Africa is an amazing continent. He is fraught with many secrets and dangers. Scientists from all over the world come here to study its mysteries. Tourists visit the Black Continent to enjoy its unique flora and fauna. Nature has gathered here all the very best: in Africa live the tallest animals on earth - giraffes, the largest animals on the planet - elephants, the largest birds in the world - ostriches.
Africa has its own geographic features. The climate is mostly very hot, the terrain is flat. I would like to pay special attention to the inland waters of the mainland, in particular rivers.
In this article we will talk about where the Shari River is and provide full information about this water stream.
Description
The Shari is a river that flows in Central Africa. From the local language, "shari" is translated as "current". The pond has a wayward character. Over the past 30 years, it was either filled with water or now completely dried up.
A stream flows through the Central African Republic (CAR), hurts the south of Chad, flows along its border with Cameroon and flows from the south into Lake Chad.
The length of the water stream is 1400 kilometers, the area covers 650 thousand square meters. km, and 1159 m 3 / s is an indicator of water flow. The Shari River, as was noted, is the foundation of Lake Chad, as it brings 80โ90% of the total volume of water into it. When the rainy season begins, the stream does not just fill the lake, but can greatly flood the area inhabited by people.
The Shari River (Africa) begins its flow from the southeast to northwest. A large number of tributaries flow into it over the course. The main (left) is Logon, 1000 km long, others smaller - Bahr-Auk, Bahr-Salamat, Bahr-Keita, Bahr-Sarh.
The source of the Shari River is at the confluence of the northern rivers - Uam, Bamingi and Gribinga.
A bit of history
Shari was discovered in 1823. It was discovered by Europeans. This period came at a time when British researchers Hugh Clapperton, Walter Oudney and Dickson Denham explored Lake Chad, where the river flows. At that moment, it again dried up, but on the north-eastern side of the ancient Precambrian platform, scientists noticed a trace of a passing channel. It was from this discovery that the study of Shari began.
River value
Most of the places inhabited by people, including the city of Sarh and the capital of Chad N'Djamena, are concentrated in the area of โโthe Shari River. It is the main drinking water source, widely used for transportation purposes and is the basis for irrigation of the nearest agricultural land. The Shari River is a local center for the development of the fishing industry. Nile perch is the most valuable fish that lives in the river. Its reserves are still significant.
Such intensive use has led to a critical decrease in the volume of water flowing from the river to Lake Chad every year.
The need to build a dam
Due to the fact that the water level in the Shari River decreases annually, scientists are considering the introduction of a project that will be aimed at building a dam near Livingston Falls. It must unite all the water flows that flow into the deep-flowing river of the Congo. Thanks to this, the Shari River, and, accordingly, Lake Chad, will be fully saturated with water. Also, this project will contribute to increasing their area, which will bring economic benefits to the region.
Scientists also want to lead from Lake Chad to the Mediterranean an artificial canal called New Nile, which will breathe life into the desert African lands.
These projects have been considered since the 70s of the twentieth century, but so far the final decision has not been made. Environmentalists do not consent to the construction of the dam and the canal, indicating that this can destroy the natural ecosystem of the area.
Population
The Shari River is interesting for the tribes living on its banks. For example, the unusual people of sir. It is their tradition to insert plates into the lips of women. According to the men of the tribe, a woman with such a lip is a real beauty. When Europeans came here, they thought it was very ugly, which saved the girls from slavery.
You can not ignore the people of Sao, who lived in a river valley from the V century. BC e. by the 17th century It was they who built the cities from the adobe houses in the lower reaches of the Shari. Their main occupation was the manufacture of household items and jewelry from clay, including original sculptures and statues.