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Zambezi

From Wikipedia
Zambezi River
main stem
Origin of the watercourseLunda Plateau Edit
Mouth of the watercourseIndian Ocean Edit
Lake for watercourse topCahora Bassa Reservoir, Kariba Dam Edit
Drainage basinZambezi Basin Edit
Basin countryAngola Edit
CountryAngola, Mozambique, Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe Edit
Coordinate location11°22′13″S 24°18′30″E, 18°34′14″S 36°28′13″E Edit
Adjacent structure or buildingOld Drift Lodge Edit
Category for maps or plansCategory:Maps of Zambezi Edit

De Zambezi (dem sanso spell Zambeze den Zambesi) be de fourth-longest river insyd Africa, de longest east-flowing river insyd Africa den de largest flowing into de Indian Ocean from Africa. Ein drainage basin dey cover 1,390,000 km2 (540,000 mi2), slightly less dan half of de Nile ein own. De 2,574 km (1,599 mi) river dey rise insyd Zambia den dey flow thru eastern Angola, along de north-eastern border of Namibia den de northern border of Botswana, then along de border between Zambia den Zimbabwe to Mozambique, wer e dey cross de country to empty into de Indian Ocean.[1][2] De Zambezi ein most noted feature be Victoria Falls. Ein oda falls dey include Chavuma Falls[3] den Ngonye Falls.[4]

De two main sources of hydroelectric power for de river top be de Kariba Dam, wich dey provide power to Zambia den Zimbabwe, den de Cahora Bassa Dam insyd Mozambique, wich dey provide power to Mozambique den South Africa. Additionally, two smaller power stations insyd Zambia be at Victoria Falls den Zengamina.[5][6]

Course

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Origins

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De Zambezi den ein river basin

De river dey rise insyd a black, marshy dambo in dense, undulating miombo woodland 50 km (31 mi) north of Mwinilunga den 20 km (12 mi) south of Ikelenge insyd de Ikelenge District of North-Western Province, Zambia, at about 1,524 metres (5,000 ft) above sea level.[7] De area around de source be a national monument, forest reserve, den important bird area.[8]

Upper Zambezi

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De river dey flow to de southwest into Angola for about 240 km (150 mi), then e be joined by sizeable tributaries such as de Luena den de Chifumage wey dey flow from highlands to de north-west.[9] E dey turn south den dey develop a floodplain, plus extreme width variation between de dry den rainy seasons. E dey enter dense evergreen Cryptosepalum dry forest, though on ein western side, Western Zambezian grasslands sanso occur. Wer e re-enter Zambia, e be nearly 400 m (1,300 ft) wide insyd de rainy season den dey flow rapidly, plus rapids wey dey end insyd de Chavuma Falls, wer de river dey flow thru a rocky fissure. De river dey drop about 400 m (1,300 ft) in elevation from ein source at 1,500 m (4,900 ft) to de Chavuma Falls at 1,100 m (3,600 ft), over a distance of about 400 km (250 mi). From dis point to de Victoria Falls, de level of de basin be very uniform, wey dey drop only by anoda 180 m (590 ft) across a distance of around 800 km (500 mi).[10]

Middle Zambezi

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Victoria Falls, de end of de upper Zambezi den beginning of de middle Zambezi

De Victoria Falls be considered de boundary between de upper den middle Zambezi. Below dem, de river continue to flow due east for about 200 km (120 mi), wey dey cut thru perpendicular walls of basalt 20 to 60 m (66 to 197 ft) apart insyd hills 200 to 250 m (660 to 820 ft) high. De river dey flow swiftly thru de Batoka Gorge, de current be continually interrupted by reefs. Na e be described[11] as one of de world ein most spectacular whitewater trips, a tremendous challenge give kayakers den rafters alike. Beyond de gorge be a succession of rapids wey end 240 km (150 mi) below Victoria Falls. Over dis distance, de river dey drop 250 m (820 ft).

Lower Zambezi

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De lower Zambezi ein 650 kilometres (400 mi) from Cahora Bassa to de Indian Ocean be navigable, although de river be shallow insyd chaw places during de dry season. Dis shallowness dey arise as de river dey enter a broad valley den dey spread out over a large area. Only at one point, de Lupata Gorge, 320 kilometres (200 mi) from ein mouth, be de river confine between high hills. Here, e be scarcely 200 metres (660 ft) wide. Elsewhere e be from 5 to 8 kilometres (3 to 5 mi) wide, wey dey flow gently insyd chaw streams. De riverbed be sandy, den de banks be low den reed-fringed. At places, however, den especially insyd de rainy season, de streams unite into one broad, fast-flowing river.

Discharge

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Average, minimum den maximum discharge of the Zambezi River at Marromeu (Lower Zambezi). Period from 1998 to 2022.[12]

Year Discharge (m3/s) Year Discharge (m3/s)
Min Mean Max Min Mean Max
1998 1,141 3,335 11,183 2011 17 2,619 6,117
1999 600 4,259 11,084 2012 1,383 3,522 7,553
2000 338 3,041 6,696 2013 1,243 3,877 8,622
2001 112 9,151 39,802 2014 2,394 4,161 8,946
2002 631 2,536 4,910 2015 3,307 6,095 15,826
2003 329 2,536 8,952 2016 1,754 4,418 9,124
2004 79 2,013 4,824 2017 2,133 4,686 9,215
2005 888 3,030 7,973 2018 2,177 4,988 8,802
2006 1,549 3,651 7,575 2019 2,867 5,942 12,091
2007 2,208 4,636 14,141 2020 3,001 5,131 10,031
2008 2,881 6,949 31,975 2021 2,331 5,977 10,196
2009 154 2,648 5,930 2022 868 4,953 14,361
2010 58 2,284 6,342 17 4,217 39,802

Tributaries

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Upper Zambezi: 507,200 km2, discharges 1044 m3/s at Victoria Falls, wey dey comprise:

Northern Highlands catchment, 222,570 km2, 850 m3/s at Lukulu:
  • Chifumage River: Angolan central plateau
  • Luena River: Angolan central plateau
  • Kabompo River: 72,200 km2, NW highlands of Zambia
  • Lungwebungu River: 47,400 km2, Angolan central plateau
Central Plains catchment, 284,630 km2, 196 m3/s (Victoria Falls–Lukulu):
  • Luanginga River: 34,600 km2, Angolan central plateau
  • Luampa River/Luena River, Zambia: 20,500 km2, eastern side of Zambezi
  • Cuando /Linyanti/Chobe River: 133,200 km2, Angolan S plateau & Caprivi

Middle Zambezi cumulatively 1,050,000 km2, 2442 m3/s, dem measure at Cahora Bassa Gorge

View of de Middle Zambezi
(Middle section by einself: 542,800 km2, dey discharge 1398 m3/s (C. Bassa–Victoria Falls)
Gwembe Catchment, 156,600 km2, 232 m3/s (Kariba Gorge–Vic Falls):
  • Gwayi River: 54,610 km2, NW Zimbabwe
  • Sengwa River: 25,000 km2, North-central Zimbabwe
  • Sanyati River: 43,500 km2, North-central Zimbabwe
Kariba Gorge to C. Bassa catchment, 386200 km2, 1166 m3/s (C. Bassa–Kariba Gorge):
  • Kafue River: 154,200 km2, 285 m3/s, West-central Zambia & Copperbelt
  • Luangwa River: 151,400 km2, 547 m3/s, Luangwa Rift Valley & plateau NW of it
  • Panhane River: 23,897 km2, North-central Zimbabwe plateau

Lower Zambezi cumulatively, 1,378,000 km2, 3424 m3/s, dem measure at Marromeu

(Lower section by einself: 328,000 km2, 982 m3/s (Marromeu–C. Bassa))
  • Luia River: 28,000 km2, Moravia-Angonia plateau, N of Zambezi
  • Luenha River/Mazoe River: 54,144 km2, 152 m3/s, Manica plateau, NE Zimbabwe
  • Shire River, 154,000 km2, 539 m3/s, Lake Malawi basin
Zambezi Delta, 12,000 km2

Total Zambezi river basin: 1,390,000 km2, 3424 m3/s discharge into delta
Source: Beilfuss & Dos Santos[13]

De Okavango Basin no be included insyd de figures secof e only occasionally dey overflow to any extent into de Zambezi.

Major towns

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Along much of de river ein length, de population be sparse, buh important towns den cities along ein course dey include:

  • Katima Mulilo (Namibia)
  • Livingstone, Mongu, Lukulu, Senanga den Sesheke (Zambia)
  • Victoria Falls den Kariba (Zimbabwe)
  • Songo den Tete (Mozambique)
  • Cazombo (Angola)

References

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  1. ↑ "Zambezi River | river, Africa". Encyclopedia Britannica (in English). Archived from the original on 2 May 2021. Retrieved 2021-05-20.
  2. ↑ "Zambezi River Facts and Information". www.victoriafalls-guide.net. Archived from the original on 7 May 2023. Retrieved 2021-05-27.
  3. ↑ "Chavuma Falls | waterfall, Zambia | Britannica". www.britannica.com (in English). Archived from the original on 26 June 2022. Retrieved 2022-06-26.
  4. ↑ "Zambia Tourism: Waterfalls". Zambia Tourism (in American English). Archived from the original on 7 April 2020. Retrieved 2022-06-25.
  5. ↑ Pasanisi, Francesco; Tebano, Carlo; Zarlenga, Francesco (March 2016). "A Survey near Tambara along the Lower Zambezi River". Environments (in English). 3 (1): 6. doi:10.3390/environments3010006.
  6. ↑ "Zengamina Hydro Project | North West Zambia Development Trust" (in American English). Archived from the original on 23 April 2022. Retrieved 2022-04-18.
  7. ↑ "Dilapidated Zambezi Source Site Worry Ikelenge DC". muvitv.com. Muvi TV. Archived from the original on 4 September 2015. Retrieved 1 August 2015.
  8. ↑ "ZM002 Source of the Zambezi". birdlife.org. Birdlife International. Archived from the original on 4 September 2015. Retrieved 1 August 2015.
  9. ↑ Dorling Kindersley, pp. 84–85
  10. ↑ Page, Geology (2014-11-25). "Zambezi River". Geology Page (in American English). Archived from the original on 20 May 2021. Retrieved 2021-05-20.
  11. ↑ Edington, Sean (2020-12-29). "Is rafting on the Zambezi River below The Victoria Falls Dangerous?". SAFPAR (in American English). Archived from the original on 20 May 2021. Retrieved 2021-05-20.
  12. ↑ "River Discharge and Reservoir Storage Changes Using Satellite Microwave Radiometry". Archived from the original on 7 March 2023. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  13. ↑ Beilfuss, Richard; dos Santos, David (2001). "Patterns of Hydrological Change in the Zambezi Delta, Monogram for the Sustainable Management of Cahora Bassa Dam and The Lower Zambezi Valley" (PDF). files.gorongosa.net. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-10-21. Retrieved 2026-06-07.
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