Pool Malebo: Kinshasa at the World's Second-Largest River
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Pool Malebo: Kinshasa at the World's Second-Largest River

The Congo River at Kinshasa is one of the world's great geographical spectacles — the second-largest river by discharge, Pool Malebo stretching 30 km wide, and Brazzaville just 4 km away across the water

  1. 1

    Kinshasa Beach (La Plage)

    The banks of the Congo River below Gombe District are where the Kinois come to fish, wash and watch the river — the informal ferry traffic and pirogue crossings visible from the sand

  2. 2

    The port of Kinshasa

    The river port handles traffic from the entire Congo River basin – barges loaded with timber, cassava and goods from thousands of kilometers upstream arrive at Kinshasa's port

  3. 3

    Pool Malebo Expanse

    The extension of the Congo River to Pool Malebo — over 30 km across — is visible from the Kinshasa bluffs; the islands and canals between the two capitals create a complex river geography

  4. 4

    Stanley Falls Historical Marker

    The rapids downstream of Pool Malebo ('Livingstone Falls' series) were the barrier that made the upper Congo navigable only from Kinshasa — the reason both cities are where they are

  5. 5

    Congo River Sunrise

    Dawn over the Congo River from Kinshasa — the light over the water, the first pirogues of the day and the sound of the city waking up — is one of Africa's great urban nature experiences

  6. 6

    Pirogue to Brazzaville

    The official ferry and informal pirogue crossings between the two capitals are among the world's most unusual border crossings — the journey takes under 30 minutes across one of the world's largest rivers

#scenic#local life#nature