List of rivers in Zambia

This is a list of the rivers in Zambia . The country of Zambia in southern Africa is characterized by two river systems: the catchment area of ​​the Zambezi in the center and in the south and that of the Congo in the northeast. Both catchment areas are cross-border and of continental importance.

The Zambezi rises in the more humid north-west of the country and describes a large arc counter-clockwise. It flows not far from the western border and in the drier south it is the border river of the country over a length of over 700 km. It drains about three quarters of Zambia.

The subsystem of the Congo in Zambia is mainly limited to the province of Luapula and the northern province . The catchment area covers roughly the remaining quarter of the country. Its rivers drain either west into the Luvua subsystem or north into Lake Tanganyika .

In addition, there is a small area in the far northeast that drains into the Rukwasee over the border to Tanzania .

In the following, the rivers are sorted according to catchment areas and fatigue sequence.

Zambezi

Zambezi River Basin

Upper course

Course of the upper Samesi with its tributaries

• Lunkunyi
• Makondu
• Kabompo (see there)
• Lung weave u
  • Lutembwe
  • Liapi
  • Southern Kashiji
• Luena
  • Luampa
• Luanginga
  • Northern Lueti
    • Caput
    • Luachi
  • Luambinda
• Ndanda
• Southern Lueti
• Lui
  • Siyowe
  • Mutondo
  • Namukokobu
• Lumbe
  • Sonso
• Njoko
  • Kweemba
• Loanja
• Machili
  • Simatanga
  • Sichifula
• Ngweze
• Cuando

Kabompo

Kabompo catchment area

• Mwafwe
• Western lunga
  • Lwakela
• Nyela
• Dongwe
  • Lumba
  • Lalafuta
  • Kalwilo
  • Lutali

Middle course

• Kalomo
• Chongwe
• Luia (Mozambique)
  • Capoche

Kafue

Kafue catchment area

• Kafubu
• Lufwanyama
• Lusiwishi
• Lukanga
• Lunga
• Lufupa
• Kwansanza
• Nanzhila
• Bwengwa
• Mwembeshi

Luangwa

Luangwa catchment area

• Mansha
• Mwaleshi River
• Mutinondo
• Mupamedzi
• Mwamba
• Luwi
• Kalete
• Kapamba
• Lusiwasi
• Vumbo
• Lundazi
• Lumimba
• Lukusuzi
• Crocodile River
• Msandile
• Matizye
• Lunsemfwa
  • Mulingushi
  • Lukusashi

Congo (Democratic Republic of the Congo)

Luvua river system

• Luvua (Democratic Republic of the Congo)
  • Mwerusee
    • Kalungwishi
      • Luangwa
      • Choma
    • Luapula
      • Chambeshi
        • Karungu
        • Luwu
        • Mansya
        • Lukulu
          • Luombe
        • Luansenshi
      • Luwombwa
        • Malaushi
      • Luera
      • Mansa
      • Luongo

• Lukuga (Democratic Republic of the Congo)
  • Lake Tanganyika
    • Lufubu
      • Mukotwe
    • Kalambo
    • Lunzua

Rukwasee

Map of the Rukwa lake

• Momba (Tanzania)
  • Saisi
    • Lumi

Catchment area distribution of the country in percent

Rivers	Major tributaries	Area [km²]	percent
Zambezi
Zambezi (main river)	Kabompo, Lungwebungu, Luena, Luanginga	268.235	35.7
Kafue	Mwambashi, Luswishi, Lunga	156.995	20.9
Luangwa	Lukusashi, Lunsemfwa	144.358	19.2
Together		569,588	76.4
Congo
Chambeshi	Lukulu	44,427	5.9
Luapula	Kalungwishi	113,323	15.1
Lake Tanganyika	Lufubu	15,856	2.1
Together		177.735	23.6
Further		8,658	1.2
Zambia as a whole		752.610	100.0

Individual evidence

1. ↑ FAO on the Zambezi
2. ^ FAO on the Congo
3. ↑ JICA publication page 1

Web links

Commons : Rivers in Zambia  - Collection of images, videos and audio files