RUFIJI, a large river of Tanganyika Territory, East Africa, entering the sea by a delta, between 45' and 8° 13' S. Its upper basin is drained by three main branches, of which the two southern, the Luwegu and the Ulanga, though shorter than the northernmost (the Ruaha), carry more water, as they come from a more rainy region, and by their junction in 8'' 35' S., 25' E., the Rufiji proper may be said to be formed.
The Luwegu rises 10° 50' S., 35' 50' E., and flows in a narrow wooded valley and in its lower course it is I oo to 15o yd. wide. The Ulanga is formed by a number of streams descending from the escarpment which runs north-east from Lake Nyasa and in Uhehe becomes broken up in ranges of mountains. The most important head-stream is the Ruhuje. As a whole, the Ulanga valley is broad, level and swampy, the meandering river sending off many diverging arms. It is navigable throughout the greater part of its course, having in the dry season a general depth of 3 to 12 ft , with a width of 4o to 120 yd. In April and May nearly all the streams overflow their banks. Below the junction of the
Luwegu and Ulanga, the Rufiji flows through a narrow pass by the Shugali falls, and continues to the junction of the Ruaha, in 7° 55' S., 37° 52' E The most remote branches of the Ruaha rise in the Livingstone Mountains. The united stream sweeps round the N. of the Uhehe Mountains, finally flowing to the Rufiji. Below the junction the Rufiji is broken by the Pangani falls, but is thence navigable by small steamers to its delta, receiv ing no large tributaries but sending out divergent channels The country on either side is a generally level plain, inundated, on the south, in the rains, and the river varies in width from 10o to 400 yd. The main mouth of the river is that known as Simba Uranga, the bar of which can be crossed by ocean vessels at high water, but all the branches are very shallow as the apex of the delta is approached. Much of the delta is suited for rice-growing. (For geology see TANGANYIKA TERRITORY.)