Rivers in West Africa | USA Today Rivers in West Africa The Niger is the longest river that flows its entire course within West Africa. (Photo: Daniel Berehulak/Getty Images News/Getty Images ) Related Articles Mountains in Northern Italy West Africa is a region comprising more than a dozen countries on the continent's Atlantic coast, including Niger, Ghana, Mali and the Congo Republic. The climates range from desert and savannah to lowland woodlands and tropical rainforests. In the less arid areas, the inland population centers tend to be confined to the banks of a few significant rivers. Congo River One of the world's major rivers, the Congo is nearly 3,000 miles long, making it the second-largest river in Africa. With depths measured at more than 750 feet, the Congo is the deepest river in the world. The Congo runs much faster than most other rivers of such size and is second only to the Amazon in terms of the amount of water it discharges at its mouth. Bordering 10 countries, the river rises in central Africa and makes a giant westward curve before emptying into the Atlantic below Livingstone Falls near Kinshasa, Congo Republic, and Brazzaville, Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Niger River With a delta that drains a region containing several of Africa's largest population centers, including Lagos, Nigeria, which is the most populous city on the continent, the Niger is the longest river that flows its entire length within West Africa. At almost 2,600 miles, the Niger flows through five countries in the region before emptying into the Atlantic Ocean at the Gulf of Guinea. Since the late 20th century, the Niger's delta has become a major source of oil and natural gas, as well as a major transportation source for the entire region. Senegal River Rising in the mountains of Guinea, the Senegal River flows through Mauritania and the country that shares its name before spilling into the Atlantic Ocean at Saint-Louis. Hydroelectricity and agriculture are the primary economic contributions made to the region by the 1,700-mile river, which is the second longest in West Africa. Fishing is also a major activity throughout the Senegal basin, but overfishing and human development have contributed to an annual drop in the annual catch in the region.

Volta River Formed by the confluence of the Black, White and Red Voltas, the Volta River is a relatively shallow watercourse that flows through Burkina Faso and Ghana before reaching its mouth at the Gulf of Guinea on Africa's Atlantic coast. The Aksombo Dam in Ghana, a major source of hydroelectric power in the region, created Lake Volta, which is the world's largest reservoir. Along with regional transportation, Lake Volta is seen as a potentially valuable fishery because it is large enough to support commercial fish farming. References Rivers in West Africa | eHow Rivers in West Africa  Email Save The rivers of West Africa are important resources for the region. The rivers provide sources of water for agriculture and human consumption. Those that flow into the Atlantic Ocean are important to trade and shipping to the central part of the continent. Niger River The Niger River is the largest river in West Africa at nearly 2,600 miles. The body of water crosses five countries--Benin, Guinea, Mali, Niger and Nigeria--originating in the Guinean Highlands. The mouth of the river is at the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean.

The Niger is fairly clear, lacking the silt found in other African rivers, thanks to its rocky banks. Volta River The Volta River originates at the point where its three tributaries--the Red, White and Black Volta--meet. Those rivers flow out of Burkina Faso and into Ghana, where they meet. The Volta flows into the man-made Lake Volta, which is Ghana's largest hydroelectricity source. From Lake Volta, the river flows into the Gulf of Guinea. Senegal River The Senegal River is the second-largest river in West Africa and forms a natural border between its namesake nation and Mauritania. The 1,100-mile long river stretches into the Mali highlands and descends into the Atlantic Ocean. The river holds an important role in providing water for electricity and drinking, however, overbuilding of dams has caused damage to ecosystems in the upper part of the river. There has been significant depletion of wildlife and an increase in water-borne illnesses. The Gambia River The 700-mile Gambia River has more than just a natural significance. It was a major route of the pre-1850s slave trade.

Africans would be transported down the river to James Island, a major exchange point for the slave industry, which has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Atlantic Ocean - 4 | Britannica.com Atlantic Ocean body of salt water covering approximately one-fifth of Earth’s surface and separating the continents of Europe and Africa to the east from those of North and South America to the west. Displaying 201 - 300 of 687 results Earhart, Amelia American aviator, one of the world’s most celebrated, who was the first woman to fly alone over the Atlantic Ocean. Earhart moved often with her family and completed high school in Chicago in 1916. She worked as a military nurse in Canada during World... East Falkland one of the two major islands of the Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic Ocean. It is 90 miles (140 km) long and 55 miles (88 km) wide and rises to 2,312 feet (705 metres) at Mount Usborne. The coastline is deeply indented, particularly at the midsection,...

East River navigable tidal strait linking Upper New York Bay with Long Island Sound, New York City, U.S. It separates Manhattan Island from Brooklyn and Queens. About 16 miles (26 km) long and 600–4,000 feet (200–1200 metres) wide, it connects with the Hudson River... Eastern Seaboard region of the eastern United States, fronting the Atlantic Ocean and extending from Maine in the north to Florida in the south. Not merely a geographic term, the Eastern Seaboard is, historically, the part of the United States that was first settled... Eastmain River river in Nord-du-Québec region, western Quebec province, Canada, rising in the Otish Mountains of central Quebec, flowing nearly due west, and discharging into James Bay. Its course of about 500 miles (800 km) is interrupted by numerous falls and rapids.... Eden, River river in northern England.

It rises in the fells (uplands) that connect the Lake District with the highlands of the Pennines and flows 90 miles (145 km) northwestward to its estuary in the Solway Firth, an Irish Sea inlet. From Kirkby Stephen, where... Eielson, Carl Ben American aviator and explorer who was a pioneer of air travel in Alaska and the polar regions. He and Australian-British polar explorer Sir George Hubert Wilkins made the first transpolar flight across the Arctic in an airplane, as well as the first... Elizabeth Islands chain of small islands in southeastern Massachusetts, U.S. They extend southwestward for 16 miles (26 km) from the southwestern tip of Cape Cod, between Buzzards Bay and Vineyard Sound. Administratively a part of Dukes county, the islands constitute... Ellis Island island in Upper New York Bay, formerly the United States’ principal immigration reception centre. The island lies about 1 mile (1.6 km) southwest of Manhattan Island, New York City, and about 1,300 feet (400 metres) east of the New Jersey shore. It has...

English Channel narrow arm of the Atlantic Ocean separating the southern coast of England from the northern coast of France and tapering eastward to its junction with the North Sea at the Strait of Dover (French: Pas de Calais). With an area of some 29,000 square miles... Erne, River river in northwestern Ireland and southwestern Northern Ireland. It rises in Lough (lake) Gowna, County Longford (Ireland), and flows into Upper and Lower Lough Erne via Enniskillen in the district of Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. The river then reenters... Escravos River distributary of the Niger River in the western Niger delta, southern Nigeria. Its 35-mile (56-kilometre) westerly course traverses zones of mangrove swamps and coastal sand ridges before entering the Bight of Benin of the Gulf of Guinea. There are no... Essequibo River river in east central Guyana, the largest river between the Amazon and the Orinoco.

It rises in the Acarai Mountains on the Brazilian border and flows northward for approximately 630 miles (1,010 km) through savannas and forests to the Atlantic Ocean.... Essex county, extreme northeastern Massachusetts, U.S., bordered by New Hampshire to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Its topography is largely hilly, with coastal lowlands in the east that include several islands in the Atlantic. The principal... Exuma Cays group of some 365 cays and islands, part of The Bahamas, West Indies, situated in the Atlantic Ocean. The Exuma Cays begin some 35 miles (56 km) east-southeast of Nassau and stretch southeast in a gently curving arc for about 90 miles (145 km). Most... Faial Island island forming part of the Azores archipelago of Portugal, in the North Atlantic Ocean. Its area of 67 square miles (173 square km) was increased by 1 square mile (2.5 square km) because of volcanic activity in 1957–58. The centre of the island consists...

Falkland Current branch of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current in the Southern Hemisphere, flowing northward in the South Atlantic Ocean along the east coast of Argentina to about latitude 30° to 40° S, where it is deflected eastward after meeting the southward-flowing... Falkland Islands internally self-governing overseas territory of the United Kingdom in the South Atlantic Ocean. It lies about 300 miles (480 km) northeast of the southern tip of South America and a similar distance east of the Strait of Magellan. The capital and major... Falkland Sound strait in the South Atlantic Ocean, separating East and West Falkland (islands). It extends from northeast to southwest for 50 miles (80 km) and is 1 1 2 miles (in its narrowest passages) to 20 miles (2 km to 32 km) wide. Many small islands lie in the... False Bay bay on the south side of Cape Peninsula, South Africa, 13 mi (21 km) southeast of Cape Town. Cape Hangklip (east) and Cape Point (west) are about 20 mi apart.

Its name refers to the fact that early sailors confused the bay with Table Bay to the north.... Falster island, Denmark. It lies in the Baltic Sea and is connected to southern Zealand (Sjælland) and Lolland by several bridges. Its southern tip, Gedser Odde, is Denmark’s most southerly point. Closely associated with Zealand and Lolland islands socially... Farmington River river, western Liberia. It is Liberia’s only river of commercial importance. It rises in the Bong Range and flows south-southwest for 75 miles (120 km) to the Atlantic coast at Marshall, where the Gbage and Junk rivers join its estuary. The river is... Faroe Islands group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean between Iceland and the Shetland Islands. They form a self-governing overseas administrative division of the kingdom of Denmark. There are 17 inhabited islands and many islets and reefs. The main islands are... Faxa Bay inlet of the North Atlantic Ocean on the southwestern coast of Iceland.

It indents the coast for 30 miles (50 km) and extends for 50 miles (80 km) between the Snaefells and Reykja peninsulas, to the north and south, respectively. The bay is the largest... Fernando de Noronha Island island, South Atlantic Ocean, 225 miles (360 km) northeast of Cape São Roque; with its adjacent islets it constitutes part of Pernambuco estado (state), Brazil. The main island, rising to 1,089 feet (332 metres), has an area of 10 square miles (26 square... Ferro island, Santa Cruz de Tenerife provincia (province), in the Canary Islands comunidad autónoma (autonomous community) of Spain, in the North Atlantic Ocean. It is the westernmost and smallest of the Canary Islands. Ferro, the most westerly place known... Finland, Gulf of easternmost arm of the Baltic Sea, between Finland (north) and Russia and Estonia (east and south).

Covering an area of 11,600 square miles (30,000 square km), the gulf extends for 250 miles (400 km) from east to west but only 12 to 80 miles (19 to 130... Fire Island elongated sandspit, 32 miles (51 km) long and 0.5 mile (1 km) across (at its widest point), Suffolk county, New York, U.S. It lies off the southern shore of Long Island and shelters Great South Bay and part of Moriches Bay from the Atlantic Ocean. The... First of June, Battle of the (June 1, 1794), the first great naval engagement of the French Revolutionary Wars, fought between the French and the British in the Atlantic Ocean about 430 miles (690 km) west of the Breton island of Ouessant (Ushant). The battle arose out of an attempt... Flores Island westernmost island of the Portuguese Azores archipelago, in the North Atlantic. It forms, together with the Ilha do Corvo, the Santa Cruz group.

The island has an area of 55 sq mi (142 sq km), is volcanic in origin, and rises from sea level to 3,087... Florida Bay triangular-shaped shallow body of water between the Gulf of Mexico and Biscayne Bay at the southern end of Florida, U.S. The bay, which covers about 850 square miles (2,200 square km), is partially sheltered from the Atlantic Ocean on the south and east... Florida Current swift surface oceanic current flowing northward, following the shallow continental slope between the Straits of Florida and Cape Hatteras. Emerging from the Caribbean Sea, carrying about 880,000,000 cubic feet (25,000,000 cubic m) of water per second,... Florida Keys island chain, Monroe and Miami-Dade counties, southern Florida, U.S. Composed of coral and limestone, the islands curve southwestward for about 220 miles (355 km) from Virginia Key in the Atlantic Ocean (just south of Miami Beach) to Loggerhead Key of... Florida, Straits of passage connecting the Gulf of Mexico with the Atlantic Ocean.

It is about 93 miles (150 km) at its narrowest width, between the Florida Keys, U.S., on the north and Cuba on the south, and it extends east to The Bahamas. The straits mark the area where... Fogo Island island of Cabo Verde, in the Atlantic Ocean, about 400 miles (640 km) off the West African coast between the islands of Santiago and Brava. The island’s active volcano, Pico (9,281 feet [2,829 metres]), is the highest point of the archipelago. Peanuts... Forcados River river, a major navigable channel of the Niger Delta, southern Nigeria. It leaves the main course of the Niger River about 20 miles (32 km) downstream from Aboh and flows through zones of freshwater swamps, mangrove swamps, and coastal sand ridges before... Foula one of the Shetland Islands, historic county of Shetland, Scotland, lying in the Atlantic Ocean 16 miles (26 km) southwest of the largest Shetland island, Mainland.

Rocky and exposed, Foula has an area of 4 square miles (10 square km). Its cliffs rise... Foxe Basin basin that is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean between Melville Peninsula and Baffin Island, north of Hudson Bay in Nunavut, Canada. The basin is about 300 miles (500 km) long and 200–250 miles (320–400 km) wide, with a maximum depth of 1,500 feet (460 metres).... Foyle, Lough inlet on the north coast of Ireland between the Inishowen Peninsula (mainly County Donegal, Ireland) to the west and the district councils of Limavady and Londonderry (until 1973 in County Londonderry), Northern Ireland, to the east and southeast. The... France country of northwestern Europe. Historically and culturally among the most important nations in the Western world, France has also played a highly significant role in international affairs, with former colonies in every corner of the globe. Bounded by... Fredrikstad town, south of Oslo, southeastern Norway.

Located on the eastern shore of Oslo Fjord at the mouth of the Glomma (Glåma) River, it was founded in 1567 by Frederick II as a fortress town and has remains of the original fortifications. Fredrikstad’s excellent... French Guiana overseas territorial collectivity of France, situated on the northeastern coast of South America. French Guiana is bounded by Brazil to the south and east, Suriname to the west, and the Atlantic Ocean to the northeast. The capital is Cayenne. Land Geologically,... Frisian Islands low-lying chain of islands from 3 to 20 miles (5 to 32 km) off the northern European mainland. They extend in an arc from near the port of Den Helder (northern Netherlands), eastward along the Dutch and German coasts as far as the Elbe River, and then... Fro Sound sound in the Norwegian Sea, off the coast of west-central Norway. A busy commercial artery at the entrance to Trondheims Fjord, it extends for about 35 miles (55 km) between the Froan Islands to the west and the Fosna Peninsula on the mainland to the...

Frobisher Bay inlet of the North Atlantic Ocean extending into southeastern Baffin Island, Nunavut territory, Canada. The bay is about 150 miles (240 km) long and 20–40 miles (32–64 km) wide and has a maximum depth of 400 feet (120 metres). It was discovered in 1576... Fuerteventura Island island, one of the eastern Canary Islands, Las Palmas provincia (province), in the Canary Islands comunidad autónoma (autonomous community), Spain. It lies in the North Atlantic Ocean, 65 miles (105 km) west of Cape Juby, Morocco. This volcanic island,... Fundy, Bay of inlet of the Atlantic Ocean between the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick (north and west) and Nova Scotia (south and east). It extends 94 miles (151 km) inland, is 32 miles (52 km) wide at its entrance, and is noted for its fast-running tides, which... Gabon Estuary inlet of the Gulf of Guinea, in western Gabon.

It is fed by the Como and Mbeï rivers, which rise in the Cristal Mountains to the northeast. The estuary is 40 miles (64 km) long and 9 miles (14 km) wide at its mouth. It was explored in the 1470s by Portuguese... Galveston Bay inlet of the Gulf of Mexico, on the southeastern shore of Texas, U.S. Protected from the gulf by the Bolivar Peninsula and Galveston Island, the shallow bay (average depth is 7 feet [2.1 metres]) is 35 miles (56 km) long and up to 19 miles (31 km) wide,... Gambia River river in western Africa, 700 miles (1,120 km) long, rising in the Republic of Guinea and flowing westward through The Gambia into the Atlantic Ocean. Its major tributaries are the Sandougou and the Sofianiama. The Gambia is one of the finest waterways... Garonne River most important river of southwestern France, rising in the Spanish central Pyrenees and flowing into the Atlantic by way of the estuary called the Gironde.

It is 357 miles (575 km) long, excluding the Gironde Estuary (45 miles in length). Formed by two... Gaspé Current outflow from the St. Lawrence River, which moves around the Gaspé Peninsula and along the southern shore of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. It merges with a cold branch of the Labrador (Cabot) Current before flowing through the Cabot Strait and into the North... Gdańsk, Gulf of southern inlet of the Baltic Sea, bordered by Poland on the west, south, and southeast and by Kaliningrad oblast (province) of Russia on the east. The gulf extends 40 miles (64 km) from north to south and 60 miles (97 km) from east to west and reaches... George River river in Nord-du-Québec region, northeastern Quebec province, Canada. It rises near the Labrador (Newfoundland) border, flows northward parallel to the boundary for 350 miles (563 km), and empties into the eastern side of Ungava Bay. Named after King... Georges Bank submerged sandbank in the Atlantic Ocean east of Massachusetts, U.S.

It has long been an important fishing ground; scallops are harvested in its northeastern portion. Navigation is made dangerous by crosscurrents and fog. In 1994 large areas of Georges... Georgetown county, eastern South Carolina, U.S. The Atlantic Ocean is the eastern border, the Great Pee Dee River the irregular northeastern border, and the Santee River the southern border. It also is drained by the Waccamaw, Black, and Sampit rivers, which empty... Gharb coastal lowland plain of northwestern Morocco. Crossed from east to west by the Sebou River, the Gharb extends about 50 miles (80 km) along the Atlantic coast and reaches some 70 miles (110 km) inland. The lowland, which is bordered by the Rif Mountains... Gibraltar, Strait of channel connecting the Mediterranean Sea with the Atlantic Ocean, lying between southernmost Spain and northwesternmost Africa. It is 36 miles (58 km) long and narrows to 8 miles (13 km) in width between Point Marroquí (Spain) and Point Cires (Morocco)....

Gironde estuary on the Bay of Biscay, in Gironde département, Aquitaine région, southwestern France, formed by the confluence of the Garonne and Dordogne rivers. It trends from southeast to northwest for about 45 miles (72 km) and is navigable for oceangoing... Gomera, La island, Santa Cruz de Tenerife provincia (province), in the Canary Islands comunidad autónoma (autonomous community) of Spain, in the North Atlantic Ocean. The island is circular in shape. Its coasts, especially on the west, are rugged and precipitous,... Gorée Island small island just south of Cape Verde Peninsula, Senegal, that was the site of one of the earliest European settlements in Western Africa and long served as an outpost for slave and other trading. It is a rather barren volcanic rock of only 88 acres... Gotland island, län (county), and coextensive landskap (province), Sweden, in the Baltic Sea. Several wide bays indent the island’s low coastline, which is characterized by limestone columns, while the interior is an undulating plateau of Silurian limestone,...

Gough Island island associated with the Tristan da Cunha island group. Governors Island island in Upper New York Bay, New York, New York, U.S., situated off the southern tip of Manhattan Island. Its area is 172 acres (70 hectares). Known as Pagganck to the Manahatas Indians, the island was acquired (1637) by the Dutch, who called it Nooten... Graciosa Island volcanic island, northernmost of the central Azores, east-central Atlantic Ocean. The island has an area of 23 square miles (60 square km) and reaches a maximum elevation of 1,338 feet (408 metres) at the summit of Enxôfre Caldera, a volcanic crater.... Gran Canaria island, Las Palmas provincia (province), in the Canary Islands comunidad autónoma (autonomous community) of Spain, in the North Atlantic Ocean. The island is the most fertile of the Canaries. It is nearly circular in shape and is characterized by the... Grand Bahama Island island, The Bahamas, West Indies.

It lies just west of Great Abaco Island in the Atlantic Ocean and 60 miles (100 km) east of West Palm Beach, Florida, U.S. The island’s economy is based on tourism (which experienced a dramatic boom in the 1960s), forest... Grand Banks portion of the North American continental shelf in the Atlantic Ocean, lying southeast of Newfoundland island, Canada. Noted as an international fishing ground, the banks extend for 350 miles (560 km) north to south and for 420 miles (675 km) east to... Grand Manan Island island in the Bay of Fundy, southwestern New Brunswick, Canada. The island lies near the entrance to Passamaquoddy Bay, 23 miles (37 km) southeast of Saint Andrews and 9 miles (14.5 km) off the Maine coast. It is about 15 miles (24 km) long, is 6 miles... Grand Turk chief island of the British overseas territory of the Turks and Caicos Islands, in the West Indies north of Hispaniola. The territorial seat of government is at Cockburn Town, directly across Turks Island Passage from the port of Cockburn Harbour, on...

Grande-Terre island in the Lesser Antilles in the Caribbean Sea that, with its twin to the west, Basse-Terre, constitutes the core of the French overseas département of Guadeloupe. Although the two islands are separated only by a narrow channel called the Salée River,... Great Bahama Canyon submarine canyon in the Atlantic Ocean off the Bahamas, one of the greatest yet discovered. It lies northeast of the Great Bahama Bank, between Great Abaco and Eleuthera islands. Two main branches, the Tongue of the Ocean and Northwest Providence, merge... Great Belt strait between the Danish islands of Funen (Fyn) and Langeland (west) and Zealand (Sjælland) and Lolland (east). It is about 40 miles (64 km) long and connects the Baltic Sea with the Kattegat (an arm of the North Sea between Jutland [Denmark] and Sweden).... Great Britain island lying off the western coast of Europe and consisting of England, Scotland, and Wales. The term is often used as a synonym for the United Kingdom, which also includes Northern Ireland and a number of offshore islands.

Great Scarcies River river in western Africa, rising 25 miles (40 km) north of Kindia in the Fouta Djallon highlands of western Guinea. It marks 63 miles (101 km) of the Guinea–Sierra Leone border before entering Sierra Leone to complete its 160-mile (257-kilometre) course... Greater Antilles the four largest islands of the Antilles —Cuba, Hispaniola, Jamaica, and Puerto Rico—lying north of the Lesser Antilles chain. They constitute nearly 90 percent of the total land area of the entire West Indies. Greenland the world’s largest island, lying in the North Atlantic Ocean. Greenland is noted for its vast tundra and immense glaciers. Although Greenland remains a part of the Kingdom of Denmark, the island’s home-rule government is responsible for most domestic... Greenland Current surface oceanic current, a combination of polar sea surface drift, return flow of the North Atlantic Current, and Irminger Current waters. The East Greenland Current flows south along Greenland’s east coast, transporting large fields of ice, and then...

Grenadines chain of about 600 islands and islets in the southeastern part of the Lesser Antilles in the West Indies, ranging over 60 miles (100 km) generally southwesterly from Saint Vincent to Grenada. The northern Grenadines are administratively part of Saint... Guacanayabo, Gulf of inlet of the Caribbean Sea, southeastern Cuba. The gulf stretches in a broad horseshoe shape from the southern coast of Camagüey province approximately 70 mi (110 km) to the southwestern shore of Granma province, north of Cabo (cape) Cruz. It is shallow... Guadalquivir River major watercourse of southern Spain. Rising in the mountains of Jaén province, it flows in a generally westward direction for 408 miles (657 km), emptying into the Atlantic Ocean at Sanlúcar de Barrameda, on the Gulf of Cádiz. It drains an area of 22,318... Guadeloupe overseas département and overseas region of France consisting of a group of islands in the Lesser Antilles chain in the eastern Caribbean Sea.

The nearest neighbours of the principal islands are the British overseas territory of Montserrat to the northwest... Guadiana River one of the longest streams of the Iberian Peninsula, flowing generally westward through south-central Spain and southeastern Portugal to the Gulf of Cádiz in the Atlantic Ocean. The river has a drainage area of 23,455 square miles (60,748 square km),... Guanabara Bay bay of the Atlantic Ocean, southeastern Brazil, with Rio de Janeiro on its southwest shore and Niterói on its southeast. Discovered around 1502, it was originally named Rio de Janeiro Bay. About 19 miles (31 km) long with a maximum width of 18 miles,... Guantánamo Bay inlet of the Caribbean Sea, indenting southeastern Cuba. A large and well-sheltered bay, it has a narrow entrance to a harbour approximately 6 miles (10 km) wide and 12 miles (19 km) long and capable of accommodating large vessels. Guantánamo Bay is... Guernsey second largest of the Channel Islands. It is 30 miles (48 km) west of Normandy, France, and roughly triangular in shape.

With Alderney, Sark, Herm, Jethou, and associated islets, it forms the Bailiwick of Guernsey. Its capital is St. Peter Port. In the... Guiana Current surface oceanic current, a northwest-flowing branch of the Atlantic South Equatorial Current along the northern coast of South America. North of the Equator, the Atlantic North Equatorial Current and Amazon and Orinoco rivers contribute to the Guiana... Guinea Current surface oceanic current of the Atlantic Ocean, the eastward continuation of the Atlantic Equatorial Countercurrent, off the western coast of Africa near the Gulf of Guinea. Always north of the equator, the southeastward-flowing Guinea Current changes... Guinea, Gulf of part of the eastern tropical Atlantic Ocean off the western African coast, extending westward from Cap López, near the Equator, to Cape Palmas at longitude 7° west. Its major tributaries include the Volta and Niger rivers. The coastline of the Gulf of... Gulf Stream warm ocean current flowing in the North Atlantic northeastward off the North American coast between Cape Hatteras, N.C., U.S., and the Grand Banks of Newfoundland, Can.

In popular conception the Gulf Stream also includes the Florida Current (between... Haiti country in the Caribbean Sea that includes the western third of the island of Hispaniola and such smaller islands as Gonâve, Tortue (Tortuga), Grande Caye, and Vache. The capital is Port-au-Prince. Haiti, whose population is almost entirely descended... Hallandale Beach city, Broward county, southeastern Florida, U.S. It lies along the Atlantic Ocean, about 15 miles (25 km) north of Miami and just south of Hollywood. Settled by Swedish farmers in the late 1890s, it was laid out in 1898 and named for Luther Halland,... Hampton Roads great natural roadstead, southeastern Virginia, U.S., formed by the deepwater estuary of the James River, protected by the Virginia Peninsula. The Nansemond and Elizabeth rivers also enter the roadstead, which is connected to Chesapeake Bay by the Thimble... Hancock county, southeastern Maine, U.S.

It is located in a mountain-and-valley region bounded to the west by the Penobscot River and to the south by several bays of the Atlantic Ocean and includes many islands. The rugged coastline was formed by a flooded mountain... Hatteras Abyssal Plain submarine plain forming the floor of the northwestern Atlantic Ocean. It lies east of the North American continental shelf between the southern United States and Bermuda, extending about 900 mi (1,450 km) from north to south, with an average width of... Hatteras, Cape long, narrow, curved sandbar forming a promontory on Hatteras Island, the southeasternmost point of the Outer Banks, North Carolina, U.S. Treacherous shallows to the southeast in the Atlantic Ocean long have been a danger to navigation. Much of the cape’s... Hayes River river in northeastern Manitoba, Canada, rising from several lakes in the central part of the province and flowing northeastward for 300 miles (500 km) across the Canadian Shield (a region of rocky, ice-smoothed hills dotted with lakes) to enter Hudson... Hebrides group of islands extending in an arc off the Atlantic (west) coast of Scotland.

They are subdivided into two groups—the Inner Hebrides to the east and the Outer Hebrides to the west—which are separated from each other by the channels called the Minch... Henry, Cape promontory at the southern entrance to Chesapeake Bay, on the Atlantic coast in the northeast corner of the city of Virginia Beach, southeastern Virginia, U.S. Cape Henry Memorial, a stone cross put up by the Daughters of the American Colonists in 1935,... Hiiumaa island of the Muhu archipelago, Estonia. It lies in the Baltic Sea, northwest of the Gulf of Riga. Hiiumaa is the northernmost of the three larger islands forming the archipelago. It is separated from the island of Saaremaa to the south by Soela Strait... Geography of Ghana - Geographical Regions, Rivers and Lakes, Climate Geography of Ghana World Facts Index > Ghana > Geography Map of Ghana Ghana, which lies in the center of the West African coast, shares borders with the three French-speaking nations of C�te d'Ivoire to the west, Togo to the east, and Burkina Faso (Burkina, formerly Upper Volta) to the north.

To the south are the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean. With a total area of 238,533 square kilometers, Ghana is about the size of Britain. Its southernmost coast at Cape Three Points is 4 30' north of the equator. From here, the country extends inland for some 670 kilometers to about 11 north. The distance across the widest part, between longitude 1 12' east and longitude 3 15' west, measures about 560 kilometers. The Greenwich Meridian, which passes through London, also traverses the eastern part of Ghana at Tema. Geographical Regions Ghana is characterized in general by low physical relief. Indeed, the Precambrian rock system that underlies most of the nation has been worn down by erosion almost to a plain. The highest elevation in Ghana, Mount Afadjato in the Akwapim-Togo Ranges, rises only 880 meters above sea level. There are, nonetheless, five distinct geographical regions. Low plains stretch across the southern part of the country. To their north lie three regions--the Ashanti Uplands, the Akwapim-Togo Ranges, and the Volta Basin.

The fifth region, the high plains, occupies the northern and northwestern sector of the country. Like most West African countries, Ghana has no natural harbors. Because strong surf pounds the shoreline, two artificial harbors were built at Takoradi and Tema (the latter completed in 1961) to accommodate Ghana's shipping needs. The Low Plains The low plains comprise the four subregions of the coastal savanna, the Volta Delta, the Accra Plains, and the Akan Lowlands. A narrow strip of grassy and scrubby coast runs from a point near Takoradi in the west to the Togo border in the east. This coastal savanna, only about eight kilometers in width at its western end, stretches eastward through the Accra Plains, where it widens to more than eighty kilometers, and terminates at the southeastern corner of the country at the lower end of the Akwapim-Togo Ranges. Almost flat and featureless, the Accra Plains descend gradually to the gulf from a height of about 150 meters. The topography east of the city of Accra is marked by a succession of ridges and spoonshaped valleys.

The hills and slopes in this area are the favored lands for cultivation. Shifting cultivation is the usual agricultural practice because of the swampy nature of the very lowlying areas during the rainy seasons and the periodic blocking of the rivers at the coast by sandbars that form lagoons. A plan to irrigate the Accra Plains was announced in 1984. Should this plan come to reality, much of the area could be opened to large-scale cultivation. To the west of Accra, the low plains contain wider valleys and rounded low hills, with occasional rocky headlands. In general, however, the land is flat and covered with grass and scrub. Dense groves of coconut palms front the coastline. Several commercial centers, including Winneba, Saltpond, and Cape Coast, are located here. Although Winneba has a small livestock industry and palm tree cultivation is expanding in the area away from the coast, the predominant occupation of the coastal inhabitants is fishing by dug-out canoe. The Volta Delta, which forms a distinct subregion of the low plains, extends into the Gulf of Guinea in the extreme southeast.

The delta's rock formation--consisting of thick layers of sandstone, some limestone, and silt deposits--is flat, featureless, and relatively young. As the delta grew outward over the centuries, sandbars developed across the mouths of the Volta and smaller rivers that empty into the gulf in the same area, forming numerous lagoons, some quite large, making road construction difficult. To avoid the lowest-lying areas, for example, the road between Accra and Keta makes an unusual detour inland just before reaching Ada and finally approaches Keta from the east along the narrow spit on which the town stands. This notwithstanding, road links with Keta continue to be a problem. By 1989 it was estimated that more than 3,000 houses in the town had been swallowed by flooding from the lagoon. In addition, about 1,500 other houses were destroyed by erosion caused by the powerful waves of the sea. Ironically, it is this flat, silt-composed delta region with its abundance of water that supports shallot, corn, and cassava cultivation in the region. Moreover, the sandy soil of the delta gave rise to the copra industry.

Salt-making, from the plentiful supply in the dried beds of the lagoons, provides additional employment. The main occupation of the delta people, however, continues to be fishing, an industry that supplies dried and salted fish to other parts of the country. The largest part of the low plains is the Akan Lowlands. Some experts prefer to classify this region as a subdivision of the Ashanti Uplands because of the many characteristics they share. Unlike the uplands, however, the height of the Akan Lowlands is generally between sea level and 150 meters. Some ranges and hills rise to about 300 meters, but few exceed 600 meters. The lowlands that lie to the south of the Ashanti Uplands receive the many rivers that make their way to the sea. The Akan Lowlands contain the basins of the Densu River, the Pra River, the Ankobra River, and the Tano River, all of which play important roles in the economy of Ghana. The Densu River Basin, location of the important urban centers of Koforidua and Nsawam in the eastern lowlands, has an undulating topography.

Many of the hills here have craggy summits, which give a striking appearance to the landscape. The upper section of the Pra River Basin, to the west of the Densu, is relatively flat; the topography of its lower reaches, however, resembles that of the Densu Basin and is a rich cocoa and food-producing region. The valley of the Birim River, one of the main tributaries of the Pra, is the country's most important diamond-producing area. The Ankobra River Basin and the middle and lower basins of the Tano River to the west of the lowlands form the largest subdivision of the Akan Lowlands. Here annual rainfall between 1,500 and 2,150 millimeters helps assure a dense forest cover. In addition to timber, the area is rich in minerals. The Tarkwa goldfield, the diamond operations of the Bonsa Valley, and high-grade manganese deposits are all found in this area. The middle and lower Tano basins have been intensely explored for oil and natural gas since the mid-1980s. The lower basins of the Pra, Birim, Densu, and Ankobra rivers are also sites for palm tree cultivation.

Ashanti Uplands Comprising the Southern Ashanti Uplands and the Kwahu Plateau, the Ashanti Uplands lie just north of the Akan Lowlands and stretch from the C�te d'Ivoire border in the west to the elevated edge of the Volta Basin in the east. Stretching in a northwest-to-southeast direction, the Kwahu Plateau extends 193 kilometers between Koforidua in the east and Wenchi in the northwest. The average elevation of the plateau is about 450 meters, rising to a maximum of 762 meters. The relatively cool temperatures of the plateau were attractive to Europeans, particularly missionaries, who founded many well-known schools and colleges in this region. The plateau forms one of the important physical divides in Ghana. From its northeastern slopes, the Afram and Pru Rivers flow into the Volta River, while from the opposite side, the Pra, Birim, Ofin, Tano, and other rivers flow south toward the sea. The plateau also marks the northernmost limit of the forest zone. Although large areas of the forest cover have been destroyed through farming, enough deciduous forest remains to shade the head waters of the rivers that flow from the plateau.

The Southern Ashanti Uplands, extending from the foot of the Kwahu Plateau in the north to the lowlands in the south, slope gently from an elevation of about 300 meters in the north to about 150 meters in the south. The region, however, contains several hills and ranges as well as several towns of historical and economic importance, including Kumasi, Ghana's second largest city and former capital of the Asante empire. Obuasi and Konongo, two of the country's gold-mining centers, are also located here. The region is the country's chief producer of cocoa, and its tropical forests continue to be a vital source of timber for the lumber industry. Akwapim-Togo Ranges The Akwapim-Togo Ranges in the eastern part of the country consist of a generally rugged complex of folded strata, with many prominent heights composed of volcanic rock. The ranges begin west of Accra and continue in a northeasterly direction, finally crossing the frontier into Togo. In their southeastern part, the ranges are bisected by a deep, narrow gorge cut by the Volta River.

The head of this gorge is the site of the Akosombo Dam, which impounds the river to form Lake Volta. The ranges south of the gorge form the Akwapim section of the mountains. The average elevation in this section is about 450 meters, and the valleys are generally deep and relatively narrow. North of the gorge, for about eighty kilometers, the Togo section has broader valleys and low ridges. Beyond this point, the folding becomes more complex and heights increase greatly, with several peaks rising more than 610 meters above sea level. The country's highest point, Mount Afadjato, is located in this area. The ranges are largely covered with deciduous forests, and their higher elevation provides a relatively cooler, pleasant climate. Small-scale subsistence farming is typical in the ranges. In addition to the cultivation of rice and other staples, coffee plantations are found in the Togo section of the ranges. Volta Basin Occupying the central part of Ghana, the Volta Basin covers about 45 percent of the nation's total land surface. Its northern section, which lies above the upper part of Lake Volta, rises to a height of 150 to 215 meters above sea level.

Elevations of the Konkori Scarp to the west and the Gambaga Scarp to the north reach from 300 to 460 meters. To the south and the southwest, the basin is less than 300 meters. The Kwahu Plateau marks the southern end of the basin, although it forms a natural part of the Ashanti Uplands. The basin is characterized by poor soil, generally of Voltaian sandstone. Annual rainfall averages between 1,000 and 1,140 millimeters. The most widespread vegetation type is savanna, the woodlands of which, depending on local soil and climatic conditions, may contain such trees as Red Ironwood and Shea. The basin's population, principally farmers, is low in density, especially in the central and northwestern areas of the basin, where tsetse flies are common. Archeological finds indicate, however, that the region was once more heavily populated. Periodic burning evidently occurred over extensive areas for perhaps more than a millennium, exposing the soil to excessive drying and erosion, rendering the area less attractive to cultivators.

In contrast with the rest of the region are the Afram Plains, located in the southeastern corner of the basin. Here the terrain is low, averaging 60 to 150 meters in elevation, and annual rainfall is between 1,140 and about 1,400 millimeters. Near the Afram River, much of the surrounding countryside is flooded or swampy during the rainy seasons. With the construction of Lake Volta (8,515 hectares in surface area) in the mid-1960s, much of the Afram Plains was submerged. Despite the construction of roads to connect communities displaced by the lake, road transportation in the region remains poor. Renewed efforts to improve communications, to enhance agricultural production, and to improve standards of living began in earnest only in the mid-1980s. The High Plains The general terrain in the northern and northwestern part of Ghana outside the Volta Basin consists of a dissected plateau, which averages between 150 and 300 meters in elevation and, in some places, is even higher.

Rainfall averages between 1,000 and 1,150 millimeters annually, although in the northwest it is closer to 1,350 millimeters. Soils in the high plains are more arable than those in the Volta Basin, and the population density is considerably higher. Grain and cattle production are the major economic activities in the high plains of the northern region. Since the mid-1980s, when former United States President Jimmy Carter's Global 2000 program adopted Ghana as one of a select number of African countries whose local farmers were to be educated and financially supported to improve agricultural production, there has been a dramatic increase in grain production in northern Ghana. The virtual absence of tsetse flies in the region has led, moreover, to increased livestock raising as a major occupation in the north. In fact, the region is the country's largest producer of cattle. Rivers and Lakes Ghana is drained by a large number of streams and rivers. In addition, there are a number of coastal lagoons, the huge man-made Lake Volta, and Lake Bosumtwi, southeast of Kumasi and which has no outlet to the sea.

In the wetter south and southwest areas of Ghana, the river and stream pattern is denser, but in the area north of the Kwahu Plateau, the pattern is much more open, making access to water more difficult. Several streams and rivers also dry up or experience reduced flow during the dry seasons of the year, while flooding during the rainy seasons is common. The major drainage divide runs from the southwest part of the Akwapim-Togo Ranges northwest through the Kwahu Plateau and then irregularly westward to the C�te d'Ivoire border. Almost all the rivers and streams north of this divide form part of the Volta system. Extending about 1,600 kilometers in length and draining an area of about 388,000 square kilometers, of which about 158,000 square kilometers lie within Ghana, the Volta and its tributaries, such as the Afram River and the Oti River, drain more than twothirds of the country. To the south of the divide are several smaller, independent rivers. The most important of these are the Pra River, the Tano River, the Ankobra River, the Birim River, and the Densu River.

With the exception of smaller streams that dry up in the dry seasons or rivers that empty into inland lakes, all the major rivers in the country flow into the Gulf of Guinea directly or as tributaries to other major rivers. The Ankobra and Tano are navigable for considerable distances in their lower reaches. Navigation on the Volta River has changed significantly since 1964. Construction of the dam at Akosombo, about eighty kilometers upstream from the coast, created vast Lake Volta and the associated 768,000-kilowatt hydroelectric project. Arms of the lake extended into the lower-lying areas, forcing the relocation of 78,000 people to newly created townships on the lake's higher banks. The Black Volta River and the White Volta River flow separately into the lake. Before their confluence was submerged, the rivers came together in the middle of the country to form the main Volta River.

The Oti River and the Daka River, the principal tributaries of the Volta in the eastern part of the country, and the Pru River, the Sene River, and the Afram River, major tributaries to the north of the Kawhu Plateau, also empty into flooded extensions of the lake in their river valleys. Lake Volta is a rich source of fish, and its potential as a source for irrigation is reflected in agricultural mechanization agreement signed in the late 1980s to irrigate the Afram Plains. The lake is navigable from Akosombo through Yeji in the middle of the country; a twenty-four-meter pontoon was commissioned in 1989 to link the Afram Plains to the west of the lake with the lower Volta region to the east. Hydroelectricity generated from Akosombo supplies Ghana, Togo, and Benin. On the other side of the Kwahu Plateau from Lake Volta are several river systems, including the Pra, Ankobra, Tano and Densu. The Pra is the easternmost and the largest of the three principal rivers that drain the area south of the Volta divide.

Rising south of the Kwahu Plateau and flowing southward, the Pra enters the Gulf of Guinea east of Takoradi. In the early part of the twentieth century, the Pra was used extensively to float timber to the coast for export. This trade is now carried by road and rail transportation. The Ankobra, which flows to the west of the Pra, has a relatively small drainage basin. It rises in the hilly region of Bibiani and flows in a southerly direction to enter the gulf just west of Axim. Small craft can navigate approximately eighty kilometers inland from its mouth. At one time, the Ankobra helped transport machinery to the gold-mining areas in the vicinity of Tarkwa. The Tano, which is the westernmost of the three rivers, rises near Techiman in the center of the country. It also flows in a southerly direction, but it empties into a lagoon in the southeast corner of C�te d'Ivoire. Navigation by steam launch is possible on the southern sector of the Tano for about seventy kilometers. A number of rivers are found to the east of the Pra.

The two most important are the Densu and Ayensu, which are important as sources of water for Accra and Winneba, respectively. The country has one large natural lake, Lake Bosumtwi, located about thirty-two kilometers southeast of Kumasi. It occupies the steep-sided caldera of a former volcano and has an area of about forty-seven square kilometers. A number of small streams flow into Lake Bosumtwi, but there is no drainage from it. Apart from providing an opportunity for fishing for local inhabitants, the lake serves as a tourist attraction. Climate The country's warm, humid climate has an annual mean temperature between 26C and 29C. Variations in the principal elements of temperature, rainfall, and humidity that govern the climate are influenced by the movement and interaction of the dry tropical continental air mass, or the harmattan, which blows from the northeast across the Sahara, and the opposing tropical maritime or moist equatorial system. The cycle of the seasons follows the apparent movement of the sun back and forth across the equator. During summer in the northern hemisphere, a warm and moist maritime air mass intensifies and pushes northward across the country.

A low-pressure belt, or intertropical front, in the air mass brings warm air, rain, and prevailing winds from the southwest. As the sun returns south across the equator, the dry, dusty, tropical continental front, or harmattan, prevails. Climatic conditions across the country are hardly uniform. The Kwahu Plateau, which marks the northernmost extent of the forest area, also serves as an important climatic divide. To its north, two distinct seasons occur. The harmattan season with its dry, hot days and relatively cool nights from November to late March or April, is followed by a wet period that reaches its peak in late August or September. To the south and southwest of the Kwahu Plateau, where the annual mean rainfall from north to south ranges from 1,250 millimeters 2,150 millimeters, four separate seasons occur. Heavy rains fall from about April through late June. After a relatively short dry period in August, another rainy season begins in September and lasts through November, before the longer harmattan season sets in to complete the cycle. The extent of drought and rainfall varies across the country.

To the south of the Kwahu Plateau, the heaviest rains occur in the Axim area in the southwest corner of Ghana. Farther to the north, Kumasi receives an average annual rainfall of about 1,400 millimeters, while Tamale in the drier northern savanna receives rainfall of 1,000 millimeters per year. From Takoradi eastward to the Accra Plains, including the lower Volta region, rainfall averages only 750 millimeters to 1,000 millimeters a year. Temperatures are usually high at all times of the year throughout the country. At higher elevations temperatures are more comfortable. In the far north, temperature highs of 31C are common. The southern part of the country is characterized by generally humid conditions. This is particularly so during the night, when 95 to 100 percent humidity is possible. Humid conditions also prevail the northern section of the country during the rainy season. During the harmattan season, however, humidity drops as low as 25 percent in the north.

SOURCES: Library of Congress Country Studies/Area Handbook Wouri River | river, Cameroon | Britannica.com Wouri River Alternative Titles: Vouri River, Vuri River Similar Topics Nile River Wouri River, Wouri also spelled Vouri or Vuri, stream in southwestern Cameroon whose estuary on the Atlantic Ocean is the site of Douala , the country’s major industrial centre and port. Two headstreams—the Nkam and the Makombé—join to form the Wouri, 20 miles (32 km) northeast of Yabassi. The river then flows in a southwesterly direction for about 100 miles (160 km) to empty into the Gulf of Guinea . It is navigable for 40 miles (64 km) along its lower course, below Yabassi. The Portuguese navigator Fernão do Po was probably the first European to reach the estuary of the river, which he named Rio dos Camarões (“River of the Prawns [Shrimps]”) because of its abundance of crustaceans.

The Spanish form of the word, camarones, prevailed and later gave rise to the better-known Indo-European variants of the country’s name, German Kamerun, English Cameroon, and French Cameroun. Learn More in these related articles: 1 Reference found in Britannica Articles Assorted Reference Corrections? Updates? Help us improve this article! Contact our editors with your feedback. MEDIA FOR: You have successfully emailed this. Error when sending the email. Try again later. Edit Mode Submit Tips For Editing We welcome suggested improvements to any of our articles. You can make it easier for us to review and, hopefully, publish your contribution by keeping a few points in mind. Encyclopædia Britannica articles are written in a neutral objective tone for a general audience. You may find it helpful to search within the site to see how similar or related subjects are covered. Any text you add should be original, not copied from other sources. At the bottom of the article, feel free to list any sources that support your changes, so that we can fully understand their context. (Internet URLs are the best.) Your contribution may be further edited by our staff, and its publication is subject to our final approval.

Unfortunately, our editorial approach may not be able to accommodate all contributions. Submit Thank You for Your Contribution! Our editors will review what you've submitted, and if it meets our criteria, we'll add it to the article. Please note that our editors may make some formatting changes or correct spelling or grammatical errors, and may also contact you if any clarifications are needed. Uh Oh There was a problem with your submission. Please try again later. Close Date Published: September 01, 1999 URL: Access Date: January 18, 2017 Share divide - National Geographic Society divide The Great Divide separates the drainage basins of North America between the Pacific Ocean (west) and the Arctic Ocean, Hudson Bay, Atlantic Ocean, and the Gulf of Mexico (east). Map courtesy National Geographic Society Fitzcarraldo The 1982 German movie Fitzcarraldo tells the story of a man who crosses a minor divide of the Amazon River by having a 340-ton steamship hauled across a mountain. Fitzcarraldo is based on a true story. However, the real Fitzcarraldo did not have the entire ship dragged up and down the mountain.

He had the ship taken apart, carried across the mountain piece by piece, and re-assembled on the other side. A divide is the elevate d boundary separating areas that are drained by different river system s. For this reason, the feature is often called a drainage divide. Water flowing on one side of a divide empties into one body of water, while water flowing on the other side empties into another. Divides range in height from a slight rise in the land to the crest of a mountain range . A divide on the low-lying flood plain s of northern Belgium, for example, may rise no higher than a few meters. At the other extreme, the Andes—one of the longest mountain ranges in the world—form a divide in South America. A mountain range that forms a divide is called a dividing range. There are three major types of divides: continental divides, major divides, and minor divides. Continental Divides A divide that separates different watersheds of a continent is called a continental divide . Because a continent may have more than two watersheds, a continent may have more than one continental divide. North America, for instance, has about five continental divides.

These continental divides separate the drainage systems leading to the Pacific Ocean, Arctic Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Hudson Bay, and Gulf of Mexico. The most familiar continental divide in North America separates the watershed s of the Pacific Ocean in the west and the Arctic Ocean, Hudson Bay, Atlantic Ocean, and the Gulf of Mexico in the east. The so-called Great Divide roughly follows the crest of the Rocky Mountains. Major Divides A major divide forms when two rivers flow into the same body of water but do not meet. A major divide can be large or small. The watersheds of China’s Yellow and Yangtze Rivers form a major divide, for example. The Yellow River forms a watershed in China’s north. It empties into the Bohai Sea, part of the Pacific Ocean. The Yangtze River forms a watershed south of the divide, emptying into the East China Sea. Although the Yellow and Yangtze Rivers never meet, they both flow into the Pacific Ocean. A major divide that separates smaller watersheds can be found in the West African country of Ghana. All rivers in Ghana ultimately flow into the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean. The Volta River system drains about two-thirds of the country’s waterway s.

However, there are a number of smaller rivers, such as the Ankobra and Tano Rivers, that are not tributaries of the Volta. They flow independently into the Gulf of Guinea. Minor Divides A minor divide separates rivers that will later converge , or form a confluence . Most river systems have minor divides. North America's Missouri and Mississippi Rivers form a minor divide. The Missouri River's watershed extends as far north as the Canadian province s of Alberta and Saskatchewan, and as far south as the U.S. state of Missouri. However, the Missouri is a tributary of the Mississippi River. The waters of the Missouri meet the Mississippi near Hartford, Illinois, and ultimately flow to the Gulf of Mexico. Navigating Divides Minor divides are not huge obstacle s to navigation. Engineer s on ships can usually navigate across a minor divide—the watersheds ultimately flow together. Major divides and continental divides, however, can be very difficult to navigate. Natural features can sometimes help explorers navigate major divides. The Chicago Portage, for instance, is a natural water gap formed through glaciation —the same process that created the Great Lakes .

The Chicago Portage links the watersheds of the Great Lakes and the Gulf of Mexico, and is the key reason the city of Chicago became such an important shipping and industrial hub . Water gaps such as the Chicago Portage are rare, however. In most cases, engineers and geographers must rely on both watercraft and terrestrial transportation to navigate divides. Before the Industrial Revolution , explorers had to portage between major divides. To portage is to carry boats or other vessel s across dry land. For large ships, portaging can be a long, difficult, and expensive journey. Smaller watercraft, such as canoe s, are easier to portage than large ships. For this reason, Native Americans were more skillful at portaging around the rivers of North America than European explorers, who brought large, heavy sailing vessels. The Industrial Revolution changed the way sailor s navigated. Engineers constructed dam s and canal s between divides. River management techniques controlled the amount of water flowing through parts of a river, and portaging became less necessary. The canals of the St. Lawrence Seaway are an example of industrial technology crossing a major divide.

The canals make it possible for ships from the Atlantic Ocean to cross the divide separating the ocean from the watershed of the Great Lakes. Ships can efficient ly transport both finished good s, such as shoes or cars, and raw material s, such as timber and iron , between the Great Lakes region and the rest of the world. Term small, open boat with pointed ends. confluence place where two rivers join and flow together. continent to meet or come together. crest the top of a wave. dam structure built across a river or other waterway to control the flow of water. divide performing a task with skill and minimal waste. elevate to raise higher than the surrounding area. engineer Noun person who plans the building of things, such as structures (construction engineer) or substances (chemical engineer). finished good item assembled and ready for sale. flood plain process of a glacier carving out a landscape. Great Divide Noun continental divide in North America separating rivers that flow into the Pacific Ocean and rivers that flow into the Atlantic Ocean. Also called the Continental Divide of the Americas. Great Lakes Noun largest freshwater bodies in the world, located in the United States and Canada.

Lake Huron, Lake Ontario, Lake Michigan, Lake Erie, and Lake Superior make up the Great Lakes. gulf having to do with factories or mechanical production. Industrial Revolution Noun change in economic and social activities, beginning in the 18th century, brought by the replacement of hand tools with machinery and mass production. iron chemical element with the symbol Fe. major divide line separating watersheds that never merge, but empty into the same body of water. minor divide line separating watersheds that will later converge. mountain range series or chain of mountains that are close together. navigate to plan and direct the course of a journey. obstacle something that slows or stops progress. portage to carry boats or other watercraft across dry land, between bodies of water. province matter that needs to be processed into a product to use or sell. river the art and science of controlling the flow, path, and power of rivers. river system tributaries, mouth, source, delta, and flood plain of a river. sailor person who works aboard a ship. shipping transportation of goods, usually by large boat. St. Lawrence Seaway Noun series of canals, locks, and channels, including the St.

Lawrence River, that allows ships to travel from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes. technology Noun the science of using tools and complex machines to make human life easier or more profitable. terrestrial having to do with the Earth or dry land. timber wood in an unfinished form, either trees or logs. transportation movement of people or goods from one place to another. tributary craft for traveling on water, usually larger than a rowboat or skiff. watercraft transportation vessel, such as a boat, for a body of water. water gap small opening where flowing water has carved through a mountain range. watershed

Question: The rivers Niger and Volta empty into which Gulf, part of the Atlantic Ocean?
Answer: Guinea