African Wonders 1: Victoria Falls

The Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe earns the title of the biggest waterfall in the world. It is 1708 metres across and it drops between 90 and 107 metres into the Zambezi Gorge. An average of 9.2 million litres of water cascades over the edge of the falls every second at peak seasons.

Because Victoria Falls is so wide, the water drops in a vast curtain. The thunder of the spray when it hits the gorge below is incredibly loud. Local people call the falls ‘Mosi-oa-Tunya‘, which means ‘the snake that thunders,’ and for many people the place has magical qualities.

The first European to see the falls was the explorer David Livingstone in 1855. An island in the river is named Livingstone Island in his honour.

The lake is a tourist attraction.