Victoria Falls
Victoria Falls (Lozi: Mosi-oa-Tunya, "Thundering Smoke"; Tonga: Shungu Namutitima, "Boiling Water") is a waterfall on the Zambezi River in southern Africa, which provides habitat for several unique species of plants and animals. It is located on the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe and is one of the world's largest waterfalls, with a width of 1,708 m (5,604 ft).
| Victoria Falls | |
|---|---|
| Mosi-oa Tunya Shungu Namutitima | |
Location on the Zambezi-river | |
| Coordinates | 17°55′28″S 25°51′24″E |
| Type | Cataract waterfall |
| Total height | 108 m (355 ft) |
| Number of drops | 1 |
| Watercourse | Zambezi River |
| Average flow rate | 1,088 m3/s (38,400 cu ft/s) |
| Official name | Mosi-oa-Tunya / Victoria Falls |
| Type | Natural |
| Criteria | vii, viii |
| Designated | 1989 (13th session) |
| Reference no. | 509 |
| Region | List of World Heritage Sites in Africa |
Archeological sites and oral history describe a long record of African knowledge of the site. Though known to some European geographers before the 19th century, Scottish missionary David Livingstone identified the falls in 1855, providing the British colonial name of Victoria Falls after Queen Victoria. Since the mid 20th century, the site has been an increasingly important source of tourism. Zambia and Zimbabwe both have national parks and tourism infrastructure at the site. Research in the late 2010s found that precipitation variability due to climate change is likely to change the character of the fall.