Kasai River

High school (ages 12+)
Geography

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/kasai-river

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the scientific name?Kwa River (lower stretch)
2. What is the primary ecosystem?Equatorial rainforest basin
3. What is the Kasai River and where does it flow?The Kasai River is a long river in Africa that joins the Congo River. It starts in Angola, runs along part of the Angola–DRC border, then goes north into the DRC and meets the Congo at Kwamouth.
4. Why is the Kasai River important for diamonds?The river carries alluvial diamonds, and about 60% of the diamonds that are cut in Belgium come from the Kasai. This makes the river a key part of the global diamond trade.

Tributary: A river or stream flowing into a larger river or lake, contributing to its water volume.
Equatorial Rainforest: A biome characterized by high temperatures, high rainfall, and dense, biodiverse forest cover near the equator.
Alluvial Deposits: Materials, such as sand, gravel, and minerals (including diamonds), transported and deposited by a river.
Biodiversity Hotspot: A region with a high concentration of different species, many of which are found nowhere else on Earth.