Cunene
Cunene 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
- -15.62°, 15.20°
About Cunene
The Cunene (Portuguese spelling) or Kunene (common Namibian spelling) is a river in Southern Africa. It flows from the Angola highlands southwards to the border with Namibia. It then flows in a westerly direction along the border until it reaches the Atlantic Ocean.
Encyclopedic summary adapted from Wikipedia: Cunene River (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Cunene in Depth
Geography
One of the few perennial rivers in the region, the Cunene is about 1,050 km (650 mi) long, with a drainage basin 106,560 km2 (41,140 mi2) in area. Its mean annual discharge is 174 m3/s (6,100 cu ft/s) to 222 m3/s (7,800 cu ft/s) at its mouth.
The Epupa Falls lie on the river. Olushandja Dam dams a tributary of the river, the Etaka, and helps to provide the Ruacana Power Station with water.
The main stream rises in 12° 30′ S. and about 160 miles in a direct line from the sea at Benguella, runs generally from north to south through four degrees of latitude, but finally flows west to the sea through a break in the outer highlands.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Cunene River (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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
Cunene: Quick Answers
- Where is Cunene?
- Cunene is located in Angola and Namibia, at 15.6157° S, 15.1950° E.
- Are there dams on the Cunene?
- No dam on the Cunene is recorded in the YearMaps dam index, which covers major structures only.