Mofwe Lagoon
Encyclopedia
The Mofwe Lagoon is the largest of several lagoons in the Luapula River
swamps south of Lake Mweru
, in the Luapula Province
of Zambia
.
to the southeast, its main supplier. Generally its north-south axis is about 14 km and its east-west axis is about 6 km. Floating islands of sedge are usually found in an east-west line across its middle, which may effectively cut it in two, and at times vegetation has covered much of the southern half.
The importance of the Mofwe lies in its fishery, which attracted Mwata Kazembe to settle in the town of Kanyembo
on its eastern edge in the 19th Century. The Mofwe does not have a definite shore and is not easily accessed, being lined by a dense band of very tall reeds, and having floating rafts and islands of sedge which change its margins and shape frequently. Local fishermen paddle dugout canoes
along narrow channels through the reeds to reach open water. The lagoon and surrounding swamps support populations of hippopotamus
and crocodiles.
The lagoon is separated from the main channel of the Luapula by 6 km of swamps. Although the Luapula swamps are generally 30 to 40 km wide for most of their 100 km length, at the nearest point to Mofwe, the Luapula's western bank is formed by an island in the DR Congo only 12 km from Kanyembo. This facilates trade and smuggling by canoe through the channels and lagoons of the swamps.
Luapula River
The Luapula River is a section of Africa's second-longest river, the Congo. It is a transnational river forming for nearly all its length part of the border between Zambia and the DR Congo...
swamps south of Lake Mweru
Lake Mweru
Lake Mweru is a freshwater lake on the longest arm of Africa's second-longest river, the Congo. Located on the border between Zambia and Democratic Republic of the Congo, it makes up 110 km of the total length of the Congo, lying between its Luapula River and Luvua River segments.Mweru...
, in the Luapula Province
Luapula Province
Luapula Province is one of Zambia's nine provinces, and is located in the north of the country. The provincial capital is Mansa. Luapula Province was named after the Luapula River....
of Zambia
Zambia
Zambia , officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. The neighbouring countries are the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Tanzania to the north-east, Malawi to the east, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia to the south, and Angola to the west....
.
Geography
Its size and shape depends on the season and amount of water flowing into the swamps, especially from the Mbereshi RiverMbereshi River
The Mbereshi River drains the northern Zambian plateau north of Kawambwa and flows west into the Luapula valley. It enters the Luapula swamps near the Mofwe Lagoon. It gives its name to the village and former mission of Mbereshi situated near its south bank....
to the southeast, its main supplier. Generally its north-south axis is about 14 km and its east-west axis is about 6 km. Floating islands of sedge are usually found in an east-west line across its middle, which may effectively cut it in two, and at times vegetation has covered much of the southern half.
The importance of the Mofwe lies in its fishery, which attracted Mwata Kazembe to settle in the town of Kanyembo
Kanyembo
Kanyembo is the principal centre of the population on the Mofwe Lagoon, the largest of several lagoons in the Luapula River swamps south of Lake Mweru, in the Luapula Province of Zambia. It takes its name from its traditional ruler, Chief Kanyembo, one of the senior chiefs of the Kazembe-Lunda...
on its eastern edge in the 19th Century. The Mofwe does not have a definite shore and is not easily accessed, being lined by a dense band of very tall reeds, and having floating rafts and islands of sedge which change its margins and shape frequently. Local fishermen paddle dugout canoes
Dugout (boat)
A dugout or dugout canoe is a boat made from a hollowed tree trunk. Other names for this type of boat are logboat and monoxylon. Monoxylon is Greek -- mono- + ξύλον xylon -- and is mostly used in classic Greek texts. In Germany they are called einbaum )...
along narrow channels through the reeds to reach open water. The lagoon and surrounding swamps support populations of hippopotamus
Hippopotamus
The hippopotamus , or hippo, from the ancient Greek for "river horse" , is a large, mostly herbivorous mammal in sub-Saharan Africa, and one of only two extant species in the family Hippopotamidae After the elephant and rhinoceros, the hippopotamus is the third largest land mammal and the heaviest...
and crocodiles.
The lagoon is separated from the main channel of the Luapula by 6 km of swamps. Although the Luapula swamps are generally 30 to 40 km wide for most of their 100 km length, at the nearest point to Mofwe, the Luapula's western bank is formed by an island in the DR Congo only 12 km from Kanyembo. This facilates trade and smuggling by canoe through the channels and lagoons of the swamps.
Sources
- David Livingstone & Horace Waller (Ed): “The Last Journals of David Livingstone in Central Africa from 1865 to his Death”. (Two Volumes). John Murray, 1874.