Africa is an interesting continent and part of the world. Despite the prevailing stereotypes about it, Africa is very multifaceted and interesting. Its nature can surprise both with the presence of the driest places on the planet, and with gorgeous rivers, lakes, waterfalls and forests.

Features of the geological structure of the mainland and its climatic conditions led to the fact that largest number The most impressive, world-famous waterfalls turned out to be located south of the equator, but in the northern part of the mainland there is something worth getting out of the house for.

Top 10 highest waterfalls in Africa

Tugela

This waterfall is the highest in Africa - Tugela is the second highest in the world, although it lags far behind the famous Victoria Falls in power, beauty and popularity. In fact, Tugela is divided into five cascades, the sum of the heights of which does not reach a kilometer a little. This waterfall is located in the Dragon Mountains, which are located in the Republic of South Africa.

In this place the royal national park Natal. Translated from the Zulu language, "tugela" means "sudden", because the rock from which it collapses ends in a sharp cliff, which in winter is often covered with snow. Tugela is quite picturesque throughout its length. The width of the falling jet is small, and the height of the highest cascade is four hundred meters.

Mutarazi

In another South African country, Zimbabwe, which is located on the Eastern Highlands, there is a stunning Nyanga National Park that can surprise even the most sophisticated viewer with its beauty. It combines a humid climate with life-giving properties, gorgeous mountain meadows, valleys, green hills, rivers and lakes. In the south of this national park there is a picturesque Mutarazi waterfall, which is the second highest in Africa and one of the highest in the world. It is located on the river of the same name, the waters of which rush down in a powerful stream from a rocky ledge that crosses the riverbed. Water falls into the Honda Valley from a height of seven hundred and sixty-two meters.

The waterfall has two cascades, and the width of its stream is fifteen meters. In the summer months, which fall in February - April, the rainy season begins, thanks to which the waterfall is gaining maximum power. But in the dry winter period, it becomes a rather thin stream. But at any time of the year, its background looks great - forested valleys and slopes, as well as rocky mountains.

Jinba

The next highest African waterfall is already north of the equator - in the northern part of Ethiopia, where the Mount Simien National Park is located. It is fed by the waters of the short mountain river of the same name. Its channel lasts only about ten kilometers. Winding among the rocks, the river at some point collapses in a noisy stream into a narrow deep canyon, overcoming five hundred meters in flight. The height of the waterfall is determined only approximately, since no one has yet dared to get there and make the necessary measurements.

A powerful white water jet rushing down at the beginning of its fall resembles a thin line cutting through sheer cliffs of gray basalt. But in the middle of the fall, the wind blows the stream towards the rocks, hitting which the water turns into a myriad of splashes that form a cloud. The waterfall is especially beautiful during the rainy season, but it does not disappear at all during the dry season. Unfortunately, Jinba is very difficult to access, and therefore little known.

Calambo

The next high waterfall is also located in the southern part of the mainland. This time it formed where the border between Tanzania and Zambia passes. In terms of the height of the continuous fall, this waterfall, which has a width of four to twenty meters (depending on the time of year), is the second on the Black Continent.

Europeans learned about this waterfall only in the thirteenth year of the twentieth century. This is one of the most important places on the continent in terms of archeology - traces of human activity, which are two and a half thousand years old, have been found here. In the fifty-third year of the twentieth century, Archaeologist D. Clark was the first to begin excavations on the banks of a small lake located below the waterfall along the river. He discovered there hearths and stone tools of incredible age. The presence of hearths indicates that already in that distant period, our ancestors actively used fire.

Maletsyuneyane

This waterfall with an unpronounceable name is the pride of the small South African state of Lesotho. It is located in Maseru district, in the very center of the country. It may not seem like something unique at first glance, but the striking geological contrast makes it truly unique.

The waterfall is a single cascade, a powerful jet of which falls into the abyss of the canyon from almost two hundred meters high, turning into a cloud of spray visible from afar. Against the backdrop of the magnificent surrounding mountain landscape, all this looks incredibly impressive.

Ouzoud

Also in northern Africa beautiful waterfalls, and Ouzoud is one of them. It is located one hundred and fifty kilometers north of Marrakesh. Its several cascades fall together from more than a hundred meters high and are divided into three main streams. In the Berber language, the name of the waterfall means "olive", and this is not accidental, since a hiking trail leads to it through a grove of olive trees.

The number and fullness of the waterfall cascades depend on the season. They look most impressive in the spring, when the river does not have time to dry up on the way to the cliff. At certain moments, the waterfall appears more than three cascades, while they together overcome one step, after which they merge into a single stream, which collapses from the steep. Below, the falling water washed out several natural reservoirs connected by short channels - people bathe in them with great pleasure, escaping from the heat.

Victoria

This most famous and spectacular of the African waterfalls has long become the most important attraction of the Black Continent and is even listed world heritage UNESCO. It is located between Zimbabwe and Zambia on the Zambezi River in a place where they border National parks- Zambian "Thundering Smoke" and Zimbabwean "Victoria Falls".

Calandula

Kalandula waterfall, which is located north of the capital the state of Luanda for four hundred kilometers. The maximum fullness is observed at this waterfall in June-August, when its powerful stream collapses at a width of six hundred meters. In terms of water flow, Calandula is second only to Victoria Falls in Africa.

Howick

In South Africa, there is another high waterfall - Howik, which is located in the province of KwaZulu-Natal on a fairly full-flowing Umgeni River two hundred kilometers long. Back in the ninety-seventh year of the fifteenth century, the Portuguese Vasco da Gama entered the mouth of this river on his ship to replenish supplies of food and water. But he did not see the waterfall, and the Europeans discovered it only at the beginning of the nineteenth century.

Oddly enough, majestic waterfalls are also located on the driest continent of our planet. Few people have not heard of the famous Victoria Falls, but not many people know that in Africa there is a four times higher Tugela Falls.

Tugela Falls, Tugela River (South Africa)

Although not the most famous African waterfall, Tugela Falls is the second highest waterfall in the world. Although strictly speaking Tugela is more like five free-falling waterfalls, the total height of the water fall in which is 947 meters.

It is located in the Republic of South Africa, in the Drakensberg Mountains, which are part of the Royal Natal National Park in KwaZulu. Tugela is the Zulu word for sudden. The Dragon Mountains are called Ukhahlamba in Zulu. They are the source of the Tugela - the largest river in this province, which gave rise to the largest African waterfall. The cliff from which the Tugela falls falls is often covered with snow during the winter months.

South Drakensberg is a landscape of forested river valleys framed by majestic cliffs, hillside fields and vast wilderness areas. The park provides for tourists as leisure- canoeing, climbing, mountain biking, hiking, and more relaxing holiday- fishing, leisurely nature walks and scenic tours.

Tugela Falls is undoubtedly the key attraction of any trip to the Dragon Mountains. A beautiful mountain trail leads to the top of Mount-Aux-Sources, which starts from the nearest parking lot. A very gentle road leads to the top of the Amphitheater - the Drakensberg cliff, with the exception of just one relatively short ascent. On two suspension bridges you can freely walk to the top of the mountain. All the way to observation deck to the waterfall and back takes about 5 hours.

The second trail at the foot of the Tugela Falls starts in the Royal Natal National Park. It is also a very easy seven kilometer climb. The trail along the Tugela gorge is laid through the primeval forest. At the final stage of the ascent to the Tugela waterfall, one has to overcome the boulders, and then a suspension bridge is built, which leads to the observation platform, from which one can see the waterfall rushing down from the Amphitheater, consisting of five successive cascades.

Kalambo Falls, Kalambo River (South Africa)

The 427 meters (772 feet) tall Kalambo Falls is one of the majestic waterfalls on the border of Zambia and Tanzania. The width of the waterfall is 3.6 - 18 m. This is the second highest continuous fall waterfall in Africa. The waterfall is located on the Kalambo River of the same name, which flows into Lake Tanganyika.

Downstream from the waterfall, the river flows through a 5 km gorge about 1 km wide. and up to 300 m deep to the exit to the valley of Lake Tanganyika.

The waterfall was first discovered by Europeans only in 1913. Archaeologically, it is one of the most important sites in Africa. Human activity has been traced in its vicinity for more than two hundred and fifty thousand years. For the first time, excavations around a small lake at the bottom of the waterfall in 1953 were led by John Desmond Clark.

There were found stone tools and hearths dated to approximately 300,000 BC. The hearths indicate to us that people already then systematically used fire.

Augrabis Falls, Orange River (South Africa)

The Augrabies Fallsis waterfall is located on the Orange River, in the national park South Africa. It ranks third in terms of the height of the fall of water and is ahead of the famous Victoria Falls following it. The local Khoykhoi tribe calls this waterfall Ankoerebis - “a place of great noise”, and this is no coincidence, because powerful streams of water rush with a roar from a height of 146 meters into a rocky gorge that has maximum depth about 200 meters and 18 km long.

Aughrabies got its name in 1778 from Finn Hendrik Jakob Wikar. This name was adopted by the Boers who settled here later.

During the flood of 1988, 7800 cubic meters of water passed through the waterfall every second and 6800 cubic meters of water in 2006. This is three times the average flow rate of 2,400 cubic meters per second in a Niagara Falls flood, and more than the highest peak ever observed for Niagara Falls, which was 6,800 cubic meters per second.

Victoria Falls, Zambezi River (Zambia and Zimbabwe)

Victoria Falls is undoubtedly one of the main attractions of South Africa. Victoria Falls is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is located in southern Africa on the Zambezi River between Zambia and Zimbabwe on the border of two national parks - Thundering Smoke Park ("Mosi-oa-Tunya") in Zambia and Victoria Falls Park in Zimbabwe. Scottish explorer David Livingstone, who visited the falls in 1855, named it after Queen Victoria. The local tribes gave him the name "Thundering Smoke".

Victoria is approximately 1800 meters wide and 108 meters high. Because of this, it is unique in the world. Victoria is almost twice as tall Niagara Falls and more than twice as wide as its main part - the "Horseshoe". The mass of falling water breaking into splashes forms a fog rising to a height of more than 400 meters, visible at a distance of up to 50 kilometers. During the rainy season, more than 500 million liters of water pass through the waterfall per minute, and in 1958, a record level of flow was recorded in the Zambezi - more than 770 million liters per minute.

At the point of its fall, Victoria Falls is divided into four parts by islands. On the right bank of the river, a 35-meter-wide stream of water, called “jumping water”, rushes down to the 300-meter Boaruka Island, followed by the main waterfall, the width of which is about 460 meters. It is followed by Livingston Island and a stream of water about 530 meters wide, and on the very left bank of the river is the eastern waterfall.

The Zambezi River falls about 120 meters deep into a fault in the earth's crust. Numerous islands on the crest of the waterfall form channels and divide the waterfall depending on the seasons. Over time, the falls receded upstream the Zambezi. At the same time, he gnawed through the soil at the bottom of the crevice, currently forming a zigzag riverbed with sheer walls.

The only exit of the river from the crevice is a rather narrow channel, pierced by water in its wall approximately 2/3 of the distance from the western end. Its width is only about 30 meters and its length is about 120 meters. Leaving it, the Zambezi flows into a zigzag gorge that stretches for 80 km. After the zigzag closest to the waterfall, a deep reservoir with a width of about 150 m was formed, called the "Boiling Cauldron".

During the rainy season, the Zambezi flows through Victoria in a continuous stream, but during the dry season, the waterfall almost dries up. Spray and fog above it are practically invisible and the water level in the gorge at the bottom of the waterfall decreases by almost 20 meters.

Below the Boiling Cauldron, a railway bridge 250 meters long and 125 meters above the river level was thrown across the gorge. It was built in 1905 and is one of five existing bridges on the Zambezi River.

Blue Nile Falls, Blue Nile River (Ethiopia)

The Blue Nile Falls (Tis Ysat, or Tis Abbay) are located on the Blue Nile River in Ethiopia. In Amharic, they are called Tis Issat, which means "Smoking Water". They are located in the upper reaches of the Blue Nile River, about 30 km downstream from the city of Bahir Dar and Lake Tana. The Blue Nile Falls are considered one of the most famous tourist attractions in Ethiopia. It is estimated that four streams of water fall from a height of 37 to 45 meters, which change from small streams in the dry season to a stream more than 400 meters wide in the rainy season.

The entire Tees Abbay waterfall consists of a cascade of several small waterfalls located at the feet of a large upper waterfall.

In 2003, two hydroelectric power plants were launched on the waterfall. Some of the water from the Blue Nile comes to them through artificial channels located above the waterfall. Thanks to this, the flow of water through the waterfall has become less, but this does not prevent the formation of a rainbow above it, which many tourists come to see. The gorge into which the river falls is famous for the oldest stone bridge in Ethiopia, which was built by Portuguese missionaries back in 1626.

Namaqualand Falls (South Africa)

Namakwaland (Afrikaans: Namakwaland) is a waterfall in the arid region of Namibia. This region stretches over 970 km. along west coast and its total area is 440,000 km². The region is divided by the lower course of the Orange River into two parts - Small Namaqualand in the south and Big Namaqualand in the north.

Namaqualanda Falls is located on the Orange River a few miles north of Nieuwoudtville on the road to Loeriesfontein.

Berlin Falls, Blyde River (South Africa)

Berlin Falls is located in the province of Mpumalanga in northeastern South Africa. He is 262 feet tall. Berlin Falls is part of the famous African route "Panorama" and is located north of Graskop and close to God's Window in the Blyde River Canyon area.

Murchison Falls is located on the Nile River.At the top, Murchison carved his way into rocks only 7 meters wide and 43 meters deep. In the west, the river flows into Lake Alberta.

Murchison Falls National Park is the largest national park in Uganda. It occupies 3840 square kilometers. The park is the location of the famous Murchison Falls, where the rocks squeeze the waters of the Nile into a narrow gorge, only 7 meters.Buffaloes, elephants, lions, leopards, rhinos inhabit this corner of the wild

South Africa: Most big waterfall in the world - "Victoria"!

Victoria Falls- one of the outstanding attractions of Africa and one of the most unusual waterfalls in the world.

It is created by the Zambezi River, abruptly falling into a narrow crevice 100 meters wide.

Moreover, Victoria is the only waterfall in the world that has a length of more than a kilometer and a height of more than a hundred meters.

Mosi-o-Tunya ( thundering smoke) so for a long time the hunters of the Batoka tribe called the waterfall on the Zambezi River.

And the matabele cattle breeders living on the opposite bank gave him another, no less poetic name - Chongue, which in their language means " place of the rainbow".

Modern name- Victoria - the first European who saw him in 1855, the Englishman David Livingston, gave the waterfall in honor of his queen.

He discovered this natural wonder after two years of hard travel through the savannas and jungles of Central Africa.

Three hundred warriors of the local leader Selectu, who accompanied the explorer, did not dare to approach the roaring mass.

In their opinion, a formidable deity lived in the abyss under the boiling wall of water, making itself felt with a terrifying growl.

Only two of Livingston's most daring companions dared to board a canoe with him and swim to an island located on the crest of a waterfall.

But let's leave the word to the traveler himself:

Before our eyes appeared huge pillars of "steam", rising up five or six miles from us.

"Steam" rose in five pillars and, deviating in the direction of the wind, looked as if these pillars touched a low cliff covered with forest. At this distance, it seemed as if the pillars above were mingling with the clouds.

Below they were white, and above they became dark as smoke.

The whole picture was extremely beautiful.

The waterfall is bounded on three sides by cliffs about 100 m high, which are covered with forest.

The oarsmen, after guiding a canoe into the middle part of the stream among whirlpools formed by many protruding stones, took me to an island located in the very middle of the river, not far from the ledge over which the water overflowed. Despite the fact that the waterfall was very close, we could not determine where is going this huge body of water; it seemed that it went into the ground, since the opposite ledge of the crack, at which the water disappeared, was only 27 m from us.

At least I could not understand it until I crept fearfully to the very edge and looked down into a huge cleft that stretched from one bank to the other across the entire width of the Zambezi ...

Looking into the depths of the crevasse, to the right of the islet, I saw nothing but a thick white cloud, on which at that time there were two bright rainbows.

From this cloud a huge jet of "steam" escaped, rose up to 200-300 feet; thickening at the top, the "steam" changed its color, becoming dark as smoke, and went back in a hail of small sprays, which soon left not a single dry thread on us.

This downpour falls mainly on the other side of the cleft; a few meters from the edge of the cliff there stand a wall of evergreen trees, the leaves of which are always wet.

A modern tourist who wants to see Victoria Falls with his own eyes will see almost the same picture as an English explorer a century and a half ago.

Thousand-ton masses of water hit the basalt foot of Victoria with such force that the water turns into clouds of spray, flying back in five columnar white clouds, rising hundreds of meters into the sky.

They can be seen from a distance of forty kilometers, and almost as far the roar of the waterfall is heard, like continuous thunder.

The Zambezi River, overflowing in this place almost two kilometers wide, suddenly stumbles here on a giant crack-fault in the basalts, and a powerful water avalanche falls one hundred and twenty meters down, falling into a narrow abyss with steep walls a hundred meters long, located at right angles to upper channel.

The islets divide the entire expanse of Victoria into several separate streams, bearing the names:

"Devil's Falls", "Main Falls", "Horseshoe", "Rainbow" and "East Falls".

Water jets, reminiscent of arrows flying down with foam endings, are carried away into the abyss and disappear in a cloud of spray.

Two magnificent rainbows constantly glow above the waterfall.

Shocked by the picture that opened before him, Livingston wrote in his diary: "This spectacle was so beautiful that flying angels must have admired it."

The waters of the Zambezi, squeezed by a narrow gorge, boil and bubble like volcanic magma, foam and rage with a wild roar and roar.

And under the influence of this fabulous majestic picture, the scientist's pencil turns into the poet's pen, because in the dry language of a scientific report it is impossible to convey the feelings of an eyewitness to this earthly miracle.

Here is another excerpt from the description of David Livingstone's journey:

“The whole mass of water overflowing the edge of the waterfall, three meters below, turns into a kind of monstrous curtain of snow driven by a snowstorm. Water particles separate from it in the form of comets with streaming tails, until this entire snow avalanche turns into a myriad of small comets rushing in one direction , and each of them leaves a tail of white foam behind its core.

Victoria Falls is the only place on Earth where you can see the rarest natural phenomenon - the lunar rainbow.

It does not occur often - only in those moments when the flood on the Zambezi River coincides with the period of the full moon.

And even people who have been here more than once cannot always boast that they saw this night miracle.

After all, sometimes 10-15 years pass between the next appearances of the lunar rainbow.

Only recently, the photographers of the National Geographic magazine managed to capture it on film for the first time.

Alas, the black and white illustrations in our book are powerless to convey its mysterious charm.

It’s hard to even say what makes the greatest impression on those who have visited Victoria Falls: the spectacle of a giant river suddenly disappearing into a bottomless pit, the monstrous roar of an avalanche, rainbows in clouds of spray, or the damp splendor of an evergreen forest framing this fantastic picture.

Each of the tens of thousands of tourists who annually visit the waterfall takes away something of their own in their memory, something that especially struck him in this most beautiful corner of Africa.

Some believe that the most amazing impression arises when observing the white columns of "thundering smoke" in the rays of the sunset, when the fading sun throws a golden stream of rays on the cloud pillars, coloring them gray-yellow, and then it seems that some kind of clouds rise above the water. giant torches.

I must say that the Africans treated their waterfall much more carefully than the Americans, who spoiled the landscape of Niagara with ridiculous observation towers.

To see Victoria from above, it is enough to walk fifty meters to a huge baobab towering over the green sea of ​​the jungle. Climbing the metal ladder to its top, you can enjoy a bird's-eye view of the waterfall without disturbing the natural harmony.

Many travelers are not limited only to the spectacle of the waterfall.

No matter how beautiful and formidable the sight of a hundred-meter water wall falling into the abyss, Africa still holds many wonders.

And if you go on a trip on a pirogue through the dark waters of the Zambezi, which overflowed above the waterfall, you can see a whole world of mysterious and amazing African nature on the banks and islands of the river: green walls of the jungle descending to the water, bathing hippos and elephants, lurking crocodiles and coming to drink antelope…

And thrill-seekers sometimes decide on a desperate and full of risk rafting on inflatable rafts along the lower reaches of the Zambezi, roaring and raging in the gorge under the waterfall.

On a twenty-kilometer section of the river, they have to overcome nineteen rapids with waves reaching six meters in height ...

The discoverer of the Victoria Falls, a friend and teacher of the indigenous Africans, Dr. Livingston is immortalized here forever.

Just a few meters from the Devil's Falls stands a modest monument to a remarkable explorer. And nearby, in the town bearing the name of Livingston, his memorial museum was opened.

? Africa's fourth longest river, the Zambezi, is the mother of the continent's largest waterfall, the Victoria Falls. Due to its area, the African waterfall is considered the largest in the world: its width is 1708 meters and its height is 120 meters. Every minute about 500 million liters of water fall down! The hum of Victoria can be heard for many tens of kilometers.

For the first time in 1855, the famous explorer D. Livingston told about the waterfall. A wide flat area extends in front of the waterfall, and suddenly, Zambezi makes an unthinkable run and jumps 120 meters into the abyss! Having made such a dizzying jump, the Zambezi again smoothly passes to the plain and ends its journey in Lake Kariba.

You can admire Victoria from different angles: from the air - by paragliding or helicopter flight, by going on a cruise on water transport along the Zambezi River, and the most daring can jump by bungee jumping. The best view of Victoria is from a small cliff in the middle of the Zambezi. - Knife Point. Rainbows can always be seen on both sides of the waterfall. Once every ten years, the lucky ones can see the rarest natural phenomenon - an extraordinary lunar rainbow, which, of all places on the planet, has chosen Victoria Falls.

The highest waterfall in the world

The Venezuelan name for the highest waterfall in the world is Angela, Kerepakupai Meru. This name was proposed in 2009 by the late president of the country, the eccentric Hugo Chavez, an opponent of everything American. In translation, it means "waterfall of the deepest place."

The height of the famous waterfall is 979 meters, almost a kilometer! It is unrealistic to get to the waterfall on foot, because impenetrable jungle closes the approaches to it from all sides. Due to the constant fog, it seems that geysers or volcanoes are located around the waterfall. The best view of the highest waterfall in the world opens from the air.

Despite the fact that the local Indian tribes knew about the existence of the waterfall long before the Europeans and Americans appeared here, it became widely known only in the 30s of the 20th century. It's hard to believe, especially considering that Christopher Columbus discovered America in the 15th century. However, its name - Angel, the waterfall received only in 1937, in honor of the pilot James Angel. This happened after a pilot from the USA, James Angel, along with passengers, made his way through the jungle for 11 days from the top of the mountain that gives rise to the waterfall. The name of this mountain Auyantepui, as opposed to the name of the pilot, meaning "angel", is translated as "mountain of the devil."

Read more about Angel in the article -

Africa is very diverse - on the one hand, it has a lot of deserts and simply arid places, and on the other, an abundance of rivers, lakes and beautiful waterfalls. The peculiarities of the geological structure of the mainland and its climatic conditions have led to the fact that the largest number of the most impressive, world-famous waterfalls are located south of the equator, but there is something to admire in the northern part of the mainland.

1. Tugela, South Africa (948 m)

The highest waterfall in Africa - Tugela is the second highest in the world, although it is far from the power, beauty and popularity of the famous Victoria Falls. In fact, Tugela is divided into five cascades, the sum of the heights of which does not reach a kilometer a little. This waterfall is located in the Dragon Mountains, in the Republic of South Africa. The Royal National Park Natal is organized in this place. Translated from the Zulu language, "tugela" means "sudden", because the rock from which it collapses ends in a sharp cliff, which in winter is often covered with snow. Tugela is quite picturesque throughout its length. The width of the falling jet is small, and the height of the highest cascade is 411 meters.

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2. Mutarazi, Zimbabwe (762 m)

In another South African country, Zimbabwe, on the Eastern Highlands, there is a stunningly beautiful Nyanga National Park with a life-giving humid climate, mountain meadows, green hills, picturesque valleys, rivers, lakes and waterfalls. In the south of this national park there is a picturesque Mutarazi waterfall, which is the second highest in Africa and one of the highest in the world. It is located on the river of the same name, the waters of which rush down in a powerful stream from a rocky ledge that crosses the riverbed. Water falls into the Honda Valley from a height of 762 meters.
The waterfall has two cascades, and the width of its stream is 15 m. In February-April, when summer reigns here, the rainy season begins, thanks to which the waterfall is gaining maximum power. But in the dry winter period, it becomes a rather thin stream. But at any time of the year, its background looks great - forested valleys and slopes, as well as rocky mountains.

3. Jinba, Ethiopia (about 500 m)

The next highest African waterfall is already north of the equator - in the northern part of Ethiopia, where the Mount Simien National Park is located. It is fed by the waters of the short mountain river of the same name (only 9 km). Winding among the rocks, the river at some point collapses in a noisy stream into a narrow deep canyon, overcoming half a kilometer in flight. The height of the waterfall is determined only approximately, since no one has yet dared to get there and make the necessary measurements. A powerful white water jet rushing down at the beginning of its fall resembles a thin line cutting through sheer cliffs of gray basalt. But in the middle of the fall, the wind blows the stream towards the rocks, hitting which the water turns into a myriad of splashes that form a cloud. The waterfall is especially beautiful during the rainy season, but it does not disappear at all during the dry season. Unfortunately, Jinba is very difficult to access, and therefore little known.

4. Kalambo, Zambia, Tanzania (427 m)

Another high waterfall is also located in southern Africa, this time on the border between Tanzania and Zambia. In terms of the height of the continuous fall, this waterfall, which has a width of 4 to 18 meters, is the second on the Black Continent. It is part of the river of the same name, which flows into famous lake Tanganyika. Following the location of the waterfall, the river flows along the bottom of a 5-kilometer gorge 300 meters deep and one kilometer wide, after which it enters the Tanganyika valley.
Europeans learned about this waterfall only in 1913. This is one of the most important places on the continent in terms of archeology - traces of human activity 250 thousand years ago have been found here. In 1953, D. Clark was the first to start excavations on the banks of a small lake located below the waterfall along the river. He discovered there hearths and stone tools of incredible age. The presence of hearths indicates that already in that remote period, our ancestors actively used fire.

5. Maletsuneyane, Lesotho (192 m)

This waterfall with an unpronounceable name is the pride of the small South African state of Lesotho. It is located in Maseru district, in the very center of the country. It may not seem like something unique at first glance, but the striking geological contrast makes it truly unique. The waterfall is a single cascade, a powerful jet of which falls into the abyss of the canyon from almost two hundred meters high, turning into a cloud of spray visible from afar. Against the backdrop of the magnificent surrounding mountain landscape, all this looks incredibly impressive.
Although this part of the African continent is quite arid, due to the height of the mountain plateau, more precipitation falls here and more evenly throughout the year, due to which the Maletsyuneyane waterfall is almost always full of water. In winter, it is often supplemented by huge ice growths. At the foot of the waterfall, a lake has formed, which is always in the shade, so the ice on its banks lingers until the summer.
To see the waterfall itself, as well as scenic surroundings, many travelers come here. The first European who saw the Maletsyuneyane waterfall in 1881 was Francois Le Bian, a missionary from France.

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6. Augrabis, South Africa (146 m)

This waterfall is located on famous river Orange in one of the South African national parks. In terms of the height of the water fall, it leads in front of the famous Victoria Falls. The name of the waterfall, translated from the language of the local Khoykhoy tribe, means “noisy place”, and there is no exaggeration here, because powerful jets of water fall here into the 200-meter depth of the gorge from a height of 146 meters, and then the gorge stretches for 18 kilometers.
The first name Augrabis from Europeans began to be used in 1778 by the Finn Hendrik Vikar, followed by the Boers, who settled here later. In a particularly powerful flood in 1988, the volume of the waterfall's drainage reached 7800 cubic meters. m / s, and in 2006 the flow rate during the flood reached 6800 cubic meters. m / s, which is three times the average flood flow of Niagara Falls (2400 cubic meters / s) and is equal to the maximum flow rate for the entire observation period.

7. Ouzoud, Morocco (110 m)

There are beautiful waterfalls in northern Africa too, and Ouzoud is one of them. It is located 150 km north of Marrakesh. Its several cascades fall together from more than 100 meters and are divided into three main streams. In the Berber language, the name of the waterfall means "olive", and this is not accidental, since a hiking trail leads to it through a grove of olive trees.
The number and fullness of the waterfall cascades depend on the season. They look most impressive in the spring, when the river does not have time to dry up on the way to the cliff. At certain moments, more than three cascades appear at the waterfall, while they together overcome one step, after which they merge into a single stream, which collapses from the steep. Below, the falling water washed several natural reservoirs connected by short channels - people bathe in them with great pleasure, fleeing the heat.

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8. Victoria, Zimbabwe and Zambia (108 m)

This most famous and spectacular of African waterfalls has long become the most important attraction of the Black Continent and has even been included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. It is located between Zimbabwe and Zambia on the Zambezi River in a place where the national parks border - the Zambian "Thunder Smoke" and the Zimbabwean "Victoria Falls".
When the Scottish traveler David Livingston visited this magnificent waterfall in 1855, he named it in honor of the queen ruling at that time. The local tribes call it "Thundering Smoke". The width of the water fall here is very long - 1800 meters, which makes this waterfall unique. Victoria is about twice the height of Niagara Falls and more than twice the width of the Horseshoe - its main part.
Tons of falling water every second in flight break into countless sprays that form a fog cloud rising 400 meters or more above the waterfall - it can be seen from 50 kilometers away. Every minute during the rainy season, the waterfall brings down 500,000 tons of water, and the record was set in 1958, when this value reached 770,000 tons. Zambezi collapses into a fault in the earth's crust about 120 meters deep. On the crest of the waterfall there are numerous islands that break the stream into separate jets, the number of which varies at different times of the year.
The river that fell into the crevice punched a rather narrow channel in its wall, which has a width of only 30 meters and a length of 120 meters. Escaping through it, the river enters a winding gorge that stretches for 80 kilometers. After the first zigzag after the fall of the water, she washed out a deep basin 150 meters wide, which is called the "boiling cauldron".

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9. Calandula, Angola (104 m)

One of the most notable sights of another South African country of Angola is the Kalandula waterfall, which is located 420 kilometers north of the capital of the state of Luanda. The maximum full flow is observed at this waterfall in June-August, when its powerful stream collapses at a width of 600 meters. In terms of water flow, Calandula is second only to Victoria Falls in Africa.
It has a horseshoe shape and consists of several multi-stage narrow streams cascading over the rocks, which are overgrown with luxurious tall tropical trees. At the top, there is a great view of the Lukalu River, which feeds the waterfall, which, framed by lush jungle, stretches into the distance, towards the hilly horizon. A rainbow almost always hangs over the waterfall, which tourists love to photograph so much.
The Government of Angola has recently organized travel company, one of the main lures of which was this magnificent waterfall. The good thing is that you can admire this spectacle throughout the year, however, it is best to come there during the rainy season, during which the violent power is especially felt. huge quantities falling water.

10. Howick, South Africa (95 m)

In South Africa, there is another high waterfall - Howick, which is located in the province of KwaZulu-Natal on a fairly full-flowing Umgeni River 232 kilometers long. Back in 1497, the Portuguese Vasco da Gama entered the mouth of this river on his ship to replenish supplies of provisions and water. But he did not see the waterfall, and the Europeans discovered it only in 1800. The water here falls from a steep cliff, forming a foaming rumbling column. locals They call the waterfall a word meaning "high place". In the process of falling water, a lot of white foam and a cloud of spray are formed, and this whole picture is accompanied by a deafening roar that does not stop for a minute.

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