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Kafue River

This article is about the river. For other uses, see Kafue (disambiguation).

Kafue
Kafue River, Chamufumbu, near Lubungu Pontoon, Zambia
The Kafue River Basin
Location
CountryZambia
CityKitwe, Mazabuka, Kafue Town
Physical characteristics
Source 
 • locationZambian border with the Democratic Republic of Congo northwest of Kipushi, North-Western Province, Zambia
 • coordinates11°36′S 27°12′E / 11.600°S 27.200°E / -11.600; 27.200
 • elevation1,350 m (4,430 ft)
MouthZambezi
 • location
near Chirundu, Southern Province, Zambia
 • coordinates
15°56′34″S 28°54′51″E / 15.9429°S 28.9143°E / -15.9429; 28.9143
 • elevation
410 m (1,350 ft)
Length1,576 km (979 mi)
Basin size155,000 km2 (60,000 sq mi)
Discharge 
 • average320 m3/s (11,000 cu ft/s)
Basin features
River systemZambezi


The Kafue River (red) and part of the Zambezi River (blue)
Kafue river from the Kafue bridge

The Kafue River is the longest river lying wholly within Zambia at about 1,576 kilometres (979 mi) long.[1] Its water is used for irrigation and for hydroelectric power.[2] It is the largest tributary of the Zambezi,[3] and of Zambia's principal rivers, it is the most central and the most urban. More than 50% of Zambia's population live in the Kafue River Basin and of these around 65% are urban.[1]

It has a mean flow rate of 320 m3/s through its lower half, with high seasonal variations. The river discharges 10 km3 per year into the Zambezi River.[4]

  1. ^ a b Kambole, Michael (2003). "Managing the water quality of the Kafue River" (PDF). Physics and Chemistry of the Earth. 28 (20–27): 1105–1109. Bibcode:2003PCE....28.1105K. doi:10.1016/j.pce.2003.08.031. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 August 2014. Retrieved 19 August 2014.
  2. ^ "Kafue River".
  3. ^ The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development/The World Bank (2010). The Zambezi River Basin A Multi-Sector Investment Opportunities Analysis (PDF) (Report).
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference AAAS was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
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