Inland drainage

Inland drainage system refers to the way rivers flow and drain water to be poured in the inland lakes. The rivers do not flow to the sea or Ocean. The examples of inland drainage systems in Africa are:
  • Lake Chad,
  • Lake Ngami,
  • Victoria,
  • Malawi,
  • Tanganyika
There are also small rivers that fail to reach the Sea but only stop in Swamps such as Makrikari and Okavango Swamplands of Botswana.
 

       Marsh                                           Bog                                     Swamp
 
 
There are also cases of inland drainage in the great rift valley region. All water contains mineral salts and the climate of the area is very hot leading to high evaporation rate. When this happens, the mineral salts are left behind and the lake sometimes becomes saline (salty). There are many examples in Namibia, Kenya and Botswana.

Many of Africa's smaller rivers are unable to reach a river's normal destination: the sea. Instead they flow into lakes. There are many examples of this in Africa and you can easily find some by looking, in your atlas, at Lake Chad or the Okavango Swamplands in Botswana.
 
There are also several examples of inland drainage in the great rift valley regions. All water contains mineral salts and, if the climate in an inland drainage area is very hot there is great evaporation. When this happens the mineral salts are left behind and the lakes sometimes become very saline (salty) indeed. Lake Magadi in Kenya for instance, is full of solid salts and there is very little water. Namibia and Botswana have many salty basins for the same reason.
 
Water in a stream flows along the ground from higher to lower elevation. What force causes the water to keep flowing
IDevice Icon Activity

"Lakes Victoria and Malawi are among many lakes which are not salty."

Discuss why this is so and search for other examples.


« Previous | Next »