Waterfalls in Africa on which rivers. The largest waterfall in Africa

Victoria Falls

There are many very beautiful places in Africa. One of them is Victoria Falls, named after the Queen of England. In 1855, this miracle was discovered by the traveler David Levingston. The sight of many tons of water flying into the abyss amazed him.

The largest waterfall in Africa has a length of about a kilometer and a height of 100 meters. It is known that the Zambezi River flows through almost flat terrain, but a deep canyon blocks its path, into which water falls. Along the width of the river, on the very edge of the abyss, there are four islands that divide the river into streams. Each of them has its own name. These are the Devil's Falls, Rainbow, Horseshoe, Main and East. A grand spectacle is this natural wonder in March and April. In this area, these months are the rainy season.

During the rainy season it is difficult to see what is happening in the canyon, the water breaks down with such force that even in the air, before reaching the bottom, it turns into water dust. Clouds rise up to a height of more than three hundred meters. At a distance of 40 kilometers from the waterfall, you can see fog and hear the thunder of water falling into the abyss. When the rains stop, the power of the river weakens, and when dry time comes, only a few small streams remain from the most powerful stream. At this time, you can wonderfully consider the riverbed and the bottom of the canyon.

Facts about Victoria Falls

The largest waterfall in Africa serves as the border between two countries - Zimbabwe and Zambia, in this place there are also national parks of the hot continent. Only here, on the banks of the Zambezi, do large populations of such rare animals as hippos and giraffes live. Due to the constant presence of water dust during the rainy season, tall, evergreen trees grow along the banks of the waterfall, reaching enormous sizes. Thanks to water, these plants survive in the dry season, when there is not enough water in the whole area.

For a very long time, Victoria Falls has been visited by many tourists. Some specially come here to see this miracle. In 1905, a railway was built, along which you can get to the right place. Previously, only a few enthusiasts got here. This waterfall is the only one in the world where you can admire a rare phenomenon - a lunar rainbow. This spectacle is very rare, it appears only once every 15 years, during the full moon. An indispensable condition is the rainy season, when a natural phenomenon manifests itself in full force.

Local residents have equipped an observation deck on top of a huge baobab. You can climb it on a special ladder. Such a device does not violate the harmony of nature and at the same time makes it possible to consider all the beauties of the area. Above Victoria, as the largest waterfall in Africa is called, there is a wonderful nature, forests grow here with many species of animals. Directly along the banks of the Zambezi are national parks, in which, in addition to giraffes and hippos, there are also such inhabitants as elephants, antelopes and crocodiles.

The waterfall can be dangerous

It is best, of course, to look at all this splendor from a helicopter, which can hover at a fairly high altitude. This is the only way to see the waterfall as a whole. Some especially brave people try to get close to the stream and photograph the river falling down as close as possible. Such behavior is dangerous and many have already paid for frivolity with their lives, but there are new daredevils and risk again.

The largest waterfall in Africa is the Victoria Falls, which is located on the Zambezi River. Many people come here and have unforgettable experiences. Upstream, rare animals live in national parks.

South Africa: The largest waterfall in the world - "Victoria"!

Victoria Falls- one of the outstanding attractions of Africa and one of the most unusual waterfalls in the world.

It is created by the Zambezi River, abruptly falling into a narrow crevice 100 meters wide.

Moreover, Victoria is the only waterfall in the world that has a length of more than a kilometer and a height of more than a hundred meters.

Mosi-o-Tunya ( thundering smoke) so for a long time the hunters of the Batoka tribe called the waterfall on the Zambezi River.

And the matabele cattle breeders living on the opposite bank gave him another, no less poetic name - Chongue, which in their language means " place of the rainbow".

The modern name - Victoria - was given to the waterfall in honor of his queen by the first European who saw him in 1855, the Englishman David Livingston.

He discovered this natural wonder after two years of hard travel through the savannas and jungles of Central Africa.

Three hundred warriors of the local leader Selectu, who accompanied the explorer, did not dare to approach the roaring mass.

In their opinion, a formidable deity lived in the abyss under the boiling wall of water, making itself felt with a terrifying growl.

Only two of Livingston's most daring companions dared to board a canoe with him and swim to an island located on the crest of a waterfall.

But let's leave the word to the traveler himself:

Before our eyes appeared huge pillars of "steam", rising up five or six miles from us.

"Steam" rose in five pillars and, deviating in the direction of the wind, looked as if these pillars touched a low cliff covered with forest. At this distance, it seemed as if the pillars above were mingling with the clouds.

Below they were white, and above they became dark as smoke.

The whole picture was extremely beautiful.

The waterfall is bounded on three sides by cliffs about 100 m high, which are covered with forest.

The oarsmen, after guiding a canoe into the middle part of the stream among whirlpools formed by many protruding stones, took me to an island located in the very middle of the river, not far from the ledge over which the water overflowed. Despite the fact that the waterfall was very close, we could not determine where this huge body of water was going; it seemed that it went into the ground, since the opposite ledge of the crack, at which the water disappeared, was only 27 m from us.

At least I could not understand it until I crept fearfully to the very edge and looked down into a huge cleft that stretched from one bank to the other across the entire width of the Zambezi ...

Looking into the depths of the crevasse, to the right of the islet, I saw nothing but a thick white cloud, on which at that time there were two bright rainbows.

From this cloud a huge jet of "steam" escaped, rose up to 200-300 feet; thickening at the top, the "steam" changed its color, becoming dark as smoke, and went back in a hail of small sprays, which soon left not a single dry thread on us.

This downpour falls mainly on the other side of the cleft; a few meters from the edge of the cliff there stand a wall of evergreen trees, the leaves of which are always wet.

A modern tourist who wants to see Victoria Falls with his own eyes will see almost the same picture as an English explorer a century and a half ago.

Thousand-ton masses of water hit the basalt foot of Victoria with such force that the water turns into clouds of spray, flying back in five columnar white clouds, rising hundreds of meters into the sky.

They can be seen from a distance of forty kilometers, and almost as far the roar of the waterfall is heard, like continuous thunder.

The Zambezi River, which overflows in this place almost two kilometers wide, suddenly stumbles here on a giant crack-fault in the basalts, and a powerful water avalanche falls one hundred and twenty meters down, falling into a narrow abyss with steep walls a hundred meters long, located at right angles to upper channel.

The islets divide the entire expanse of Victoria into several separate streams, bearing the names:

"Devil's Falls", "Main Falls", "Horseshoe", "Rainbow" and "East Falls".

Water jets, reminiscent of arrows flying down with foam endings, are carried away into the abyss and disappear in a cloud of spray.

Two magnificent rainbows constantly glow above the waterfall.

Shocked by the picture that opened before him, Livingston wrote in his diary: "This spectacle was so beautiful that flying angels must have admired it."

The waters of the Zambezi, squeezed by a narrow gorge, boil and bubble like volcanic magma, foam and rage with a wild roar and roar.

And under the influence of this fabulous majestic picture, the scientist's pencil turns into the poet's pen, because in the dry language of a scientific report it is impossible to convey the feelings of an eyewitness to this earthly miracle.

Here is another excerpt from the description of David Livingstone's journey:

“The whole mass of water overflowing the edge of the waterfall, three meters below, turns into a kind of monstrous curtain of snow driven by a snowstorm. Water particles separate from it in the form of comets with streaming tails, until this entire snow avalanche turns into a myriad of small comets rushing in one direction , and each of them leaves a tail of white foam behind its core.

Victoria Falls is the only place on Earth where you can see the rarest natural phenomenon - the lunar rainbow.

It does not occur often - only in those moments when the flood on the Zambezi River coincides with the period of the full moon.

And even people who have been here more than once cannot always boast that they saw this night miracle.

After all, sometimes 10-15 years pass between the next appearances of the lunar rainbow.

Only recently, the photographers of the National Geographic magazine managed to capture it on film for the first time.

Alas, the black and white illustrations in our book are powerless to convey its mysterious charm.

It’s hard to even say what makes the greatest impression on those who have visited Victoria Falls: the spectacle of a giant river suddenly disappearing into a bottomless pit, the monstrous roar of an avalanche, rainbows in clouds of spray, or the damp splendor of an evergreen forest framing this fantastic picture.

Each of the tens of thousands of tourists who annually visit the waterfall takes away something of their own in their memory, something that especially struck him in this most beautiful corner of Africa.

Some believe that the most amazing impression occurs when observing the white columns of "thundering smoke" in the rays of the sunset, when the fading sun throws a golden stream of rays on the cloud pillars, coloring them gray-yellow, and then it seems that some kind of clouds rise above the water. giant torches.

I must say that the Africans treated their waterfall much more carefully than the Americans, who spoiled the landscape of Niagara with ridiculous observation towers.

To see Victoria from above, it is enough to walk fifty meters to a huge baobab towering over the green sea of ​​the jungle. Climbing the metal ladder to its top, you can enjoy a bird's-eye view of the waterfall without disturbing the natural harmony.

Many travelers are not limited only to the spectacle of the waterfall.

No matter how beautiful and formidable the sight of a hundred-meter water wall falling into the abyss, Africa still holds many wonders.

And if you go on a trip on a pirogue through the dark waters of the Zambezi, which overflowed above the waterfall, you can see a whole world of mysterious and amazing African nature on the banks and islands of the river: green walls of the jungle descending to the water, bathing hippos and elephants, lurking crocodiles and coming to drink antelope…

And thrill-seekers sometimes decide on a desperate and full of risk rafting on inflatable rafts along the lower reaches of the Zambezi, roaring and raging in the gorge under the waterfall.

On a twenty-kilometer section of the river, they have to overcome nineteen rapids with waves reaching six meters in height ...

The discoverer of the Victoria Falls, a friend and teacher of the indigenous Africans, Dr. Livingston is immortalized here forever.

Just a few meters from the Devil's Falls stands a modest monument to a remarkable explorer. And nearby, in the town bearing the name of Livingston, his memorial museum was opened.

In addition to the powerful Victoria and the highest Tugela and Mtazari, Africa has such a miracle as the Lofoi waterfall in Zaire, in the Kundelungu National Park, in the province of Shaba, in the very southeast of the country. The Lofoi River rushes down like a water ram from a height of 340 meters.

Kalambo waterfall

At the southern tip of Lake Tanganyika, on the Kalambo River, which forms the border between Tanzania and Zambia, is the 221-meter-high Kalambo Falls. Like a water sword, it cuts through a sheer rock wall, plunging into the abyss in a powerful stream. The Kalambo waterfall has gained wide popularity since 1953, when archaeologists discovered one of the oldest African cities of the Paleolithic era in its area. The oldest iron objects on the continent, made by Africans, were also found there.

Augrabis Falls in Africa.

Augrabis waterfall

In South Africa, in the desert part of the Kalahari, on the Orange River, there is a 146-meter-high Augrabis waterfall. Augrabis is located in a wild rocky area. In this place, the Orange River flows between a heap of lifeless rocks and islands, forming a delta up to 7 km wide. The waters of the river along the main channel break through a narrow crevice and fly down into a deep gorge. In a gigantic cauldron, the depth of which is about 45 meters, the river frantically rushes about, swirls, raising waves of six meters in height. A cloud of water dust rises a hundred meters, almost to the crest of the waterfall, and gives birth to a bright rainbow. The roar of the waterfall gives a booming echo in the surroundings. The flow of water during the flood is hundreds of cubic meters per second. During the rainy season, it is generally impossible to approach Augrabis on foot, it can only be viewed from a helicopter. If Victoria Falls is surrounded by lush tropical vegetation, then the surroundings of Augrabis, especially in the dry season, look harsh and gloomy. The waterfall was opened in 1778.

African Kabarega Falls in Uganda.

Waterfall Cabarega

One of the wonders of the world is the Kabarega Falls on the Victoria Nile in Uganda. At one time it was named after the outstanding English geographer, geologist and traveler of the century before last, R. Murchison. The waterfall is unique in that the waters of the Nile break through here with great force through a tiny crevasse, only 6 meters wide, and with giant waves at an angle of 50 ° roll down through a series of ledges into a gorge 120 meters deep. This spectacle exudes primal power and leaves a lasting impression. A rainbow is constantly shining over the waterfall. The rays of the sun dissolve into a sparkling cascade with the roar of rushing foam, and the waterfall seems like a sparkling stream of precious stones. The waterfall was discovered by the Englishman S. Baker in 1864, and named after R. Murchison, who at that time held the post of chairman of the British Royal Geographical Society.

Calandula waterfall in Angola.

Kalandula waterfall

Calandula Falls is the second widest after Victoria. It is located on the Lucala River in Angola. This is a stunning sight. The river rushes down with a roar. The width of its launch pad is about a kilometer. One hundred and five meters it is in free flight, having lost its earthly support. During this time, its greenish waters turn into a boiling white mass. Myriads of tiny splashes are born when Lucala meets the stone bed of Kalandula. The many-voiced organ roar of falling water creates a fabulous, festive mood. The Kalandula waterfall gives tourists the unusual beauty of light music.

Waterfalls in Africa are small.

Waterfalls of Calais on the Samu River in Guinea, they look like an avalanche of water at least 600-700 meters wide, falling from a height of 50-60 meters.

In Ethiopia, on the river Ganale-Doriya is located Barattieri waterfall 140 meters high. In the same country, the Blue Nile forms the fourth largest African waterfall(after Victoria, Kalandula, Calais) - Tiss Abbay. With a span of 300 meters, it has a height of 50 meters, and in appearance resembles the American part of Niagara. A hydroelectric power station was built near the Tiss-Abbay waterfall.

Waterfalls in Africa numerous and very picturesque. Naturally, there are lesser known ones. In the south of the continent, in the state of Lesotho, there are many mountain rivers. The country is located on a plateau up to 3 thousand meters high. This country is perhaps the only one on the continent where Africans wear fur coats. In Lesotho, on one of the tributaries of the Orange River, is Maletsunyane waterfall 192 meters high.

Very interesting is the waterfall in the upper reaches of the Comoe River, in the south of West Africa - a wide type, with subsequent cascades spread out on stone slabs. Curious boilers Felu waterfall in Upper Senegal. The multi-stage cascade of Boyali near the capital of the Central African Republic is impressive. Waterfalls 100 meters high are located on one of the left tributaries of the Rbia River in southern Morocco and southern Africa. Popular in South Africa Albert Falls on the Karkluf River - "a waterfall that flows into a bowl."

Rainbows shine over the waterfalls of Africa, whose peoples are still struggling with colonialism and neo-colonialism. In the struggle for their daily bread, they naturally, far from always being able to admire the wonders of nature. It should be noted that in most developing countries, areas of natural interest have been declared nature reserves. A large waterfall is always an element of the national wealth of any country. It is in Africa that at the entrance to one of the reserves there is an inscription: “Remember, we are not the owners of natural resources, but only trusted representatives of descendants!”

Africa is an interesting continent and part of the world. Despite the prevailing stereotypes about it, Africa is very multifaceted and interesting. Its nature can surprise you both with the presence of the driest places on the planet, and with gorgeous rivers, lakes, waterfalls and forests.

The peculiarities of the geological structure of the mainland and its climatic conditions led to the fact that the largest number of the most impressive, world-famous waterfalls were located south of the equator, but in the northern part of the mainland there is something worth getting out of the house for.

Top 10 highest waterfalls in Africa

Tugela

This waterfall is the highest in Africa - Tugela is the second highest in the world, although it lags far behind the famous Victoria Falls in power, beauty and popularity. In fact, Tugela is divided into five cascades, the sum of the heights of which does not reach a kilometer a little. This waterfall is located in the Dragon Mountains, which are located in the Republic of South Africa.

The Royal National Park Natal is organized in this place. Translated from the Zulu language, "tugela" means "sudden", because the rock from which it collapses ends in a sharp cliff, which in winter is often covered with snow. Tugela is quite picturesque throughout its length. The width of the falling jet is small, and the height of the highest cascade is four hundred meters.

Mutarazi

In another South African country, Zimbabwe, which is located on the Eastern Highlands, there is a stunning Nyanga National Park that can surprise even the most sophisticated viewer with its beauty. It combines a humid climate with life-giving properties, gorgeous mountain meadows, valleys, green hills, rivers and lakes. In the south of this national park there is the picturesque Mutarazi waterfall, which is the second highest in Africa and one of the highest in the world. It is located on the river of the same name, the waters of which rush down in a powerful stream from a rocky ledge that crosses the riverbed. Water falls into the Honda Valley from a height of seven hundred and sixty-two meters.

The waterfall has two cascades, and the width of its stream is fifteen meters. In the summer months, which fall in February - April, the rainy season begins, thanks to which the waterfall is gaining maximum power. But in the dry winter period, it becomes a rather thin stream. But at any time of the year, its background looks great - forested valleys and slopes, as well as rocky mountains.

Jinba

The next highest African waterfall is already north of the equator - in the northern part of Ethiopia, where the Mount Simien National Park is located. It is fed by the waters of the short mountain river of the same name. Its channel lasts only about ten kilometers. Winding among the rocks, the river at some point collapses in a noisy stream into a narrow deep canyon, overcoming five hundred meters in flight. The height of the waterfall is determined only approximately, since no one has yet dared to get there and make the necessary measurements.

A powerful white water jet rushing down at the beginning of its fall resembles a thin line cutting through sheer cliffs of gray basalt. But in the middle of the fall, the wind blows the stream towards the rocks, hitting which the water turns into a myriad of splashes that form a cloud. The waterfall is especially beautiful during the rainy season, but it does not disappear at all during the dry season. Unfortunately, Jinba is very difficult to access, and therefore little known.

Calambo

The next high waterfall is also located in the southern part of the mainland. This time it formed where the border between Tanzania and Zambia passes. In terms of the height of the continuous fall, this waterfall, which has a width of four to twenty meters (depending on the time of year), is the second on the Black Continent.

Europeans learned about this waterfall only in the thirteenth year of the twentieth century. This is one of the most important places on the continent from the point of view of archeology - traces of human activity, which are two and a half thousand years old, have been found here. In the fifty-third year of the twentieth century, Archaeologist D. Clark was the first to begin excavations on the banks of a small lake located below the waterfall along the river. He discovered there hearths and stone tools of incredible age. The presence of hearths indicates that already in that distant period, our ancestors actively used fire.

Maletsyuneyane

This waterfall with an unpronounceable name is the pride of the small South African state of Lesotho. It is located in Maseru district, in the very center of the country. It may not seem like something unique at first glance, but the striking geological contrast makes it truly unique.

The waterfall is a single cascade, a powerful jet of which falls into the abyss of the canyon from almost two hundred meters high, turning into a cloud of spray visible from afar. Against the backdrop of the magnificent surrounding mountain landscape, all this looks incredibly impressive.

Ouzoud

There are also beautiful waterfalls in northern Africa, and Ouzoud is one of them. It is located one hundred and fifty kilometers north of Marrakesh. Its several cascades fall together from more than a hundred meters high and are divided into three main streams. In the Berber language, the name of the waterfall means "olive", and this is not accidental, since a hiking trail leads to it through a grove of olive trees.

The number and fullness of the waterfall cascades depend on the season. They look most impressive in the spring, when the river does not have time to dry up on the way to the cliff. At certain moments, more than three cascades appear at the waterfall, while they together overcome one step, after which they merge into a single stream, which collapses from the steep. Below, the falling water washed out several natural reservoirs connected by short channels - people bathe in them with great pleasure, escaping from the heat.

Victoria

This most famous and spectacular of the African waterfalls has long become the most important attraction of the Black Continent and has even been included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. It is located between Zimbabwe and Zambia on the Zambezi River in the place where the national parks border - the Zambian "Thunder Smoke" and the Zimbabwean "Victoria Falls".

Calandula

The Kalandula waterfall, which is located four hundred kilometers north of the capital of the state of Luanda. The maximum fullness is observed at this waterfall in June-August, when its powerful stream collapses at a width of six hundred meters. In terms of water flow, Calandula is second only to Victoria Falls in Africa.

Howick

In South Africa, there is another high waterfall - Howik, which is located in the province of KwaZulu-Natal on a fairly full-flowing Umgeni River two hundred kilometers long. Back in the ninety-seventh year of the fifteenth century, the Portuguese Vasco da Gama entered the mouth of this river on his ship to replenish supplies of food and water. But he did not see the waterfall, and the Europeans discovered it only at the beginning of the nineteenth century.

Africa is very diverse - on the one hand, it has a lot of deserts and simply arid places, and on the other, an abundance of rivers, lakes and beautiful waterfalls. The peculiarities of the geological structure of the mainland and its climatic conditions have led to the fact that the largest number of the most impressive, world-famous waterfalls are located south of the equator, but there is something to admire in the northern part of the mainland.

1. Tugela, South Africa (948 m)

The highest waterfall in Africa - Tugela is the second highest in the world, although it is far from the power, beauty and popularity of the famous Victoria Falls. In fact, Tugela is divided into five cascades, the sum of the heights of which does not reach a kilometer a little. This waterfall is located in the Dragon Mountains, in the Republic of South Africa. The Royal National Park Natal is organized in this place. Translated from the Zulu language, "tugela" means "sudden", because the rock from which it collapses ends in a sharp cliff, which in winter is often covered with snow. Tugela is quite picturesque throughout its length. The width of the falling jet is small, and the height of the highest cascade is 411 meters.

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2. Mutarazi, Zimbabwe (762 m)

In another South African country, Zimbabwe, on the Eastern Highlands, there is a stunningly beautiful Nyanga National Park with a life-giving humid climate, mountain meadows, green hills, picturesque valleys, rivers, lakes and waterfalls. In the south of this national park there is the picturesque Mutarazi waterfall, which is the second highest in Africa and one of the highest in the world. It is located on the river of the same name, the waters of which rush down in a powerful stream from a rocky ledge that crosses the riverbed. Water falls into the Honda Valley from a height of 762 meters.
The waterfall has two cascades, and the width of its stream is 15 m. In February-April, when summer reigns here, the rainy season begins, thanks to which the waterfall is gaining maximum power. But in the dry winter period, it becomes a rather thin stream. But at any time of the year, its background looks great - forested valleys and slopes, as well as rocky mountains.

3. Jinba, Ethiopia (about 500 m)

The next highest African waterfall is already north of the equator - in the northern part of Ethiopia, where the Mount Simien National Park is located. It is fed by the waters of the short mountain river of the same name (only 9 km). Winding among the rocks, the river at some point collapses in a noisy stream into a narrow deep canyon, overcoming half a kilometer in flight. The height of the waterfall is determined only approximately, since no one has yet dared to get there and make the necessary measurements. A powerful white water jet rushing down at the beginning of its fall resembles a thin line cutting through sheer cliffs of gray basalt. But in the middle of the fall, the wind blows the stream towards the rocks, hitting which the water turns into a myriad of splashes that form a cloud. The waterfall is especially beautiful during the rainy season, but it does not disappear at all during the dry season. Unfortunately, Jinba is very difficult to access, and therefore little known.

4. Kalambo, Zambia, Tanzania (427 m)

Another high waterfall is also located in southern Africa, this time on the border between Tanzania and Zambia. In terms of the height of the continuous fall, this waterfall, which has a width of 4 to 18 meters, is the second on the Black Continent. It is part of the river of the same name, which flows into the famous Lake Tanganyika. Following the location of the waterfall, the river flows along the bottom of a 5-kilometer gorge 300 meters deep and one kilometer wide, after which it enters the Tanganyika valley.
Europeans learned about this waterfall only in 1913. This is one of the most important places on the continent in terms of archeology - traces of human activity 250 thousand years ago have been found here. In 1953, D. Clark was the first to start excavations on the banks of a small lake located below the waterfall along the river. He discovered there hearths and stone tools of incredible age. The presence of hearths indicates that already in that remote period, our ancestors actively used fire.

5. Maletsuneyane, Lesotho (192 m)

This waterfall with an unpronounceable name is the pride of the small South African state of Lesotho. It is located in Maseru district, in the very center of the country. It may not seem like something unique at first glance, but the striking geological contrast makes it truly unique. The waterfall is a single cascade, a powerful jet of which falls into the abyss of the canyon from almost two hundred meters high, turning into a cloud of spray visible from afar. Against the backdrop of the magnificent surrounding mountain landscape, all this looks incredibly impressive.
Although this part of the African continent is quite arid, due to the height of the mountain plateau, more precipitation falls here and more evenly throughout the year, due to which the Maletsyuneyane waterfall is almost always full of water. In winter, it is often supplemented by huge ice growths. At the foot of the waterfall, a lake has formed, which is always in the shade, so the ice on its banks lingers until the summer.
To look at the waterfall itself, as well as the picturesque surroundings, many travelers come here. The first European who saw the Maletsyuneyane waterfall in 1881 was Francois Le Bian, a missionary from France.

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6. Augrabis, South Africa (146 m)

This waterfall is located on the famous Orange River in one of the South African national parks. In terms of the height of the water fall, it leads in front of the famous Victoria Falls. The name of the waterfall, translated from the language of the local Khoikhoy tribe, means “noisy place”, and there is no exaggeration here, because powerful jets of water fall here into the 200-meter depth of the gorge from a height of 146 meters, and then the gorge stretches for 18 kilometers.
The first name Augrabis from Europeans began to be used in 1778 by the Finn Hendrik Vikar, followed by the Boers, who settled here later. In a particularly powerful flood in 1988, the volume of the waterfall's drainage reached 7800 cubic meters. m / s, and in 2006 the flow rate during the flood reached 6800 cubic meters. m / s, which is three times the average flood flow of Niagara Falls (2400 cubic meters / s) and is equal to the maximum flow rate for the entire observation period.

7. Ouzoud, Morocco (110 m)

There are beautiful waterfalls in northern Africa too, and Ouzoud is one of them. It is located 150 km north of Marrakesh. Its several cascades fall together from more than 100 meters and are divided into three main streams. In the Berber language, the name of the waterfall means "olive", and this is not accidental, since a hiking trail leads to it through a grove of olive trees.
The number and fullness of the waterfall cascades depend on the season. They look most impressive in the spring, when the river does not have time to dry up on the way to the cliff. At certain moments, more than three cascades appear at the waterfall, while they together overcome one step, after which they merge into a single stream, which collapses from the steep. Below, the falling water washed several natural reservoirs connected by short channels - people bathe in them with great pleasure, fleeing from the heat.

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8. Victoria, Zimbabwe and Zambia (108 m)

This most famous and spectacular of the African waterfalls has long become the most important attraction of the Black Continent and has even been included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. It is located between Zimbabwe and Zambia on the Zambezi River in a place where the national parks border - the Zambian "Thunder Smoke" and the Zimbabwean "Victoria Falls".
When the Scottish traveler David Livingston visited this magnificent waterfall in 1855, he named it in honor of the queen ruling at that time. The local tribes call it "Thundering Smoke". The width of the water fall here is very long - 1800 meters, which makes this waterfall unique. Victoria is about twice the height of Niagara Falls and more than twice the width of the Horseshoe - its main part.
Tons of falling water every second in flight break into countless sprays that form a fog cloud rising 400 meters or more above the waterfall - it can be seen from 50 kilometers away. Every minute during the rainy season, the waterfall brings down 500,000 tons of water, and the record was set in 1958, when this value reached 770,000 tons. Zambezi collapses into a fault in the earth's crust about 120 meters deep. On the crest of the waterfall there are numerous islands that break the stream into separate jets, the number of which varies at different times of the year.
The river that fell into the crevice punched a rather narrow channel in its wall, which has a width of only 30 meters and a length of 120 meters. Escaping through it, the river enters a winding gorge that stretches for 80 kilometers. After the first zigzag after the fall of the water, she washed out a deep basin 150 meters wide, which is called the "boiling cauldron".

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9. Calandula, Angola (104 m)

One of the most notable sights of another South African country of Angola is the Kalandula waterfall, which is located 420 kilometers north of the capital of the state of Luanda. The maximum full flow is observed at this waterfall in June-August, when its powerful stream collapses at a width of 600 meters. In terms of water flow, Calandula is second only to Victoria Falls in Africa.
It has a horseshoe shape and consists of several multi-stage narrow streams cascading over the rocks, which are overgrown with luxurious tall tropical trees. At the top, there is a great view of the Lukalu River, which feeds the waterfall, which, framed by lush jungle, stretches into the distance, towards the hilly horizon. A rainbow almost always hangs over the waterfall, which tourists love to photograph so much.
The government of Angola has recently set up a tourist company, one of the main attractions of which was this magnificent waterfall. The good thing is that you can admire this spectacle throughout the year, however, it is best to come there during the rainy season, during which the violent power of huge amounts of rushing water is especially strongly felt.

10. Howick, South Africa (95 m)

In South Africa, there is another high waterfall - Howick, which is located in the province of KwaZulu-Natal on a fairly full-flowing Umgeni River 232 kilometers long. Back in 1497, the Portuguese Vasco da Gama entered the mouth of this river on his ship to replenish supplies of food and water. But he did not see the waterfall, and the Europeans discovered it only in 1800. The water here falls from a steep cliff, forming a foaming rumbling column. The locals call the waterfall a word meaning "high place". In the process of falling water, a lot of white foam and a cloud of spray are formed, and this whole picture is accompanied by a deafening roar that does not stop for a minute.

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