The Okavango River is one of Angola’s principal rivers, extending 975 kilometres through the country’s southeast. In the book’s geographical sketch, it helps define Angola as a country of major rivers, while its stated length and position distinguish it from the northern Cuanza River and the southern Cunene River.

Course and Setting

The Okavango River is located in southeastern Angola. Its 975-kilometre length makes it the longest of the three rivers singled out in the account: the Cuanza River in the north is 960 kilometres long, and the Cunene River in the south is 945 kilometres long. The text gives no more detailed course or account of settlements along the Okavango.

Place in Angola’s River Geography

The river appears in a broader description of Angola’s physical geography, where rivers are among the country’s defining features. The account separately associates the Cuanza River with a historic slave route leading toward Luanda, and the Cunene River with a system of hydroelectric dams supplying South Africa and Namibia. These distinct descriptions situate the Okavango River among Angola’s major waterways without assigning it the specific historical or infrastructural roles attributed to the other two.