Lake Kariba | lake, Africa | Britannica.com Lake Kariba Lake Tana Lake Kariba, lake in central Africa , between Zambia and Zimbabwe . It was formed by damming the Zambezi River in the Kariba Gorge, where the river narrows between hills of hard rock 250 miles (400 km) below Victoria Falls . After 1960 the hydroelectric facilities of the Kariba Dam served the towns of Zambia, the Harare (formerly Salisbury) and Bulawayo areas, and the southern part of Zimbabwe. The lake, covering about 2,000 square miles (5,200 square km), extends upstream 175 miles (280 km) to Devil’s Gorge and has a maximum width of 30 miles (48 km), with a deeply indented shore and many islands. Its depth is irregular (295 feet [90 m] near the dam), and its full capacity is 146,415,000 acre-feet (180,600,000,000 cubic m).

The overall project included four harbour sites, the resettlement of river dwellers, the rescue of game, and the introduction of Tilapia fish to the waters to give a 15,000-ton yield annually. Learn More in these related articles: Zambezi River river draining a large portion of south-central Africa. Together with its tributaries, it forms the fourth largest river basin of the continent. The river flows eastward for about 2,200 miles (3,540 kilometres) from its source on the Central African Plateau to empty into the Indian Ocean. With its... in Zambia: Resources and power ...Large rivers descending from the plateau into the rifted troughs of the Zambezi provide scope for hydropower development, and a major gorge on the middle Zambezi enabled it to be dammed to form Lake Kariba. The first power station at Kariba was built on the south side of the river, but a 600-megawatt station on the Zambian side was completed in 1977, shortly after the completion of a... in Zambezi River: Navigation ...about 400 miles upstream to the Cahora Bassa Dam.

Above the dam Lake Cahora Bassa is navigable to its confluence with the Luangwa River, where navigation is interrupted again to the Kariba Dam. Lake Kariba is navigable, but the river again becomes impassable from the end of the lake to the Ngonye Falls, some 250 miles upstream. It is again navigable by shallow-draft boats for the 300 miles... 4 References found in Britannica Articles Assorted References hydrology and climate of Zambezi River (in Zambezi River: Physiography ) (in Zambezi River: Climate ) (in Zambezi River: Navigation ) External Links Corrections? Updates? Help us improve this article! Contact our editors with your feedback. MEDIA FOR: You have successfully emailed this. Error when sending the email. Try again later. Edit Mode Submit Tips For Editing We welcome suggested improvements to any of our articles. You can make it easier for us to review and, hopefully, publish your contribution by keeping a few points in mind. Encyclopædia Britannica articles are written in a neutral objective tone for a general audience. You may find it helpful to search within the site to see how similar or related subjects are covered.

Any text you add should be original, not copied from other sources. At the bottom of the article, feel free to list any sources that support your changes, so that we can fully understand their context. (Internet URLs are the best.) Your contribution may be further edited by our staff, and its publication is subject to our final approval. Unfortunately, our editorial approach may not be able to accommodate all contributions. Submit Thank You for Your Contribution! Our editors will review what you've submitted, and if it meets our criteria, we'll add it to the article. Please note that our editors may make some formatting changes or correct spelling or grammatical errors, and may also contact you if any clarifications are needed. Uh Oh There was a problem with your submission. Please try again later. Close Date Published: July 20, 1998 URL: Access Date: January 20, 2017 Share Zambezi River | river, Africa | Britannica.com Zambezi River Alternative Titles: Zambesi River, Zanbere River Related Topics Kariba Zambezi River, also spelled Zambesi, river draining a large portion of south-central Africa.

Together with its tributaries, it forms the fourth largest river basin of the continent. The river flows eastward for about 2,200 miles (3,540 kilometres) from its source on the Central African Plateau to empty into the Indian Ocean . With its tributaries, it drains an area of more than 500,000 square miles (1,300,000 square kilometres). The Zambezi (meaning “Great River” in the language of the Tonga people) includes along its course the Victoria Falls , one of the world’s greatest natural wonders, and the Kariba and Cahora Bassa dams, two of Africa’s largest hydroelectric projects. The river either crosses or forms the boundaries of six countries—Angola, Zambia, Namibia , Botswana , Zimbabwe , and Mozambique —and the use of its waters has been the subject of a series of international agreements. The Zambezi River basin and its drainage network. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. Victoria Falls on the Zambezi River as seen from Zambia. G. Holton/Photo Researchers The Zambezi River at sunset.

Art Wolfe—Stone/Getty Images Physical features Physiography The Zambezi rises out of a marshy bog near Kalene Hill, Zambia , about 4,800 feet (1,460 metres) above sea level , and flows some 20 miles before entering Angola , through which it runs for more than 175 miles. In this first section of its course, the river is met by more than a dozen tributaries of varying sizes. Shortly after reentering Zambia, the river flows over the Chavuma Falls and enters a broad region of hummocky, sand-covered floodplains, the largest of which is the Barotse, or Zambezi, Plain. The region is inundated during the summer floods, when it receives fertile alluvial soils. The main tributaries intersecting the river along the plains are the Kabompo River from the east and the larger Lungué-Bungo (Lungwebungo) River from the west.

Similar Topics Kagera River The Zambezi then enters a stretch of rapids that extends from Ngonye (Sioma) Falls south to the Katima Mulilo Rapids, after which for about 80 miles it forms the border between Zambia to the north and the eastern Caprivi Strip—an extension of Namibia—to the south. In this stretch the river meanders through the broad grasslands of the Sesheke Plain until it is joined by the Cuando ( Kwando ) River. Near Kazungula, Zambia, the river, after flowing past Botswana territory to the south, turns almost due east and forms the frontier between Zambia and Zimbabwe. From the Cuando confluence to the Victoria Falls , the Zambezi varies considerably in width, from open reaches with sand islands to stretches of rapids through narrow channels separated by numerous rock islands. The Victoria Falls mark the end of the upper course of the Zambezi, as its waters tumble with a thunderous roar and an enormous cloud of spray. The area around the falls was once covered by a thick layer of lava, which as it cooled formed wide cracks, or joints, that became filled with softer sediments.

As the Zambezi cut its present valley it encountered one of these joints, eroded the sediment, and created a trench, eventually forcing a gap at the lower end of the trench that quickly widened into a gorge. The force of the water also created a second gap at the upper end of the trench that gradually diverted the river until the trench itself was left dry. As the river cut backward it repeated the process, scouring eight successive waterfalls in the past half million years. The Zambezi’s middle course extends about 600 miles from Victoria Falls to the eastern end of Lake Cahora Bassa in Mozambique. It continues to form the boundary between Zambia and Zimbabwe until it crosses the Mozambique border at Luangwa. Below the falls a gorge some 60 miles long has been formed by the trench-scouring process, through which the river descends in a series of rapids. Just upstream of Lake Kariba the river valley widens and is contained by escarpments nearly 2,000 feet high. The middle Zambezi is notable for the two man-made lakes, Kariba and Cahora Bassa (see below), that constitute much of this stretch of the river.

Between the two lakes the Zambezi trends northeast for nearly 40 miles before it turns east below the confluence with the Kafue River , the Zambezi’s largest tributary. In this section the river rushes through two rocky, narrow gorges, the first just below the Kariba Dam and the other above the confluence with the Luangwa River . Britannica Stories Obama Acts to Protect the Arctic At the dam at the eastern end of Lake Cahora Bassa, the Zambezi begins its lower course, during which it descends from the Central African Plateau to the coastal plain . At first the hilly country is replaced by flat areas at the head of the Tete Basin, and the river becomes more placid. About 40 miles downstream the river has cut the Lupata Gorge through a range of hills, where it emerges onto the Mozambique Plain and occupies a broad valley that spreads out in places to a width of three to five miles. Near Vila Fontes the river receives its last great tributary, the Shire River , which drains Lake Nyasa (Malaŵi) some 210 miles to the north. Africa at Random: Fact or Fiction?

At its mouth the Zambezi splits into a wide, flat, and marshy delta obstructed by sandbars. There are two main channels, each again divided into two. The wider, eastern channel splits into the Muselo River to the north and the main mouth of the Zambezi to the south. The western channel forms both the Inhamissengo River and the smaller Melambe River. North of the main delta the Chinde River separates from the Zambezi’s main stream to form a navigable channel leading to a shallow harbour. Hydrology The Zambezi, according to measurements taken at Maramba (formerly Livingstone), Zambia, experiences its maximum flow in March or April. In October or November the discharge diminishes to less than 10 percent of the maximum. The annual average flow reaches about 247,000 cubic feet (7,000 cubic metres) per second. Measurements taken at Kariba Dam reflect the same seasonal pattern; the highest flood recorded there was in March 1958, when the flow reached 565,000 cubic feet per second. Climate Facebook Twitter YouTube Instagram Pinterest The Zambezi River lies within the tropics.

The upper and middle course of the river is on an upland plateau, and temperatures, modified by altitude, are relatively mild, generally between 64° and 86° F (18° and 30° C). The winter months (May to July) are cool and dry, with temperatures averaging 68° F (20° C). Between August and October there is a considerable rise in average temperatures, particularly in the river valley itself; just before the rains begin in October temperatures there become excessively hot, often reaching 104° F (40° C). The rainy season lasts from November to April. Rain falls in short, intense thundershowers—the rate sometimes reaching 6 inches (150 millimetres) per hour—with skies clearing between downpours. In these months the upper Zambezi receives nearly all its total rainfall, and this accounts for the great variation in the flow of the river throughout the year. In all, the upper and middle Zambezi valley receives 22 to 30 inches of rain per year.

Studies have suggested that a microclimate in the area of Lake Kariba has created a rise in precipitation, possibly as a result of a lake breeze blocked by the escarpment that produces thunderstorms. In the lower course of the river in Mozambique the influence of the summer monsoon increases the levels of precipitation and humidity. Temperatures are also higher—determined more by the latitude and less by altitude—as the river descends from the plateau. Plant life The vegetation along the upper and middle course of the Zambezi is predominantly savanna , with deciduous trees, grass, and open woodland. Mopane woodland (Colophospermum mopane) is predominant on the alluvial flats of the low-lying river valleys and is highly susceptible to fire. Grass, when present, is typically short and sparse. Forestland with species of the genus Baikiaea, found extensively on sandy interfluves between drainage channels, is economically the most important vegetation type in Zambia, for it is the source of the valuable Rhodesian teak (Baikiaea plurijuga). Destruction of the Baikiaea forest results in a regression from forest to grassland , a slow process involving intermediate stages of scrub vegetation.

The river additionally has a distinct fringing vegetation, mainly riverine forest including ebony (Diospyros mespiliformis) and small shrubs and ferns (e.g., Haemanthus). In the lower course of the Zambezi, dense bush and evergreen forest, with palm trees and patches of mangrove swamp, is the typical vegetation. Animal life Lake Kariba - Wild Zambezi Lake Kariba Lake Kariba Zimbabwe Zimbabwe's vast fresh-water inland sea - 280 kms long and 40 kms at its widest - formed when the Zambezi River was dammed at Kariba Gorge in the 1950s. A wildlife and water wilderness paradise! Lake Kariba is the name given to the huge body of fresh water which spread 5 200 sq km over the Zambezi River valley after construction of the first major hydro-electric dam was completed in 1959, across Africa's fourth largest river. It is roughly estimated to be about 280kms long and 40 kms at its widest. Lake Kariba has since become an attractive and popular holiday destination.

Its vast expanse of water forms a boundary between Zimbabwe and Zambia; its extensive and attractive shorelines are home to large populations of wildlife and its islands are dotted in a picture-postcard deep blue sea against a backdrop of high escarpment mountain ranges on each side. Big sky sunsets over the lake are legendary, with the calm water turning to golden shot silk in the dusk and the bare branches of its famous drowned trees silhouetted in the foreground. Lake Kariba is a laid-back holiday playground with a wide choice of activities ideal for families, a hot, tropical climate, fantastic fishing, lots of boating choices, houseboats, motorboating, sailing, and watersports and wildlife and safari opportunities second to none. Most people visiting Lake Kariba take a boat out of one of the harbours ( Kariba Town at the north-eastern end of the lake and Binga or Mlibizi at the western end). Some are crossing the lake to stay at one of the safari or fishing camps along the shoreline, in the Matusadona National Park or the islands. Others are setting out for a leisurely cruise of several days aboard a houseboat, fishing, game-viewing, birding, sunbathing or simply relaxing.

Lake Kariba has lots of these “floating hotels” of various sizes, shapes and degrees of comfort. They can be hired either on a full-board or self-catering basis and are usually equipped with an efficient and hard-working crew who will do everything to provide you with a holiday of a lifetime. The most popular destination for houseboat holidays out of Kariba town is the Matusadona National Park , about 30kms across the lake, where there are islands, tranquil bays and creeks teeming with wildlife against the magnificent backdrop of the Zambezi escarpment mountains. If you are lucky, you can see a variety of large African mammal species, including elephant, buffalo, lion and cheetah and a staggering variety of waterbirds. Fishing is excellent sport in Lake Kariba's waters. The magnificent tigerfish, endemic to the Zambezi River, is a thrilling catch for avid anglers, and the focus of an International Tigerfishing Tournament held in Kariba in October each year. Various other species including several types of bream make good eating. Bait is available from the boat harbours and some fishing tackle can be provided, but it is advisable to bring your own if possible.

National Park entry and fishing permits are essential and can usually be obtained from your boat harbour at Kariba, Binga or Mlibizi. Be especially careful when fishing or walking near the shoreline, and never swim in the lake. It has a very large population of crocodiles. Local art, culture and legend The sad reality of Lake Kariba is that this huge body of water displaced a large number of the Zambezi valley's original inhabitants, the Tonga people, who were evacuated from their ancestral, riverside fishing grounds to a harsh new life in arid farmlands inland to the south of the new lake. The Tonga were convinced that Nyaminyami, their river god of the Zambezi, angry at the building of the dam, would one day wreak havoc and destroy the wall. He had several attempts - two major floods during construction in the 1950s succeeded in breaching the coffer dam and setting back progress for many months. However, in the end his wrath was overcome and the wall has held back the waters every since.

The legend of Nyaminyami has inspired art, sculpture and craft work in the Kariba area and provided a livelihood for local people who sell intricately carved wooden walking sticks depicting the snake-like river god to visitors. At the western end of the lake around the Binga area, traditional Tonga skills of wood carving and basket-weaving have been developed into thriving industries the products of which are exported worldwide. Linked stories:- To The Victoria Falls : The Zambezi River To The Victoria Falls A Natural Wonder The Zambezi River It is thought Zambezi means ‘Great River’ in the language of the Tonga people who inhabit its middle reaches. However the Lozi refer to the river as 'yambezhi' (pronounced 'le-am-by'), meaning 'heart of all', but it is possible the name has common ancestory in both languages. For many years the river was spelt 'Zambesi', with the now popular spelling of 'Zambezi' becoming only widely used in the latter half of the last century.

The Zambezi River is the forth longest river in Africa (after the Nile, Congo, and Niger) and the largest to discharge into the Indian Ocean from the African continent, flowing for about 2,574 kilometres from its source on the Central African Plateau to sea. Rising in Zambia at a height of 1,524 metres above sea level, the Zambezi flows through, or borders, six countries (Zambia, Angola, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Mozambique) before discharging into the Indian Ocean. The Zambezi River basin catchment area extends over the territory of eight countries - Zambia, Angola, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Tanzania and Mozambique - a catchment area of 1,320,000 km2 with a cumulative mean annual flow of approximately 97 km3 - making it the largest river in southern Africa. By comparison the Zambezi roughly equates to the Nile, but is significantly less than the annual flow of the Congo, which in turn is significantly less than that of the Amazon. The river is generally separated into three sub-sections, representing its different physical and biological characteristics.

The coastal section, or Lower Zambezi , stretches 360 miles up as far as the Cahora Bassa gorge, now flooded by the Cahora Bassa Dam. The Middle Zambezi is 600 miles long, in low-lying country, and is divided from the Upper Zambezi regions of the river by the Victoria Falls, 1,000 miles from the coast. Map of the Zambezi River basin (highlighted) within southern African context The wider Zambezi River Basin is home to some forty million people who speak Bantu-lineage local languages with English and Portuguese being the main official languages. The Basin is well endowed with mineral, water and energy resources, natural tourist attractions like the Victoria Falls, as well as a healthy wildlife population.

Major Tributaries of the Zambezi River The Zambezi has a number of important tributaries, which constitute major rivers in their own right, including the Shire River, flowing from the territories of Tanzania, Malawi and Mozambique, the Luangwa, Kafu and Kabompo rivers, lying wholly within Zambia, the Luena, from the territory of Angola and Zambia, and the Cuando (or Kwando), also known as the Chobe, draining from Angola, Namibia and Botswana. The most westerly of these is the Cuando (or Kwando), draining an area from Angola, Namibia and Botswana. Following a south-easterly course as far as the Botswana–Namibia border, it veers sharply northeastwards to link with the Zambezi via the Linyanti-Chobe floodplain. The mid-section of the Cuando is a floodplain, comparable with the Barotse floodplain, and linked to the latter by a broad belt of alluvium termed the Mulonga-Matebele Plain, which is subject to flooding in the wet season. The Kafue is a north bank tributary with headwaters on the Southern Equatorial Divide.

It initially flows in a general southwesterly direction towards the Upper Zambezi, but the course veers sharply eastwards in the vicinity of a broad floodplain known as the Kafue Flats. This tributary links with the Mana Pools Basin of the Middle Zambezi below the deeply incised Kafue Gorge. The Luangwa River flows in a general south-westerly direction over most of its length – an unusual orientation for a major tributary of an east-draining river. The course veers sharply to the south-south-east a little above the confluence with the Zambezi in the upper reaches of the Chicoa Basin. The mid-Zambezi has a number of relatively minor south bank tributaries, which rise on the central Zimbabwe divide. Their upper reaches flow in a general north-westerly direction. A major tributary of the Lower Zambezi is the Shire, which flows southwards from its headwaters in Lake Malawi, in Malawi.

Hydrology of the Zambezi Catchment The hydrology of the Zambezi catchment is determined by the annual variation of summer rainfall, which is influenced by the movement of the Intertropical Convergence Zone. The further south the zone moves, the greater the delivery of rainfall across the catchment. In winter these boundaries move north, resulting in drier conditions across the Zambezi Basin. River hydrology is further influenced by man. Off-take for agricultural, industrial and domestic use only amounts to about 3 percent of the total flow of the river. Use by hydro-electric facilities, due to the evaporation lost from the large surface area of reservoirs such as Kariba and Cabora Bass Dams, amounts to just over 5 percent of flow. Usage by these sectors is however likely offset by the increased runoff caused by deforestation, drainage of wetlands and other changes in landuse. (Studies on Lake Malawi (Price et al 1998) indicates that increased runoff caused by the clearing of natural forests in the Shire catchment has meant the level of Lake Malawi in the early 1990s was 1m higher than it would have been otherwise).

The annual variation in rainfall between dry winters and wet summers produce high flows in February-April and then progressively lower flows up to a November minimum. The annual flooding is however buffered by the natural flood regulatory capacity of the floodplains developed on the major headwater tributaries. The most important of these are the Barotse and Chobe floodplains in the upper Zambezi, the Kafue Flats on the Kafue River and Elephant March on the Shire River [major tributaries of the Zambezi]. Flow has been further affected by the construction of major dams in the Zambezi (Kariba and Cahora Bassa) and on the Kafue (Itezhi tezhi and Kafue Gorge). (Gupta, 2007) The extensive wetland areas along the Zambezi, in particular the Upper Zambezi catchment are important biodiversity hotspots as well as playing a crucial role in regulating floodwaters.

'The densely vegetated floodplains such as the Barotse and Chobe (Upper Zambezi) and the Kafue Flats, with their shallow gradients, form natural sediment traps that greatly reduce the material supplied to the lower reaches of the river system. These floodplains as a consequence form major wetlands that provide important wildlife refuges, particularly for fish, avifauna and water-dependent mammals, including hippopotamus and the lechwe and sitatunga antelopes. Fish migrate into the inundated grasslands of the floodplains during the floods, spawn, and their fry utilize the rich plankton and benthic communities which develop after nutrient release from decomposing organisms drowned by the floodwaters. Readily accessible stretches of the Zambezi and major tributaries, such as the Barotse floodplain, provide a reliable perennial water source, and are thus an important focus for human settlement and agricultural activity (Davies, 1986).

(Gupta, 2007) Zambezi River Profile Damming the Zambezi As well as Kariba and Cahora Bassa Dams on the Zambezi itself, two other major dams, the Itezhi tezhi and Kafue Gorge Dams have been built on the Kafue, a major tributary of the river. There have been marked changes to the ecology and utilization of the Zambezi River system as a result of the construction of several major dams, such as Kariba Dam and Cabora Bassa on the middle Zambezi, and the Itezhi tezhi and Kafue Gorge Dams on the Kafue. These impoundments had a major impact on the economy of the region. Thus, they represent an important source of hydroelectricity for the whole subcontinent, where there is a rapidly rising demand for power. The introduction of the Lake Tanganyika sardine Limnothrissa miodon (colloquially known as ‘kapenta’) into Lake Kariba in 1967 has formed the basis of an important fishing industry.

Against all expectations, this fish survived discharge via the Kariba turbines and sluice gates, as well as a journey of several hundred kilometres to colonise Cahora Bassa, where it now also forms the basis of an important fishing industry (Davies, 1986; Jackson, 2000). The large dams have also become the focus of an important tourist industry. Nevertheless, these economic benefits have come at considerable human and ecological costs. The construction of Lake Kariba led to the displacement of about 50,000 members of the Tonga tribe which had inhabited the area since about 1100 AD, while about 25,000 people were relocated as a result of the construction of Cahora Bassa. These displacements have led to serious community disturbances, major psychological upsets and emotional problems in the attempt to adapt to new terrain and a new way of life, and bitterness and resentment that rankles to this day (Davies, 1986). The dams have also had severe ecological impacts on the major floodplains, as a result of the reduction of the supply of water and sediment.

The resultant contraction of these wetlands impacts particularly on fish, avifauna and water-dependent antelope species, and are only marginally offset by the added wetlands of the lake shallows (Davies, 1986). This is well illustrated by the collapse in numbers of the semi-aquatic Kafue lechwe (Kobus kafuensis), which is endemic to the Kafue flats, following construction of the Itezhi-tezhi Dam. Today, this species is confined to a fragment of the former range, with a decline from an estimated population of 350,000 at the turn of the twentieth century to less that 30,000 today (Cotterill, 2005). It has also been estimated that the closure of Cahora Bassa led to a 70% reduction of the supply of sediment to the lower reaches of the river, and that this could lead to severe erosion of the Zambezi Delta, threatening both agricultural activity and the important Marromeu wilderness area. During the annual floods prior to construction of the dams, the drowned grasslands of the delta were protected from overgrazing, and thus able to regenerate.

The virtual elimination of the natural flooding regime has disturbed this important ecological dynamic. It may also be responsible for the present marked die-off of the coastal mangroves, and the catastrophic decline of the coastal shrimp-fishing industry (Davies, 1986). The latter author notes that a major problem in quantifying the ecological effects of the construction of the major dams was the lack of baseline environmental data prior to their construction. (Gupta, 2007) In addition to these exitsting dams, it is also proposed to build hydro-electric dam facilities at the Batoka Gorge and Devil's Gorge, both above Kariba, and the Mupata Gorge, between Kariba and Cahora Bassa. These sites were first identified in 1973, and have been proposed repeatedly over the years. As of early 2013 Zimbabwe and Zambia were in advanced stages of planning for the construction of the Batoka Gorge Dam, which will flood the Zambezi at a maximum level to within 5 metres of the base outflow for the Victoria Falls Hydro-electric station. The dam is due for completion in 2019.

The other two damns are looking increasingly likely as the region is predicted to suffer a widening energy deficit. For latest on the proposed Batoka Gorge Dam development please visit Victoria Falls Bits and Blogs Batoka Dam News (external site, opens in a new window). A sixth dam, not shown in the above diagram, is in the advanced stages of planning in Mozambique. Located 60 kilometres downstream of Cahora Bassa Dam has been a hot topic in recent years, being listed as possibly the least environmentally friendly dam in Africa. Zambezi River Dams, planned and constructed [Source: Zambezi River Authority] Management of the Kariba and other hydro-electric facilities requires a network of of thirteen hydrological stations where water levels are monitored daily. Flow measurements are also carried out at eight stations. Major Towns along the Zambezi Along much of the river's length, the population is sparse, but important towns and cities along its course include Katima Mulilo (Namibia), Mongu, Lukulu, Sesheke and Livingstone (Zambia), Victoria Falls and Kariba (Zimbabwe) and Songo and Tete (Mozambique).

Tete continues to dominate the centre-west part of the region, and is the largest settlement along the length of the Zambezi. Crossing the Zambezi The Zambezi is a major geographic boundary and barrier to land based transport. Historically control of the river by the Lozi and TokaLeya boatmen was strategically important to protecting their kingdoms from Matabele (Ndebele) raids, and access to the Barotse heartlands were strictly controlled through strategic crossing points such as Kazungula. Over its entire course, the Zambezi is spanned by only a few bridges: in the upper Zambezi at Chinyingi by a simple suspension bridge and in the Caprivi the Katima Mulilo bridge; in the middle Zambezi the Victoria Falls bridge and two bridges at Chirundu; and in the lower Zambezi sections the Tete suspension bridge and Dona Anna bridge. There are two major ferry crossings, at Kazungula (between Zambia and Botswana) and Caia (in Mozambique). The Cazombo road bridge in Angola was bombed in the civil war and has not yet been reconstructed.

The Katima Mulilo Bridge carries the TransCaprivi Highway over the Zambezi River between Katima Mulilo, Namibia and Sesheke, Zambia. It is a road bridge, completed in 2004, 900 metres long and with 19 spans. The Victoria Falls Bridge was constructed in 1904/5 as a railway bridge and part of Cecil Rhodes's failed scheme for a trans-continental railway stretching the length of Africa. Its location, so close to the Victoria Falls, was not without controversy at the time. At the time of its construction it was claimed to be the highest bridge over water in the world. The bridge was originally designed only to carry railway traffic, supporting two sets of rails, but in 1929/30 the top deck was reconstructed, with only one set of rails, a road and pedestrian footways. Originally known as the Zambesi Bridge, with the construction of later bridges it became known as the Victoria Falls Bridge. The Otto Beit Bridge is a single-lane bridge built in 1938-9 by the Cleveland Bridge Company, the same builders as the Victoria Falls Bridge.

The Otto Beit Bridge was the first modern suspension bridge outside the United States built with parallel wire cables. It has a span of 382 m (main span 320 m). As it was built two decades before the Kariba Dam, the engineers had to consider the annual Zambezi flood, now tamed by the dam: hence the requirement for a single span (which the second bridge did not need). The second Chirundu Bridge is a two-lane, three-span continuous pre-stressed concrete box girder bridge, 400 meters long and 10.3 meters wide and was built in 2002. It is 90 metres upstream from the Otto Beit Bridge, using the same approaches and border control area. The one-kilometre-long Tete Suspension Bridge, finished in 1973 by the Portuguese and designed by Edgar Cardoso, is a major transportation facility in the region. The Dona Ana Bridge spans the lower Zambezi River in Mozambique, effectively linking the two halves of the country. It was originally constructed as a railway bridge in 1935 to link Malawi and the Moatize coal fields to the port Beira.

At that time, it was the longest railway bridge in Africa, with a length of about 3 km, and was known as the Zambezi Bridge (the old 'Zambesi Bridge' had by now become known as the Victoria Falls Bridge). In the 1980s, during the Mozambican Civil War, it was rendered unusable. In 1995, it was repaired with funds from USAID and converted to a single-lane bridge for vehicle traffic. The Dona Ana Bridge is the longest bridge to cross the Zambezi and currently the last before its mouth in the Indian Ocean. In 2007 construction started on the longest road bridge to span the Zambezi to replace the ferry at Caia, and which will become the last bridge before the mouth of the river. With a planned length of 2376 m and width of 16 m it will be exceeded only by the Dona Ana Bridge, which it is planned will be restored as a railway bridge. Above the Falls, the Kazungula Ferry is a pontoon ferry across the 400-metre-wide section of the Zambezi River between Botswana and Zambia.

It is one of the largest ferries in south-central Africa, having a capacity of 70 tonnes. The service is provided by two motorised pontoons and operates between border posts at Kazungula, Zambia and Kasane, Botswana. It links the Livingstone-Sesheke road (which connects to the Transcaprivi Highway at Katima Mulilo) to the main north-south highway of Botswana and also to the Kasane-Victoria Falls road through Zimbabwe. Plans for a bridge to replace the ferry crossing are in development, with construction planned to begin towards the end of 2012. 10 Things You Didn't Know About The Zambezi River | Victoria Falls Blog 10 Things You Didn’t Know About The Zambezi River Posted by admin May 12th, 2016 One of the most fascinating rivers in Africa, the Zambezi is not only a major tourist attraction, but a lifeline and constant source of income for millions. Traversing a wide variety of landscapes, and overcoming various obstacles along its lengthy journey, it is truly a gem of the African continent. Celebrating this iconic river, we have put together a list of little-known facts: 1.

It’s the 4th largest river in Africa With a total catchment basically covering 1 390 000km² and a length of approximately 2700km, the Zambezi River is ranked fourth when it comes to largest rivers on the African continent. It follows The Nile, The Congo/Zaire, and the Niger. 2. It flows through six countries En-route to the Indian Ocean, the Zambezi flows through a grand total of six countries in total: Zambia, Angola, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique. It spends the most amount of time in Zambia, and the least in Botswana. Interestingly, the river forms the border of Zambia and Namibia, Zambia and Botswana, and Zambia and Zimbabwe. 3. It’s source is in Zambia The Zambezi River originates in the Mwinilunga District in north-west Zambia, 1500m above sea level. More specifically, the source is a marshy black wetland, known as a dambo, in the centre of the iconic Miombo Woodlands. 4.

It flows over several waterfalls By far the most notable feature of the Zambezi River is the mighty Victoria Falls – one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World and World Heritage Site. Not to be disregarded, other well-known falls over which the river cascades are the Chavuma Falls in north-west Zambia, and widely inaccessible Ngonye Falls in western Zambia. 5. It has surprisingly few bridges Despite its impressive length, bridges crossing the Zambezi are few and far between. Notable crossings include the Otto Beit Bridge at Chirundu in Zimbabwe, the historic Victoria Falls Bridge , the Katima Mulilo Bridge between Namibia and Sesheke in Zambia, and the Tete Suspension Bridge in Mozambique. 6. It holds two massive sources of hydroelectric power The Kariba Dam (or Lake Kariba) in Zimbabwe, and the Cahora Bassa Dam in Mozambique are both man-made dams constructed to provide hydroelectic power to Zambia and Zimbabwe, and Mozambique and South Africa respectively. 200km from Victoria Falls, Kariba is the world largest man-made lake – 226km long and up to 40km in several places.

Cahora Bassa, on the other hand, is an arch dam with a length of 171m and a maximum width of 303m. 7. It’s protected by the Nyami Nyami Described as having the head of a fish and the body of a snake, the Nyami Nyami is the guardian and God of the Zambezi River Valley, and one of the most important deities of the Tsonga people. The Nyami Nyami and his wife are said to be the God and Goddess of the underworld, residing in the Kariba Gorge. During the construction of the Kariba Dam, regular flooding and numerous deaths were attributed to his wrath after being separated from her during the construction of the dam wall. 8. It used to flow through the Makgadikgadi Pans Over two million years ago, the Upper Zambezi used to flow through what is now the Makgadikgadi Pan in Botswana. However, as a result of tectonic uplift, a vast lake was formed, and the river shifted eastwards. 9.

It contains Grade V & VI rapids The Zambezi River is home to arguably the world’s best and most thrilling one-day white water rafting . Just below the Victoria Falls, 24 fearsome rapids have been formed in a stretch of river that winds its ways through the Batoka Gorge. The rapid range from Grade III to Grade V – the highest commercial grading possible. Battle your way through rapids such as The Devil’s Toilet Bowl, The Gnashing Jaws of Death, Morning Glory, Oblivion, and The Ugly Stepsisters. 10. It provides nourishment for endless wildlife Due to the fact that the Zambezi River runs through many game reserves and national parks, it provides sustenance to a diverse array of game, birdlife and fish species. Wildlife to be spotted on a game drive along its banks, or a cruise within its waters include elephant, hippos, crocodiles, water buck, buffalo, zebras, and even lion.

To find out more about this fascinating water course, or to book a range of Zambezi River activities such as tiger fishing , white water rafting, canoeing, river boarding, and sunset cruises , simply contact Ilala Lodge on reservations@ilalalodge.co.za , or phone +263 13 44737. Image Credits: (In Order) Johnny Peacock, Tee La Rosa, Harvey Barrison, Kris Griffiths, Jason Wharam, Kasia Wallis, kat nienartowicz. Zambezi come Zambezi go: a journey along southern Africa's mythical river - Lonely Planet Zambezi come Zambezi go: a journey along southern Africa's mythical river Tips & articles Lonely Planet Writer Had a visitor in 1958 stood on the crest of Bumi Hills and peered out through a pair of binoculars, they might have been distracted by the sight of a bare-chested man in a floppy hat attempting to strap an elephant to a wooden raft. Rupert Fothergill was chief game ranger of what was then Rhodesia, now northern Zimbabwe, and charged with relocating wildlife stranded by the rising waters of the newly created Lake Kariba.

From his canoe on a channel of the Zambezi River, wildlife guide Cloud Magondo scans the landscape for hippos © Jonathan Gregson / Lonely Planet Grainy footage of the time shows him contending with a number of irregular predicaments: shoulder-deep in water and clutching a wriggling, rabbit-like hyrax in his arms; casually attempting to shoo away a rhino with a wave or two of his hat; and hoisting a bedraggled baboon into a boat by its shoulders. By the time ‘Operation Noah’ was wound down in 1964, Fothergill and his team had saved over 6,000 animals. Today, from the vantage point of Bumi, Kariba looks more sea than lake. On the shore, small herds of elephant, buffalo and hippo graze on the jewel-bright grass. Straight ahead, the crumpled, grey hills of Zambia are just visible, but there’s nothing but water to the horizon left and right; the weekly car ferry that traces a steady line through the waves east to west will take a full 24-hours to complete its journey.

Over 50 years since it was created, Kariba remains the world’s largest man-made lake. And yet it is seen by some as a temporary blip, one likely to disappear before too long. In the mythology of the region’s Tonga people, the Zambezi is home to the river god Nyami Nyami. A giant dragon, with the body of a serpent and the head of a fish, Nyami Nyami provides for the Tonga when times are hard. In 1957 and 1958, Zimbabwe suffered the worst floods it had seen in recorded history, twice sweeping away the wall being built to create Lake Kariba. Nyami Nyami is angry, said the Tonga, he does not want the dam. Sightings of a 200-metre-long beast weaving through the lake are still reported in the local papers, and the region’s earthquakes are attributed to the monster crashing against the dam, attempting to reach his wife stranded on the other side. Student Muroyiwa on Lake Kariba © Jonathan Gregson / Lonely Planet Local guide Student Muroyiwa grew up with these stories.

In clothes with which Fothergill would be well familiar (crisply ironed safari shorts and shirt), he steers his boat among the treetops. Their blackened branches poking out of the water like macabre fingers, the trees are all that remain of a mopane forest that once carpeted the Kariba gorge, lost when the Zambezi was dammed. Cormorants settle on their branches, taking to the air only to dip suddenly beneath the surface, while swallows fresh from their summer breaks in Europe hoover up insects above it. Student points to an island named after the last human to leave the valley as the waters rose around him. ‘Mola believed in Nyami Nyami and he knew he didn’t want the dam. “There’s no way the water will get to my doorstep,” said Mola. But the water started coming and coming and it came right into his house,’ explains Student.

‘In the end, he just got into his canoe and paddled away.’ A wooden carving of Nyami Nyami © Jonathan Gregson / Lonely Planet Student’s mother Unarie was another who left when the lake was formed, walking 12 miles inland to the resettlement village that was to be the Tongas’ new home. She sits in the shade of her mud-brick house, its roof thatched with bluegrass, tin pots drying in the sun outside. Tomatoes, sweet potatoes, okra and maize grow in the small plots tended by her family. At the edge of their cluster of huts, a look-out tower stands empty; as soon as night falls, one of her grandchildren will climb up and keep watch for marauding lions, hyenas and elephants. ‘I am too old to go to the lake now,’ says Unarie, ‘but my life in the old village was perfect. I never saw Nyami Nyami but I would be more than happy if he wanted to break the wall.’ Until that day comes, all must adapt to the damming of the Zambezi. A hundred miles downsteam from Kariba, the river continues its journey to the Indian Ocean in a thick languid swirl.

From the floodplain spring groves of broad, oak-like Faidherbia albida trees, giving the region a puzzlingly familiar look: were it not for the zebra snuffling beneath the branches, one might imagine oneself to be in Richmond Park on a golden summer’s day. Zebras in Mana Pools National Park © Jonathan Gregson / Lonely Planet Cloud Magondo started his training as a wildlife guide in Bumi Hills before moving here, to Mana Pools National Park. Fixing his ‘I ♥ Jesus’ baseball cap to his head, he climbs into a canoe and slides off from the bank. A blacksmith lapwing rises from its nest in the water hyacinth and makes its hostility known in a frenzy of furious twittering. The eyes and ears of a hippopotamus surface. Cloud whacks the side of the canoe with his paddle. ‘You don’t want to give a three-tonne animal a surprise,’ he says. ‘If he runs at you, you won’t outrun him. All that is left is fragments.’ The hippo rises and starts to power through the narrow channel towards us, a crest of water surging in front of him.

A few nervous seconds pass, waiting for him to plunge beneath the boat and launch us skywards to join the lapwing – but the hippo runs straight past. ‘Now we just need to worry about the crocodiles,’ says Cloud, with the smile of a man who greatly enjoys winding up those less accustomed to African wildlife than he. The boat is abandoned in the hunt for Mana Pools’ most famous resident. Cloud creeps through the undergrowth, stepping over bright red flowers fallen from sausage trees, and stopping to admire a green-spotted bush snake curled around a branch. Impala look up from their grazing, and buck away in alarm. A muscular eland bull stands his ground for longer, then stalks haughtily into the bushes. ‘We have found him,’ says Cloud, crouching down. ‘Look, there is Boswell.’ Ahead, an elephant as old as Lake Kariba, his tusks stretching far beyond his giant skull, stands beneath a Faidherbia, gently swaying. His trunk reaches for the seed pods hanging in the canopy above him, his back arches, and he hoists himself into the air.

For six seconds he balances on his back two legs, like a dog begging, and pulls down the branches. Boswell reaches for the pods from the Faidherbia albida acacia tree © Jonathan Gregson / Lonely Planet Boswell, and a few others like him in the area, are thought to be the only elephants in the world to stand like this, and have only been observed doing so in the last 30 years. One theory is that Faidherbia trees have been in decline since the damming of the Zambezi upset the park’s ecosystem, and competition for their pods is fierce. ‘Boswell is smart,’ whispers Cloud as the animal scoops the coiled red pods into his mouth with his trunk. ‘He realised to survive, you have to be the elephant that can reach higher than anyone else.’ Boswell is not the only elephant to have changed its behaviour in recent years. In the western stretches of Zimbabwe, far from the banks of the Zambezi, lies Hwange National Park. There’s no mistaking the landscape for an English park here; in the thick of dry season, little vegetation sprouts from the scraggly thorn bushes anchored in soil blown in from the Kalahari Desert.

There is no river god to come to the rescue in times of need – but Hwange has not been abandoned. The spirit of Fothergill lives on. ‘Do you hear that?’ asks Adam Jones, an apprentice guide, bringing our Jeep to a stop. The steady put-put-put of a water pump beats through the still air. ‘You’re listening to the heartbeat of the park.’ Hwange’s first boreholes were sunk back in 1929, keeping the region’s pools artificially topped up when the rains fail. The park’s animals now associate the sound of the pumps with the promise of water. A short drive along a bumpy track reveals a plain dotted with grey lumps. They are on the move. From all over the plains, elephants come – bustling over the dusty ground in a giddy trot, trunks flailing wildly. At the waterhole, they drink, splash in the shallows, roll in the mud and chase crocodiles, baboons and each other, tooting happily. Elephants gather at the water's edge to drink © Jonathan Gregson / Lonely Planet The routes that lead to the waterholes are ones that have been used by elephants for hundreds, if not thousands, of years.

They form distinctive paths through the bush, as clear as if laid down in tarmac. Humans follow them now too, many behind the reassuring figure of Julian Brookstein, rifle slung over his shoulder, mirror shades pushed back on his head. ‘If you’re ever lost out here,’ he says, ‘follow the elephant trails. They’ll always lead to water.’ We are not the only ones to pass this way: fresh cheetah, hyena and porcupine tracks keep us company on the path, and tiny klipspringer antelope dart from the granite hills poking out of the dusty soil. We pass the full skeleton of an old bull elephant, its long tusks lying in the muddle of bones. ‘Where an elephant dies, so lies his ivory,’ says Julian, pausing to examine the remains. ‘It’s a romantic idea now, sadly.’ Julian has had plenty of encounters with live elephants, and most other wildlife, in the six years he’s been a professional walking guide. He has yet to fire a shot from his rifle in defence. ‘Ninety percent of an encounter is how you act,’ he explains. ‘These animals are used to things running away from them; they’re programmed to chase.

They back away if you walk towards them.’ It may be the least instinctive thing to do when confronted with a seven-tonne mass of muscle and bone, but Julian’s point is soon proved. A 50-year-bull-old elephant, unfathomably large from ground level, takes exception to our presence and charges at us, huge ears flapping as he gathers speed. Julian keeps walking towards him, shouting, waving his arms and kicking up dust. The elephant gets within a few metres, stops, looks a little unsure, and finally turns tail, departing with an indignant snort. ‘A lion is a little different to an elephant,’ says Julian, as we clamber back into the Jeep. ‘He’ll growl to let you know you’ve come close enough, as if to say, “Stay where you are and we’ll stay friends.”’ A pride of lions rests in Hwange National Park © Jonathan Gregson / Lonely Planet It’s good to know, for Hwange is an area rich in lions. Their deep, bass calls reverberate through the canvas walls of our tents at night, and they are an ever-present decoration around the camp.

At any time of the day, they can be found resting by a nearby waterhole, watching with indifference as giraffes cautiously make their way down to drink; keeping an eye on young cubs that tumble over one another and leap on their parents; and flopped in the little shade offered by a termite mound. There is a new addition too – a young male recently arrived, who’s wise enough to keep well out of the way of the local pride. He has found himself a spot to hide and keep out of trouble, his yellow eyes constantly scanning his surroundings for danger. ‘He’s well aware he’s in another lion’s territory,’ says Adam. ‘He would have heard the others roaring all night. He must be scared. ’Perhaps the young lion will pluck up the courage to stay and fight the dominant male for his patch. Given his nervous deposition, it seems more likely he’ll move on, padding slowly across the bush, past the waterholes with their constant stuttering soundtrack, and beyond, looking for a territory in which to start a pride of his own. One lion from Hwange was recently tracked by researchers all the way to Victoria Falls, some 120 miles away.

'The smoke that thunders', Victoria Falls © Jonathan Gregson / Lonely Planet It is difficult to imagine a landscape less like that of Hwange. The falls make their presence known from far across the bush. First comes a faint rumbling, like rush-hour traffic on a distant motorway, audible from miles away; then, a low grey cloud comes into view, squatting on the horizon. The full force of Mosi-oa-Tunya (‘the smoke that thunders’), to give the falls their rather more apt indigenous name, becomes apparent when the plains suddenly fall away. From the rim, the Zambezi plunges 100 metres, hitting the ground so hard it creates a mist that rises a quarter of a mile through the air, like rain that has decided to fall upwards. The visitors who wind their way along the paths that skirt the falls are soon drenched by spray. Others sit in pools right at the cataracts’ edge or fling themselves off the Victoria Falls Bridge with a length of bungee rope tied to their feet, in foolhardy defiance of all accepted rules of self-preservation.

Zambezi River Zambezi River T he Zambezi is Africa’s fourth largest River system, after the Nile, Zaire and Niger Rivers. It runs through six countries on it’s journey from central Africa to the Indian Ocean. Its unique value is that it is less developed than others in terms of human settlement and many areas along it’s banks enjoy protected status. It’s power has carved the spectacular Victoria Falls and the zigzagging Batoka Gorge. The Zambezi has been harnessed at various points along the way including the massive Kariba Dam between Zambia and Zimbabwe and Cabora Bassa Dam in Mozambique. Plans for another dam at the Batoka gorge have fortunately been shelved. The River’s beauty has attracted tourists from all over the world providing opportunities for a myriad of water sports and game viewing. Running for a length of 2700kms, it begins it’s journey as an insignificant little spring in the corner of north-west Zambia in the Mwinilunga District. It bubbles up between the roots of a tree, very close to the border where Zambia, Angola and Zaire meet.

It enters Angola for about 230kms, where it accumulates the bulk of its headwater drainage, and re-enters Zambia again at Cholwezi rapids flowing due south but substantially enlarged by the entry of various tributaries. This upper part of the river is thinly populated by pastoralists, farmers and fishermen and although wildlife is sparse it is remarkably free of pollution. This is also the scene of the remarkable Ku-omboka Ceremony where thousands of inhabitants move annually to higher ground as the Zambezi floods into the low lying plains. It passes through the flat sandy country of the Western Province, then traverses the broad, annually flooding Barotse Plains, where much of the water is lost to evaporation, then over more rocky country where it’s tranquil course is interrupted by the Ngonye falls and rapids. As it turns to an easterly direction it forms the border between Zambia and Namibia and eventually joins up with the Chobe River in the Caprivi Swamps, briefly forming a border with Botswana.

For the next 500kms it serves as the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe thundering over the Victoria Falls and through the narrow, steadily deepening Batoka Gorge, providing a fantastic playground for white water rafting, kayaking, river boarding and jet boating. From here the steep sides of the gorge eventually flatten out at the broad Gwembe Valley. Then it flows into the Kariba dam for 281kms – it’s width at one point being 40kms. From the dam wall the river travels due north, heading east again at Chirundu. Here it is flanked by the Lower Zambezi National Park on the Zambian side and Mana Pools National Park on the Zimbabwean side. This middle zone supports one of Africa’s most important wilderness areas. After the Luangwa confluence, it’s a much larger Zambezi that flows into Mozambique and out towards the Indian Ocean, having provided power, food, pleasure and transport for many and a home for untold numbers of wildlife along it’s journey. Fishing Trips on the Zambezi River

Question: Which lake was formed by the damming of the Zambezi River?
Answer: Kariba