FUN WITH MAPS ISSUE 2026-115
By Steve Kovacs (Introduction by Chuck Gibson)
LOVELAND, OH (July 6, 2026) – This edition of FWM takes us to the Congo.
Deep River
The first European to spot the mouth of the Congo River was Portuguese Diogo Cao on July 7, 1484.
He explored Africa’s west coast. Much of the interior of this vast continent remained uncharted by the Europeans until early to middle of the 19th century.
The Congo is the second longest river in Africa after the Nile. However, the Congo is the deepest river in the world measuring up to 730 feet in spots. For perspective, Cincinnati’s tallest building, The Great America Tower, would be fully immersed in the deepest spots of the Congo with 60 feet to spare.
Cao is among the historic Portuguese explores also including de Gama (India), and Magellan (circumnavigated the earth). These two were looking for shortcuts to the Spice Islands.
Burgess’s map of Africa is shown here from 1839.
Africa -Circa 1839 (Credit Steve Kovacs)
Steve Kovacs and his wife Theresa reside in Loveland, Ohio where they raised their two children. He is a passionate collector of antique maps. Visit his antique map boutique world-on-paper online. Watch for his daily feature Fun with Maps here on Loveland Beacon.
