Kasai River

File:Congo Map by Stanley.jpg

Stanley's route is depicted by the solid black line.

The Kasai River (Template:Langx, Template:Langx Template:IPA; called Cassai in Angolan Portuguese) is a left bank tributary of the Congo River, located in Central Africa.<ref name="h"/> The river begins in central Angola and flows to the east until it reaches the border between Angola and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where it turns north and serves as the border until it flows into the DRC. From Ilebo, between the confluences with Lulua river and Sankuru river, the Kasai river turns to a westerly direction. The lower stretch of the river, from the confluence with Fimi river until it joins the Congo at Kwamouth northeast of Kinshasa, is also known as the Kwa(h) River.

The Kasai basin consists mainly of equatorial rainforest areas, which provide an agricultural land in a region noted for its infertile, sandy soil.<ref name="h"/> It is a tributary of Congo river and diamonds are found in it. Around 60% of diamonds in Belgium go from Kasai river for cutting and shaping.

Discharge

Water discharge of the Kasai River at the Lediba (Template:Coord) and Kutu-Moke (Template:Coord) gauging station.

Year		Lediba		Kutu- Moke
		Average discharge (m³/s)
2016		9,350
2015		8,090
2014		9,040
2013		9,520
2012		8,870		6,800
2011		7,940		6,093
2010		7,320		5,614
2009		8,820		6,764
2008		10,400		7,976
2007		13,180		10,110
2006		10,740		8,236
2005		9,017		6,917
2004		8,130		6,235
2003		11,520		8,837
2002		11,150		8,552
2001		9,290		7,125
2000		8,310		6,496
1999		7,030		5,463
1998		7,010		5,480
1997		9,800		7,659
1996		8,950		7,000
1995		7,620		5,960
1994		7,430		5,810
1993		8,580		6,705
1992		7,790		6,089
1991		10,410		8,136
1990		11,150		8,717
1989		12,810		9,988
1988		11,450		8,953
1987		11,120		8,694
1986		9,980		7,804
1985		9,550		7,463
1984		8,800		6,879
1983		10,340		8,084
1982		10,100		7,897
1981		9,500		7,427
1980		9,230		7,213
1979		11,710		9,153
1978		10,730		8,385
1977		12,450		9,731
1976		11,760		9,194
1975		10,720		8,383
1974		10,080		7,878
1973		9,970		7,796
1972		10,540		8,236
1971		11,360		8,880
1970		12,040		9,232
1969		13,020		9,986
1968		13,100		10,050
1967		11,510		8,832
1966		12,340		9,466
1965		10,970		8,417
1964		11,950		9,167
1963		11,960		9,173
1962		13,510		10,360
1961		12,440		9,543
1960		11,430		8,764
1959		9,960		7,638
1958		9,850		7,552
1957		11,810		9,060
1956		11,580		8,882
1955		11,360		8,717
1954	11,390	8,735
1953	10,220	7,837
1952	10,490	8,646
1951	11,260	8,640
1950	11,240	8,619
1949	11,560	8,870
1948	11,360	8,716
Notes: Average minimum and maximum discharge: Lediba 5,000–20,000 m³/s (1932–1959), Kutu-Moke 4,400–11,600 m³/s (1932–1959)
Source:<ref name="Recent Budget of Hydroclimatology and Hydrosedimentology of the Congo River in Central Africa">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name="Improved modeling of Congo’s hydrology for floods and droughts analysis and ENSO teleconnections">Template:Cite journal</ref>

Exploration

Henry Morton Stanley reached the confluence on 9 March 1877, calling the river Nkutu, a "powerful and deep river", but recognizing it as originating from David Livingstone's Kwango.<ref name=Stanley>Stanley, H.M., 1899, Through the Dark Continent, London: G. Newnes, Vol. One Template:ISBN, Vol. Two Template:ISBN</ref>Template:Rp

Tributaries

The Kasai's main tributaries upstream from the confluence with the Congo:<ref name="Le bassin du Congo"/>

• Fimi (right – Fimi with Lukenie 1,120 km)
• Kwilu–Kwango (left – 1,702 km)
• Loange (left – 865 km)
• Sankuru (right – Sankuru–Lubilanji 1,280 km)
• Lulua (right – 1,184 km)
• Tshikapa (left – 630 km)
• Longatshimo (left – 550 km)
• Luembe (left – 780 km)
• Lueta (right – 395 km)

The main tributaries from the mouth:

Left tributary	Right tributary	Length (km)	Basin size (km2)	Average discharge (m3/s)*
Kwa–Kasai		2,272	894,486.6	10,457.3
Kwa
	Mbala	57.5	1,100.1	14.9
	Fimi ¹	1,120	136,174.7	2,252.9
Lower Kasai
Lekulu		57.5	793.5	9.3
Buma		138	3,354.7	42.3
Kwango		1,702	270,904.3	3,317.4
Kamtsha		250	8,887.4	106.4
Piopio		165	3,169.1	34.8
	Liau		1,231.6	14.4
Lubue		227	8,611.7	103.5
Loange		865	41,799.5	489.1
Middle Kasai
Lumbudji		137	2,876.8	25.4
Lubudi		153	1,999.2	17
	Sankuru ²	1,280	149,479.5	1,738.1
	Lutshuadi	177	4,596.5	39.2
	Lulua	1,184	70,612.5	798
Upper Kasai
Yeye		47	1,379.3	8.9
	Kabambaie	77	2,083.7	10.8
Lovua		297	8,262.4	73.9
Tshikapa		630	19,512.1	179.5
Longatshimo		550	19,847.3	198.5
	Luenda	69	1,791.4	10.1
Luembe		780	46,648.8	453.4
	Lueta (Kaungej)	395	13,000.1	87.6
	Kasangeshi	206	3,610.2	22.1
	Luele		1,173.3	7.9
	Dembo	87	1,924.8	13.1
	Luau	105	4,294.4	38.5
Lualo			1,532.8	14.6
	Lutshima	166	1,616.6	11.5
	Munyango		3,133.1	20.9
Notes: * Period: 1948–2012; ¹ Fimi–Lukenie; ² Sankuru–Lubulanji;
Source:<ref name="Congo River">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="Le bassin du Congo"/>

Economic importance

The tributaries of River Kasai are clear of obstacles like cataracts and river weed, making them very navigable. They facilitate the transport sector and form an important trade artery. The river's role in transport and trade was more prominent during the pre-colonial period when the slave trade was legal. Slave traders used one of its major tributaries, the Kwango River, to navigate the equatorial rain forest, capture slaves and find their way back to the Atlantic Ocean where they had docked their ships. It is greatly controversial that some of the local kingdoms that were along the Kasai River supported the slave trade. The Rund kingdom for instance, readily provided slaves for the most notorious slave traders like John Matthews, a renowned British slave vendor. These activities, though they occurred between the 18th and 19th centuries, left a lasting impact in the regions where they were most prominent, such as between the Kwango and the Kwilu rivers. The population has never recovered fully, with the population density lower than that of areas that did not experience the slave trade. The most probable trigger to British and Portuguese great interests in the Kasai River was the presence of alluvial diamonds lying in rich deposit beds, especially at the river's mouth. More deposits lie along the beds of a major tributary, the Kwango River. In fact, it is common to hear the phrase “the diamond heartland of North Eastern Angola” used in reference to the Kwango River valley. This is because the diamond alluvial beds found in this region are the richest in Angola.

See also

• 2010 Kasai River disaster
• 2024 Kasai River disaster

External links

• Map of the Kasai River basin at Water Resources eAtlas