Ogooué
Location
Country
Physical characteristics
Source
• location
• elevation
840 m (2,760 ft)
• location
• coordinates
1°01′38″S 8°53′05″E / 1.0272°S 8.8848°E / -1.0272; 8.8848
• elevation
0 m (0 ft)
Length
1,200 km (750 mi)[1]
Basin size
223,856 km2 (86,431 sq mi)[1]
Discharge
• location
Ogowe Delta, Atlantic Ocean, Gabon
• average
(Period: 1971–2000)5,147.75 m3/s (181,791 cu ft/s)[3] 4,795 m3/s (169,300 cu ft/s) to 186 km3/a (5,900 m3/s)[4]
• minimum
1,950 m3/s (69,000 cu ft/s)[2]
• maximum
7,340 m3/s (259,000 cu ft/s) (13,500 m3/s (480,000 cu ft/s)[2]
Discharge
• location
Lambaréné, Gabon (183 km upstream of mouth; Basin size: 205,082.57 km2 (79,182.82 sq mi))
• average
(Period of data: 1999–2015)4,935.2 m3/s (174,280 cu ft/s)[6]
(Period of data: 1940–1999)4,750 m3/s (168,000 cu ft/s)[1]
(Period: 1971–2000)4,485.4 m3/s (158,400 cu ft/s)[3]• minimum
1,610 m3/s (57,000 cu ft/s)[5]
• maximum
9,440 m3/s (333,000 cu ft/s)[5]
Discharge
• location
Ndjolé, Gabon (Basin size: 158,100 km2 (61,000 sq mi))
• average
(Period: 1971–2000)3,194.8 m3/s (112,820 cu ft/s)[3]
• minimum
1,200 m3/s (42,000 cu ft/s)[5]
• maximum
6,600 m3/s (230,000 cu ft/s)[5]
Discharge
• location
Lastoursville, Gabon (Basin size: 47,700 km2 (18,400 sq mi))
• average
1,304.6 m3/s (46,070 cu ft/s)[7]
• minimum
650 m3/s (23,000 cu ft/s)[5]
• maximum
2,800 m3/s (99,000 cu ft/s)[5]
Discharge
• location
Franceville, Gabon (Basin size: 8,670 km2 (3,350 sq mi))
• average
(Period of data: 1953–1981)253 m3/s (8,900 cu ft/s)[5]
• minimum
122 m3/s (4,300 cu ft/s)[5]
• maximum
520 m3/s (18,000 cu ft/s)[5]
Basin features
Ogooué River
Tributaries
• left
Letili, Lebombi, Lekedi, Leyou, Lolo, Offoue, Ngounié
• right
Mpassa, Léconi, Sebe, Lassio, Dilo, Ivindo, Nké, Okano, Abanga
The Ogooué (orOgowe), also known as the Nazareth River, some 1,200 km (750 mi) long, is the principal river of Gabon in west-central Africa and the fourth largest river in Africa by volume of discharge, trailing only the Congo, Kasai and Niger. Its watershed drains nearly the entire country of Gabon, with some tributaries reaching into the Republic of the Congo, Cameroon, and Equatorial Guinea.[8]
The source of the Ogooué River was discovered in 1894 by Mary Kingsley, an English explorer who travelled up the banks by steamboat and canoe.[citation needed] The river rises in the northwest of the Bateke Plateaux near Kengue, Republic of Congo.[8] It runs northwest, and enters Gabon near Boumango. Poubara Falls are near Maulongo. From Lastoursville up to Ndjole, the Ogooué is non-navigable due to rapids. From the latter city, it runs west, and enters the Gulf of Guinea near Ozouri, south of Port Gentil. The Ogowe Delta is quite large, about 100 km long and 100 km wide.
The Ogooué Basin is 223,856 km2 (86,431 sq mi), of which 173,000 km2 (67,000 sq mi) or 73 percent lies within Gabon. It mostly consists of undisturbed rainforest with some savanna grassland where the mid-year dry season is longest. It is home to a high biodiversity. All three species of African crocodile, for instance, occur in the river: the Nile crocodile, the dwarf crocodile, and the slender-snouted crocodile. It is also the type locality for the catfish Synodontis acanthoperca.[9]
The Mpassa River is a tributary of the Ogooué River. The Ndjoumou River is the main tributary of Mpassa River.
Distance from river mouth[10]
Station
(km)
Altitude (m)
183
12
196
13
242
20
280
25
314
40
359
72
424
142
451
161
Ivindo *
481
180
Dilo*
503
182
Lolo*
512
186
535
200
616
226
Sébé*
685
242
696
243
714
248
725
249
774
270
802
280
871
426
*River in confluence
The Ogooué is navigable from Ndjole to the sea. It is used to bring wood to the Port Gentil Harbour.
The Ogowe Basin includes several major conservation reserves, including Lope National Park.
The catchment area has an average population density of 4 people per km². Towns along the river include Ayem, Adané, Loanda, Lambaréné, Ndjole, Booué, Kankan, Maulongo, Mboungou-Mbadouma, Ndoro, Lastoursville, Moanda, and Franceville near the Congo border.
Towns in Congo include Zanaga.
The first European explorer to trace the river to its source was Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza, who traveled in the area in the 1870s.[8]
The Ogowe River receives water of numerous tributaries including:
The main river and tributaries are (sorted in order from the mouth heading upstream):
Left
tributary
Right
tributary
Length
(km)
Basin size
(km²)
Average discharge
(m3/s)
Nkomi
170
8,900
275
680
33,100
1,002.4
21
M'boumi
35.1
226
7,800
190.3
280
10,900
192.9
14.6
Mingoué
21.2
Leledi
33.2
235
7,300
129.3
1,600
26
570
62,700
1,057.8
160
54.3
240
9,700
219.4
160
4,000
114.4
232
11,900
237
1,900
45.5
160
7,600
242.2
2,100
46.7
800
34.6
3,400
106.9
136
6,400
226.3
21.4
43.5
Loua
11
Djoulou
12.7
Loungou
11.4
Léfou
8.9
Léouké
23.3
Nsiele
14.1
Authority control databases: National 
2°40′S 14°30′E / 2.667°S 14.500°E / -2.667; 14.500
