Victoria Falls

Victoria Falls is a huge waterfall on the Zambezi River in southern Africa. It sits on the border between two countries, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The falls are about 5,600 feet wide, which is more than a mile across. They drop more than 350 feet down into a narrow canyon below. That makes Victoria Falls one of the largest waterfalls in the world.

The local Kololo and Lozi people have a name for the falls that came long before Europeans arrived. They call it Mosi-oa-Tunya, which means "the smoke that thunders." The name fits. When the river is full, the falls send up a giant cloud of mist. The spray can rise over 1,000 feet into the air. You can see it from 30 miles away. If you stand close, the mist soaks you like rain, even on a sunny day.

A Scottish explorer named David Livingstone was the first European to see the falls, in 1855. He named them after Queen Victoria, who ruled Britain at the time. Today both names are used. The United Nations lists Victoria Falls as a World Heritage Site, which means it is protected for its natural beauty.

The falls were carved over millions of years. The Zambezi River flows across a wide flat area of hard volcanic rock called basalt. The rock has deep cracks running through it. Water has slowly worn away the cracks, forming narrow canyons. The current falls are the seventh set of falls the river has carved in this region. Someday, the rushing water will wear through another crack, and a new set of falls will form farther upstream.

Victoria Falls is not the tallest or the widest waterfall on Earth. Angel Falls in Venezuela is much taller. But Victoria Falls is often called the biggest because of how much water falls in such a wide sheet. At its peak in April, more than 130 million gallons of water pour over the edge every minute.

The land around the falls is rich with life. Elephants, hippos, crocodiles, baboons, and over 400 kinds of birds live nearby. On the Zambian side, there is a natural pool at the top of the cliff called Devil's Pool. When the water is low, people can swim in it right at the edge of the drop. A rocky ledge keeps swimmers from being swept over. For most visitors, though, just standing near the roar and mist is enough of an adventure.