Rufiji River
Encyclopedia
The Rufiji River lies entirely within the Africa
n nation of Tanzania
. The river is formed by the convergence of the Kilombero and Luwegu rivers. It is approximately 600 km (375 mi) long, with its source in southwestern Tanzania and its mouth on the Indian Ocean
at a point between Mafia Island
called Mafia Channel
. Its principal tributary is the Great Ruaha River
. It is navigable for about 100 km (60 mi).
The Rufiji is about 200 km (120 mi) south of Dar-es-Salaam. The river's delta contains the largest mangrove forest in the world.
A branch of ancient sea routes led down the East African coast called "Azania" by the Greeks and Romans in the 1st century CE as described in the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea
(and, very probably, 澤散 Zesan in the 3rd century by the Chinese),
at least as far as the port known to the Romans as Rhapta
, which was probably located in the delta of the Rufiji River in modern Tanzania
.
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
n nation of Tanzania
Tanzania
The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
. The river is formed by the convergence of the Kilombero and Luwegu rivers. It is approximately 600 km (375 mi) long, with its source in southwestern Tanzania and its mouth on the Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
at a point between Mafia Island
Mafia Island
Mafia Island is part of the Tanzanian Spice Islands, together with Unguja and Pemba. As one of the six districts of the Pwani Region, Mafia Island is governed from the mainland, not from the semi-autonomous region of Zanzibar, of which it has never been considered to be a part.According to the...
called Mafia Channel
Mafia Channel
Mafia Channel is a stretch of water between the Rufiji River estuary and Mafia Island in Tanzania, Africa. The deltas at the mouth of the Rufiji River extrude towards the island and water is forced through causing constant erosion of the deltas and the island itself....
. Its principal tributary is the Great Ruaha River
Great Ruaha River
The Great Ruaha River is a river in south-central Tanzania that flows through the Usangu wetlands and the Ruaha National Park east into the Rufiji River...
. It is navigable for about 100 km (60 mi).
The Rufiji is about 200 km (120 mi) south of Dar-es-Salaam. The river's delta contains the largest mangrove forest in the world.
A branch of ancient sea routes led down the East African coast called "Azania" by the Greeks and Romans in the 1st century CE as described in the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea
Periplus of the Erythraean Sea
The Periplus of the Erythraean Sea or Periplus of the Red Sea is a Greco-Roman periplus, written in Greek, describing navigation and trading opportunities from Roman Egyptian ports like Berenice along the coast of the Red Sea, and others along Northeast Africa and India...
(and, very probably, 澤散 Zesan in the 3rd century by the Chinese),
at least as far as the port known to the Romans as Rhapta
Rhapta
Rhapta was a marketplace on the coast of eastern Africa, which first rose to prominence in the 1st century CE. Its location has not yet been firmly identified, although there are a number of plausible candidate sites....
, which was probably located in the delta of the Rufiji River in modern Tanzania
Tanzania
The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
.