many parts long wooded islands which rise above the flood level, and are often inhabited. The river is fordable in many places in the dry season . At its mouth it is about 1 mile (1.6 km) wide. The lower Ruvuma, which is often 1 ⁄ 2 mile (0.8 km) wide but generally shallow, flows through
527-526: The Lujenda, the Msinje River and Luchulingo River , flowing in broad valleys running from south to north. The Lujenda rises in proximity to Lake Chilwa , in the small Lake Chiuta (520 m, 1,700 ft), the swamps to the south of this being separated from Chilwa only by a narrow wooded ridge. The stream which issues from Chiuta passes by a swampy valley into the narrow Lake Amaramba, from which
558-912: The Nyanja. The majority of the Yao are nominal Muslim (a fact that can be recognized in a map's administrative posts north of the river Messalo). South of the river, the Makhuwas follow the Catholic or Islamic faith. Religion in Niassa Province In 1998, a provincial college was built in Lichinga to train teachers. Partially financed by the Irish Embassy in Maputo, it graduates 60 teachers per year. Apart from training teachers for local schools,
589-486: The Rovuma River ( 11°9′53.9532″S 39°15′37.8072″E / 11.164987000°S 39.260502000°E / -11.164987000; 39.260502000 ): Average monthly discharge of the Rovuma River ( 11°9′53.9532″S 39°15′37.8072″E / 11.164987000°S 39.260502000°E / -11.164987000; 39.260502000 ), UNH-GRDC historical period (1957–1999): (m/s) The largest tributaries of
620-515: The Rovuma River: tributary tributary (km) (km) (m/s) The lower Ruvuma river is formed by the junction at 11° 25′ S, 38° 31′ E of two branches of nearly equal importance, the longer of which, the Lujenda , comes from the south-west, the other, which still bears the name Ruvuma, from the west. Its source lies on an undulating plateau, 1,000 m (3,300 ft) high, immediately to
651-422: The east of Lake Nyasa , at 10° 45′ S, 35° 40′ E , the head-stream flowing first due west before turning south and east. In its eastward course, the Ruvuma flows near the base of the escarpment of an arid sandstone plateau to the north, from which direction the streams, which have cut themselves deep channels in the plateau edge, have almost all short courses. On the opposite bank the Ruvuma receives, besides
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#1732771938172682-497: The main livelihood for people in the region. With four Great Lakes on its borders, Uganda ranks as one of the world's largest producers of freshwater fish. The climate and rich volcanic soils in the highlands also sustain intensely cultivated croplands. The economies of the Great Lakes region states have different structures and are at various stages of development. The GDP real growth rate ranges from 1.8 percent in Burundi to 4.4 in
713-477: The province, separating it from Malawi . 75% of the province remains untouched by development, and remains free of landmines . The province shares the Niassa National Reserve with neighboring Cabo Delgado Province . Niassa Province is divided into the 15 districts of: and the municipalities of: After the 2007 Census it was found that native speakers of Makhuwa were 42%, speakers of
744-523: The region: Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Because of its high population—estimated to be 107 million people —and the agricultural surplus in the region, the area became organized into a number of small states. The most powerful of these monarchies were Buganda , Bunyoro , Karagwe , Rwanda, and Burundi. Being the long-sought source of the Nile and
775-532: The river with rafts (located at the Tanzanian side) that could carry 3 jeeps. The ferry sank in 2008 and has not been replaced. At low water the river is sometimes fordable with a good 4-wheel drive. A smaller bridge called Unity Two was also completed in 2007 on the upper Rovuma close to Matchedge in Niassa Province . [REDACTED] This article incorporates text from a publication now in
806-478: The separation of two tectonic plates , often accompanied by a graben , or trough, in which lake water can collect. This rift began when East Africa, impelled by currents in the mantle , began separating from the rest of Africa, moving to the northeast. The basins that resulted from the geological uplifts filled with water that now flowed north. Lake Victoria is not actually within the Rift Valley. It occupies
837-643: The surface-choking water hyacinth and shore-clogging papyrus , are problems. Water hyacinth have thus far affected only Lake Victoria. Until 12 million years ago, the bountiful waters of the equatorial plateau either flowed west into the Congo River system or east to the Indian Ocean . This was changed by the formation of the Great Rift Valley. A rift is a weak place in Earth's crust due to
868-450: The watershed triple point between the rivers Nile, Congo and Zambezi, the region had long been of interest to Europeans. The first Europeans to arrive in the region in any numbers were Christian missionaries who had limited success in converting the locals, but did open the region to later colonization. Increased contact with the rest of the world led to a series of devastating epidemics affecting both humans and livestock. While seen as
899-568: Was found in 1972. It was originally thought to be Homo habilis , but some anthropologists have assigned it to a new species, Homo rudolfensis , named after the lake (previously known as Lake Rudolf). In 1984, the Turkana Boy , a nearly complete skeleton of a Homo erectus boy was discovered. In 1999, a 3,500,000-year-old skull was discovered there, named Kenyanthropus platyops , which means "flat-faced man of Kenya". Fishing—primarily of tilapia species but also of Nile perch —provides
930-447: Was started, the project was abandoned due to lack of funds. In 2002 the two national governments made a formal agreement to build a new 600 metre bridge across the river, and this was finally opened in a ceremony on 25 May 2010. The bridge is located at Negomano, 200 km (120 mi) inland and 100 km (62 mi) from the nearest surfaced road in Mozambique. The site was agreed between Presidents Machel and Nyerere because this
961-587: Was the site of the first entry into Mozambique by Frelimo forces in the Mozambican War of Independence on 25 September 1964. Negomano was also the location where the German forces crossed the Rovuma river on 25 November 1917. First foundation stones were laid on the Tanzanian and Mozambique sides on October 10, 2005. Construction was completed early 2010 and cost US$ 28 million. It used to be possible to cross