Livingstone Falls, Rapids and cataracts on Congo River, Republic of Congo.
Livingstone Falls is a series of rapids and cataracts on the Congo River in Pool Department, Republic of Congo. The water drops through narrow channels, flows around rocky islands, and pushes through tight passages that are sometimes less than 300 meters wide.
Henry Morton Stanley named the falls after David Livingstone in 1877 while mapping the Congo River. The falls marked the end of navigable stretches upstream and later forced the construction of a railway along the shore.
The name honors the Scottish explorer, even though he never reached this section himself. Fishermen and boat handlers know each stretch of the river by local names that refer to the shape of rocks or particular currents.
The falls lie in a remote area with little infrastructure for visitors. Anyone exploring the region should expect long journeys and basic conditions.
The falls may be the largest waterfall system on Earth by flow, with over 42,000 cubic meters per second. In some places this enormous volume squeezes through rock gorges barely wider than a highway.
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