Rufiji River

Map of Tanzania

Sunset over the Rufiji in the Selous

Template: Infobox River / Obsolete

The Rufiji (also: Rufidschi; Lufidschi ) is a river in the East African state of Tanzania.

Geography

It is formed by the confluence of the Kilombero and Luwegu and opens at 8 ° south latitude in the Indian Ocean. His large delta is located opposite the island of Mafia, about 200 km south of Dar es Salaam. It houses one of the largest mangrove forests in the world. From its source in southwestern Tanzania, in the field of Wamaschonde, to the mouth in the Mafia channel, it has a length of about 600 kilometers. The largest tributary of the Rufiji is the north of Lake Malawi (formerly Lake Nyasa ) Springing Ruaha.

The Rufiji flows through the Selous Game Reserve, the largest controlled game reserve in Africa.

History

During the First World War in East Africa, the winding river delta of the Rufiji was the scene of a stubborn struggle between the British and the Germans to the cruiser Königsberg.

Hydrometrie

The flow rate of the flow was measured over 24 years ( 1954-78 ) at Stiegler's Gorge, about 220 kilometers upstream from the mouth. The observed there mean annual flow rate during this period was 792 m³ / s After particularly in the upper reaches of irrigation since the 1980s, a significant water sample is drawn, it is assumed that the current rates are generally lower.

The average monthly flow of the river Rufiji measured at the hydrological station of Stigler ( in m³ / s) ( Calculated using the data for a period of 24 years, 1954-78 )