The Geba (

French French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), ...

: ''Rivière Geba'', Portuguese: ''Rio Geba'') is a

river A river is a natural stream of fresh water that flows on land or inside Subterranean river, caves towards another body of water at a lower elevation, such as an ocean, lake, or another river. A river may run dry before reaching the end of ...

West Africa West Africa, also known as Western Africa, is the westernmost region of Africa. The United Nations geoscheme for Africa#Western Africa, United Nations defines Western Africa as the 16 countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Gha ...

that rises in the northernmost area of

Guinea Guinea, officially the Republic of Guinea, is a coastal country in West Africa. It borders the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Guinea-Bissau to the northwest, Senegal to the north, Mali to the northeast, Côte d'Ivoire to the southeast, and Sier ...

in the

Fouta Djallon Fouta Djallon (, , ; ) is a Highland (geography), highland region in the center of Guinea, roughly corresponding with Middle Guinea, in West Africa. Etymology The Fulani people call the region Fouta Jallon Kingdom, Fuuta-Jaloo ( ) in the Pular l ...

highlands, passes through southern

Senegal Senegal, officially the Republic of Senegal, is the westernmost country in West Africa, situated on the Atlantic Ocean coastline. It borders Mauritania to Mauritania–Senegal border, the north, Mali to Mali–Senegal border, the east, Guinea t ...

, and reaches the

Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the ...

Guinea-Bissau Guinea-Bissau, officially the Republic of Guinea-Bissau, is a country in West Africa that covers with an estimated population of 2,026,778. It borders Senegal to Guinea-Bissau–Senegal border, its north and Guinea to Guinea–Guinea-Bissau b ...

. It is about in total length. It is a lowland river, with a large flow during the rainy season (from April to October). In Senegal, the river is locally known as the Kayanga. Its tributary the Colufe River joins the Geba at

Bafatá Bafatá is the second-largest city in Guinea-Bissau, known as the birthplace of Amílcar Cabral. The town has a population of 22,501 (2008 est). It is the capital of Bafatá Region as well as the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Bafatá, w ...

. After passing by Geba town and Bambadinca, the river broadens into a wide

estuary An estuary is a partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. Estuaries form a transition zone between river environments and maritime enviro ...

below

Xime ''Xime'' is a 1994 Bissau-Guinean drama film directed by Sana Na N'Hada. Plot In the early 1960s, in the village of Xime in Guinea-Bissau, Iala, the father of Raul and Bedan, is worried about his two sons. The eldest, Raul, animated by desires o ...

(where it is joined by the

Corubal River The Corubal, also known as the Rio Corubal or Tomine, is a river of West Africa, a major tributary of the Geba River. For a short distance, it forms the international border between Guinea and Guinea-Bissau. It has a length of approximately . Hi ...

), with a total width of about at

Bissau Bissau () is the Capital (political), capital and largest city of Guinea-Bissau. it had a population of 492,004. Bissau is located on the Geba River estuary, off the Atlantic Ocean, and is Guinea-Bissau's largest city, major port, its administr ...

. The estuary widens further as the river flows into the Atlantic, forming the Bissagos Islands archipelago. The Geba River, along with the

, drains the Bafatá Plateau. It also drains the Gabú Plain, along with the

Farim River The Cacheu ( Portuguese: ''Rio Cacheu'') is a river of Guinea-Bissau also known as the Farim along its upper course. Its total length is about 257 km. One of its major tributaries is the Canjambari River. Course Its headwaters are near the n ...

(also known as the Cacheu River), and their tributaries. It has long been an important trade route connecting into the interior; it is accessible to 2,000-ton ships some in, and shallow-draft vessels even further.

References

Bibliography

*Salif Diop,
La côte ouest-africaine. Du Saloum (Sénégal) à la Mellacorée (Rép. de Guinée)
', ORSTOM, Paris, 1990, p. 380 Rivers of Guinea Rivers of Guinea-Bissau Rivers of Senegal Bafatá International rivers of Africa {{Guinea-river-stub