River · Angola
Cuanza
Cuanza is the longest river that flows entirely inside Angola. It begins on the high Bié Plateau and runs north and west until it reaches the Atlantic Ocean just south of the capital, Luanda.
Picture credit: jlrsousa (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Patyfessora (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Wikimedia Commons
Where is the Cuanza?
The river starts here: Bié Plateau in central Angola.
It ends in the Atlantic Ocean south of Luanda.
Countries on the river: Angola.
The story behind it
Angola named its money after this river: people pay in kwanza. On its way down from the plateau the Cuanza drops over rapids and waterfalls, and engineers have used that power to build large dams such as Capanda and Laúca, which light up much of the country. Below the last rapids the river becomes wide and calm. Hippos wallow in the shallows, crocodiles sun themselves on sandbanks, and fish eagles call from tall trees. Farmers along the banks grow sugar cane, rice and bananas in the damp soil. During the rainy season the water rises fast and spills into the forest, leaving fertile mud behind when it sinks again. Near the sea the river opens into a wide, marshy mouth where fishing boats set out and where sea turtles sometimes come close to the beach.
Questions children ask
How long is the Cuanza?
The Cuanza is about 960 kilometres long. It is the longest river that stays inside Angola from start to finish, and a boat can travel a good part of its lower course.
Which countries does the Cuanza flow through?
The Cuanza flows through Angola only. It crosses the country from the central highlands down to the coast, and several provinces are named after it.
Where does the Cuanza flow into?
It flows into the Atlantic Ocean a short way south of Luanda. The mouth is broad and marshy, and fishing villages stand on both sides of it.
Where these numbers come from
Every figure on this page was checked against public reference sources before publication. Where sources genuinely disagree, the text says so.
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