Victoria falls

The Victoria Falls are one of the world's most spectacular waterfalls. The falls are situated on the Zambezi River, on the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe, and are roughly a 1.6 km (1 mile) wide and 128 m (420 ft) high. They are considered a remarkable spectacle because of the peculiar narrow slot-like chasm into which the water falls, so one can view the falls face-on.

Discovery

The earliest inhabitants of the area around Victoria Falls were Khoisan hunter-gatherers (bushmen). They were followed by, Tokaleya people, who called the falls Shongwe. Later, the Ndebele named them aManza Thunqayo, and the Makololo Mosi-oa-Tunya, meaning "The smoke that thunders".

Related Topics:
Khoisan - Hunter-gatherer - Tokaleya - Ndebele - Makololo

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The first European to see the falls was David Livingstone on 17 November 1855, during his 1852-1856 journey from the upper Zambezi to the mouth of the river. Livingstone reached the Falls from upriver and rowed across to a small island that now bears the name Livingstone Island. Livingstone had previously been impressed by Ngonye Falls further upstream, but found the new falls much more impressive, and named them after Queen Victoria. He wrote of the falls "No one can imagine the beauty of the view from anything witnessed in England. It had never been seen before by European eyes; but scenes so lovely must have been gazed upon by angels in their flight".

Related Topics:
David Livingstone - 17 November - 1855 - 1852 - 1856 - Ngonye Falls - Queen Victoria

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In 1860, Livingstone returned to the area and made a detailed study of the falls with John Kirk. Another early European visitor was the Portuguese explorer Serpa Pinto. Until the area was opened up by the building of the railway in 1905, though, the falls were seldom visited by other Europeans.

Related Topics:
1860 - John Kirk - Portuguese - Serpa Pinto - 1905

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