Rukarara River

The Rukarara River (or Lukarara) is a river in western Rwanda that is a tributary of the Mwogo River, in turn a tributary of the Nyabarongo River. It is the most distant headwater of the Nile.

Rukarara River
Location
CountryRwanda
Physical characteristics
Source 
 • coordinates2.282212°S 29.331242°E / -2.282212; 29.331242
Mouth 
 • coordinates
2.437457°S 29.493914°E / -2.437457; 29.493914
Basin features
River systemNyabarongo River

Sources

The Rukarara rises in forested country in southern Rwanda to the east of the Congo-Nile Divide.[1] The Kamiranzovu Swamp in the Nyungwe Forest Reserve provides a natural reservoir for the Rukarara.[1] The source of the Rukarara is now known to be the overall source of the Nile.[2][3] This was confirmed by a 2005/2006 expedition up the river with modern navigation equipment. The origin of the Nile, the furthest source from its mouth, is at an elevation of 7,966 feet (2,428 m), at latitude and longitude 2°16′055.962″S 29°19′052.470″E.[4]

Course

The Rukarara has its sources in the Nyamagabe District. The Nyirabugoyi and Rubyiro rivers are its main headwaters, both rising in the Nyungwe National Park. [5] The Rukarara is the longest of the streams that supply the Mwogo.[6] The Rukarara flows south and then east, emptying into the Mwogo River. The Mwogo flows north, merging with the Mbirurume River south of Bwakira to become the Nyabarongo River.[6]

References
  1. Hughes, Hughes & Bernacsek 1992, p. 203.
  2. Brakspear 2008, p. 20.
  3. Dumont 2009, p. 2.
  4. Briggs & Booth 2010, p. 154.
  5. Nyamagabe Administrative Map.
  6. ITMB Publishing 2007.

Sources
  • Brakspear, Patrick (2008). On Safari in Africa: 101 Things to Know When You Go. On Safari in Africa. p. 20. ISBN 978-0-9805048-0-4. Retrieved 2013-04-03.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Briggs, Philip; Booth, Janice (2010-03-16). Rwanda. Bradt Travel Guides. p. 154. ISBN 978-1-84162-306-1. Retrieved 2013-04-03.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Dumont, Henri J. (2009). The Nile: Origin, Environments, Limnology and Human Use. Springer. p. 2. ISBN 978-1-4020-9726-3. Retrieved 2013-04-03.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Hughes, Ralph H.; Hughes, Jane S.; Bernacsek, G. M. (1992). Iucn Directory of African Wetlands. IUCN. p. 205. ISBN 978-2-88032-949-5. Retrieved 2013-03-25.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • ITMB Publishing (2007). Rwanda/Burundi Travel Map. Richmond, British Columbia: International Travel Maps. ISBN 978-1-55341-380-6.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • "Nyamagabe Administrative Map" (PDF). National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-11-13. Retrieved 2013-04-02.


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.