Benue
Benue is a mapped river in the YearMaps hydrographic index. River courses organise settlement, agriculture and frontier-making more durably than any political boundary, and this reach is indexed against the dams, lakes and cities within its catchment.
- Feature Class
- River
- Coordinates
- 8.13°, 9.57°
About Benue
Benue River (French: la Bénoué), previously known as the Chadda River or Tchadda, is the major tributary of the Niger River and also is the second-longest river in Nigeria. The size of its catchment basin is 319,000 km2 (123,000 mi2). Almost its entire length of approximately 1,400 km (870 mi) is navigable during the summer months. As a result, it is an important transportation route in the regions through which it flows. The name Benue comes from bernor, meaning 'river or lake of hippos’ in the Tiv.
Encyclopedic summary adapted from Wikipedia: Benue River (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Benue in Depth
Geography
The Benue rises in the Adamawa Plateau of northern Cameroon, from where it flows west, and through the town of Garoua and Lagdo Reservoir, into Nigeria south of the Mandara mountains, and through Jimeta, Ibi and Makurdi before meeting the Niger River at Lokoja.
Large tributaries are the Faro, the Gongola and the Mayo Kébbi, which connects it with the Logone (part of the Lake Chad system) during floods. Other tributaries include Taraba, Donga and Katsina Ala.
At the point of confluence, the Benue exceeds the Niger by volume. The mean discharge before 1960 was 3,400 m3/s (120,000 cu ft/s) for the Benue and 3,000 m3/s (110,000 cu ft/s) for the Niger.
Climate
Benue State has a tropical savanna climate. It is warm every month of the year throughout both wet and dry seasons. The annual temperature is 34 °C. The state has an average humidity of 61%, dew point of 25 °C, an UV-index of 7 and it is mainly dry for 169 days in a year.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Benue River (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Benue: Key Facts
| Length | 1,370 km |
|---|---|
| Average discharge | 3,170 m³/s |
| Drainage basin | 441,000 km² |
| Source | Adamawa Plateau |
| Mouth | Niger River |
| Drainage system | Niger basin |
| Tributaries | Mayo Kébi, Gongola River, Donga River, Katsina Ala River, Ankwe river |
Facts from Wikidata Q204806 (CC0).
Major River Dossiers
Hand-written studies of the great river systems of history.
Connected Reaches
Nearby watercourses in the same drainage network.
Water Bodies in the Catchment
Settlements Along the Reach
Hydraulic Infrastructure Nearby
Surrounding Terrain
Benue: Quick Answers
- Where is Benue?
- Benue is located in Nigeria, at 8.1297° N, 9.5669° E.
- Are there dams on the Benue?
- No dam on the Benue is recorded in the YearMaps dam index, which covers major structures only.