In Central Africa, as well as in the northern part of this continent, there is a unique, chic and very full-flowing attraction - Zambezi. The river originates in Zambia and flows through such powers as Angola, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Zambia. In Mozambique, the mouth of the Zambezi flows into the Indian Ocean. Along the course of this river is the greatest attraction of Africa - Victoria Falls.
The flow of the river. Top
The source of the Zambezi River is located in the northwestern part of Zambia, surrounded by black swamps. The height above sea level here is one and a half meters. A little higher than the source is a mountain slope, along which there is a clear watershed between the basins of two water streams - the Congo and the Zambezi. The river flows to the southwest, and at about 240 km tributaries begin to flow into it. On one of the slopes, the river passes into a small Chavama waterfall. This makes her unsuitable forshipping. For its first 350 km, up to about the Victoria Falls, the height above sea level over which the waters run is approximately the same. It changes its direction from south to east a couple of times, but these changes are insignificant. In the place where the waterfall is located, the upper Zambezi ends. A river in central Africa brings most of its waters to the Victoria Falls, creating an amazing phenomenon in this place, which billions of tourists come to admire.
Middle part of the river
Victoria Falls is considered the dividing line between the sources of the river and its middle course. Starting from it, the channel is already directed strictly to the east, where it lies between the hills. The approximate length of this part of the reservoir is 300 meters. We also note that the source of the Zambezi River, which we talked about above, is surrounded by shrubs, savannah and sandy-clay rocks. Here, the waters flow along the bas alts, which form hills and small rocks that enclose the waters of the river. An important point in the middle part is the Caribbean Reservoir (it is also called Lake Kariba). This is one of the largest artificial lakes in the world. It was formed here in the middle of the 20th century, after the dam of the same name was built in the middle reaches of the Zambezi. From then until today, the Kariba hydroelectric power plant has provided the opportunity for all residents of the surrounding area to use electricity. Also, along the middle course, we meet two more large tributaries - Kafue and Luangwa, which flow into the Zambezi. Thanks to them, the river becomes wider and more full-flowing. Therefore, a little further downstream, another dam was built on it - Cabora Bassa. At this point, the middle part of the Zambezi ends.
Lower waterway
Zambezi, crossing the Cabora Bassa reservoir, redirects its waters to the west. The length of its final part is the largest in comparison with the previous ones, namely 650 km. This section is already navigable, but shoals are common here. The fact is that the area through which the waters flow is a wide valley, and they simply spread along it, forming a wide river, but not very deep. The channel narrows only when it passes through the Lupata Canyon. Here its width is only 200 meters, while in all other places the river literally blurs up to 5-8 kilometers. At a distance of 160 km from the ocean, the Zambezi intersects with the river. Wider. Thanks to this, it is fed by its waters, as well as waters from Lake Malawi. After that, our beauty breaks up into many small ducts, forming a delta. Near the shores of the Indian Ocean, the Zambezi River on the map looks like a triangular branch that connects with large waters.
River tributaries
This stream is considered the fourth largest among its "brothers" on the continent. The Zambezi River in Africa would not be so full-flowing if it were not for its numerous tributaries crossing its bed of lakes and canals. Well, let's look at them in more detail. The first and most important supply artery of the water streamis the Capombo River. It originates in the hills, where the sources of the Congo and Zambezi are located not far from each other. In the first knee of our subject of study, where the direction changes from west to east, it is crossed by Kwando - a very full-flowing river. In the middle reaches, the Zambezi is fed by the waters of Kafue and Langi. Below we meet another extremely important tributary - the Luangwa. It not only supplies its waters to the Zambezi, but also comes into contact with Lake Malawi, due to which it becomes very wide and deep. In the lower part of the river, the waters of the Sanyati, Shangani and Khanyani tributaries feed the river.
History and research of the reservoir
People had knowledge about this geographical object in the early Middle Ages. Historians believe that this knowledge was based on Arabic chronicles and documents. Thus, the Zambezi River appeared on the map of Africa in the distant 1300s, but, as you understand, only high-ranking persons could know about it. Capital exploration of these African waters only began in the 19th century. The first person to pay attention to the river from a scientific point of view was David Livingston. He swam upstream from Lake Malawi to Victoria Falls. Along the way, he discovered many of the now known tributaries and gave them their names. Until the end of the century, the river and all the elements adjacent to it were completely studied by Europeans, and all data was firmly entrenched on world maps.
Fish World
Most of the fish found in the waters of the Zambezi areendemics. All of their species are found exclusively in this area. And even if many of the names that we list below seem familiar to you, then be sure that in fact this aquatic inhabitant will not look the way we used to contemplate him. There is a special microflora that allows all living organisms to develop differently than in Europe or America. So, there are cichlids of various types, catfish, terapons and catfish. A very popular inhabitant of the lower riverbed is the blunt shark, or bull shark. It is found both in the coastal waters of the Indian Ocean and in the inlets of the Zambezi.
Fauna
Based on the previous material, one can imagine where the Zambezi River is located from a geographical point of view. This is the central part of the African continent, the tropical zone, the zone of eternal heat, sands and savannahs. It is through such a landscape that the Zambezi flows, which creates a corresponding fauna around it. There are an uncountable number of crocodiles of various species. According to this characteristic, the river can be safely compared with the Nile. Along with them, smaller lizards live, as well as snakes (especially in the area of \u200b\u200bthe source, where there are many swamps). On land, there are elephants, zebras, bulls, lions, buffaloes - in a word, a typical African safari. Unfortunately, there are not so many birds in the skies over the Zambezi. Monitor lizards, pelicans, African eagles fly here, and white herons walk along the banks of the river.
Fish economy
You can understand just looking at the photo: the Zambezi River is very full-flowing, wide, rich infauna and flora, therefore it is a significant economic link in the development of all countries through whose territory it flows. In addition to the fact that two giant hydroelectric power stations have been built here, which supply electricity to all adjacent countries and cities, fishing is also flourishing here. Residents of cities that grew up on the banks of the Zambezi can use the gifts of its waters for free to feed their families. Visitors from more remote settlements pay a tax for fishing here. Many shores of the Zambezi are reserved for sport fishing. People from different parts of the world come here for pleasure and rare species of fish. Also, those same endemics that serve as decoration for any aquarium are caught from the river basin.
Environmental situation
Perhaps, we will begin the description of the ecology of the Zambezi River with its problems, since they are truly large-scale. All the misfortunes lie in the fact that wastewater is discharged here, and not through special treatment facilities, but directly. Sewerage from settlements, from ports, single houses and other objects simply merges into the river. This causes not only water pollution, but also gives rise to diseases such as typhus, cholera, dysentery, and a host of other more or less serious infections. Big problems also arose after the construction of the Cabora Bassa hydroelectric power station. This artificial lake filled up thanks to the rains in just one season, while the authorities planned that it would fill up gradually over several years. As a result, the runoff decreased sharply, whichled to the reduction of the mangrove forest around the water. This also scared away the animals that previously lived on the banks of the river. Many useful trace elements have also disappeared from the waters, and the number of fish species that lived here has decreased.
Traffic situation
In total, the length of the Zambezi River is 2574 kilometers, including all its bends and turns. This makes it one of the largest waterways in Africa, but this is not at all a sign that it is an ideal transport artery for its region. We have already said above that the riverbed often changes its direction, and dramatically, the same applies to its width, depth and other indicators. The main obstacle to navigation are artificial lakes, dams and waterfalls that cross its course. Nevertheless, often many transport operations are carried out precisely thanks to individual segments of this reservoir. For example, steamboats often pass through the lower Zambezi, carrying both passengers and cargo. The middle and upper parts of the river are used mainly by local residents. The surrounding roads are always washed out due to the instability of local soils, and the easiest way to get from one settlement to another is by boat.
Bridges over the Zambezi
The fourth largest water flow in Africa is crossed by only five bridges. Their construction began at the dawn of the 20th century, and is still ongoing, despite the fact that many projects have already been implemented. The first one was built in1905 in Victoria Falls. It rises 125 meters above the surface of the water, its width is 150 meters, and its length is 250 meters. Since then, it has been reconstructed, but not fundamentally rebuilt. It was originally planned as part of a railway that would run from Cape Town to Cairo. Further, in 1939, a bridge was built in the city of Chirundu (Zambia), which was rebuilt in 2003, and in the 60s, bridges appeared in the cities of Tete and Chinwingi. In later years, namely in 2004, the construction of the last, fifth bridge across the Zambezi was completed. It runs between the cities of Sesheke (Zambia) and Katimo Mulilo (Namibia).
Cities and towns surrounding the river
We looked at where the Zambezi River originates, where it flows, and what other bodies of water it crosses during the course. Now the subject of consideration are the settlements surrounding its banks. First, the river passes, to a greater or lesser extent, through six countries. Among them we will name Angola, Namibia, Zambia, Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Botswana. But there are more cities that are located on its banks. We list them briefly: Lakalu, Kariba, Mongu, Tete, Songo, Lilui, Livingston, Sesheke and Katimo-Mulilo. All settlements are very small geopolitical objects. In total, only 32 million people live in the river valley. Most of them lead a rural lifestyle, content with local floating soils and the almost complete absence of livestock. Local cities earn mainly on tourism, but thisThe industry here is not properly developed. Many of them are fishing, and poaching is also flourishing.
