In Zambia from the Mosi-Oa-Tunya National Park and from the The Victoria Falls National Park in Zimbabwe. The Falls can be visited from both countries. This is because the Zambezi River runs right through the border of the two countries. The same Waterfall in two national parks and two countriesīoth Zimbabwe and Zambia lay claim to the Victoria Falls. It's not surprising that the local tribes used to call the falls Mosi-o-Tunya "The smoke that thunders". The sound waves from Victoria Falls can be heard as far as 40 kilometers away, while its spray and mist reach heights of 400 meters (sometimes double that) and can be seen 50 kilometers away. Orchard, were found in 1910 after their canoes were capsized by a hippo at Long Island above the falls and the current took them over the falls to their deaths. They are usually found swirling about in the boiling Pot or washed up at the northeast end of the Second Gorge. Occasionally, objects and even animals such as hippopotamus, crocodile and even elephant are swept over the falls. Its not only water that goes over the falls The amount of water flowing over the Victoria Falls changes depending on rainfall levels at catchment areas upstream in Zambia, Angola, and Botswana. The water level is highest during March through May and lowest between September and December. The lowest recorded flow at Victoria Falls happened during the 1995-1996 season, with a low of 390 cubic meters per second. The highest recorded flow ever at Victoria Falls is at least 9 500 cubic meters per second, (335,489 cu ft/s)which was in 1958 when the Kariba Dam was still being constructed. The mean annual flow rate is 1088 cubic meters per second (38,430 cu ft/s) and the mean maximum flow rate is recorded at 3000 cu m/s (105,944 cu ft/s). The height varies and increases in height from the west at what is known as the Devils Cataract 70m (233 ft) through to the far east side, or the Eastern Cataract 108m (360 ft). The full length of the Victoria Falls is 1,708m (5,604 ft). Basalt is most typically seen in places that have experienced intense volcanic eruptions and basalt formations as the result of these eruptions are everywhere you look, especially underwater where you will find large pieces of basalt rock making up the ocean floor. The bedrock found near Victoria Falls is basalt, a dark volcanic rock formed 150 million years ago.īasalt is a common rock type found all across the planet. The Victoria Falls is known as a Cataract Waterfall, which simply means it is a waterfall on a large river with a high volume of water. Here are the technical details of the Victoria Falls. While it is neither the highest nor the widest waterfall in the world, the Victoria Falls are classified as the largest, based on its combined width and height resulting in the world's largest sheet of falling water. How was the largest waterfall on earth formed formed?Ĭheck out this short but informative video from a Wild Horizons tour guide on how the Victoria Falls were formed. The elevation at Victoria Falls which is the approximate midpoint of the Zambezi is 889m/2917ft above sea level. The Waterfall is on the mighty Zambezi River, the fourth-longest river in Africa which flows for 2,574 kilometres (1,599 mi) from Mwinilunga District in northwest Zambia (elevation 1461m/4793ft above sea level) through six countries to the Indian Ocean in Mozambique. Which River flows over the Victoria Falls? The Victoria Falls are located in Southern Africa on the border of Zambia (the closest town is Livingstone) and Zimbabwe (the closest town is Victoria Falls). The name Victoria Falls was originated only much later by David Livingstone, a Scottish physician, missionary, and the first European explorer to set foot at the falls in November 1855. The original names given to the falls are:- Mosi-oa-Tunya, in Lozi, a local language, which means " The Smoke that Thunders" and, Shungu Namutitima in Tonga, another local language meaning " Boiling Water".
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