Kwilu River

For the river in the Republic of the Congo, see Kouilou-Niari River.

Kwilu River
Physical characteristics
Mouth	3.385251°S 17.384491°E / -3.385251; 17.384491
Length	965 kilometres (600 mi)
Basin features
River system	Kasaï River

The Kwilu River is a major river that originates in Angola and flows north through Bandundu Province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to the city of Bandundu, where it joins the Kwango River just before this stream enters the Kasai River. In the DRC the river flows past the towns of Gungu, Kikwit, Bulungu, Bagata and Bandundu. Lusanga, formerly Leverville, lies at the location where the Kwenge River joins the Kwilu, between Kikwit and Bulungu.

The river is about 965 kilometres (600 mi) long. In the wet season the flooded area covers 1,550 square kilometres (600 sq mi). The headwaters of the river rise at elevations between 1,000 metres (3,300 ft) and 1,800 metres (5,900 ft) in the Angolan highlands. They drop steeply to the flat central Congo Basin at between 500 metres (1,600 ft) and 300 metres (980 ft) above sea level. A 2011 survey found 113 species of fish in 21 families and eight orders.

• 
  Beside the river at Bandundu, June 2007
• 
  The river at Bandundu, June 2007

Sources

• Blaes, X. (October 2008). "Découpage administratif de la République Démocratique du Congo". UNOCHA and PNUD. Retrieved 2011-11-22. {{cite web}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• Munene, José Justin Mbimbi Mayi; Stiassny, Melanie L. J. (2011). "Fishes of the Kwilu River (Kasai basin, central Africa): A list of species collected in the vicinity of Kikwit, Bandundu Province, Democratic Republic of Congo". Check List. 7 (5). Retrieved 2012-02-02. {{cite journal}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)