Explore Ubangi River

The Ubangi River (; Swahili: Mto Ubangi; French: Fleuve Oubangui; Dutch: Mubangi Stroom), also spelled Oubangui, is a river in Central Africa, and the largest right-bank tributary of the Congo River. It begins at the confluence of the Mbomou (mean annual discharge 1,350 m3/s) and Uele Rivers (mean annual discharge 1,550 m3/s) and flows west, forming the border between Central African Republic (CAR) and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Subsequently, the Ubangi bends to the southwest and passes through Bangui, the capital of the CAR, after which it flows south – forming the border between the DRC and the Republic of the Congo. The Ubangi finally joins the Congo River at Liranga. The Ubangi's length is about 1,060 km (660 mi). Its total length with the Uele, its longest tributary, is 2,270 km (1,410 mi). The Ubangi's drainage basin is about 651,915 km2 (251,706 mi2). Mean annual discharge at mouth 5,936 m3/s. Its discharge at Bangui ranges from about 800 m3/s (28,000 cu ft/s) to 11,000 m3/s (390,000 cu ft/s), with an average flow of about ~4,000 m3/s (140,000 cu ft/s). It is believed that the Ubangi's upper reaches originally flowed into the Chari River and Lake Chad before being captured by the Congo in the early Pleistocene. Together with the Congo River, it provides an important transport artery for river boats between Bangui and Brazzaville. From its source to 100 km (62 mi) below Bangui, the Ubangi defines the boundary between the Central African Republic and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Thereafter, it forms the boundary between the DRC and the Republic of Congo until it empties into the Congo River.