Ogooué

Geography

The first European explorer to trace the river to its source was Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza, who traveled in the area in the 1870s. The river rises in the northwest of the Batéké Plateau near Kengue, Republic of the Congo. It runs northwest and enters Gabon near Boumango. Poubara Falls are near Maulongo. From Lastoursville up to Ndjolé, rapids make the Ogooué unnavigable. From Ndjolé it runs west and enters the Gulf of Guinea near Ozouri, south of Port-Gentil.

The delta is quite large, about 100 km long and 100 km wide. A 30,000 ha site, including much of Mandji Island, has been designated an Important Bird Area by BirdLife International because it supports significant populations of many bird species.

Ecology

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.

Economy

The Ogooué is navigable from Ndjole to the sea. It is used to bring wood to the Port-Gentil Harbour. The 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.