Why is Victoria Falls important?

Why is Victoria Falls important? The Mosi-oa-Tunya/Victoria Falls is the world's greatest sheet of falling water and significant worldwide for its exceptional geological and geomorphological features and active land formation processes with outstanding beauty attributed to the falls i.e. the spray, mist and rainbows.

What makes Victoria Falls a wonder of the world?

The Mosi-oa-Tunya/Victoria Falls is the world's greatest sheet of falling water and significant worldwide for its exceptional geological and geomorphological features and active land formation processes with outstanding beauty attributed to the falls i.e. the spray, mist and rainbows.

What is the nickname for the Victoria Falls?

The falls are nicknamed Mosi-oa-Tunya; which means 'The smoke that thunders', by the locals, due to the billowing clouds of mist that rise up and drench everything and everyone in its reach when the river is in flood.

Who owns Victoria Falls?

The Zambezi River forms the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe. This is why Zambia and Zimbabwe share Victoria Falls, with roughly two-thirds of the Falls lying on the Zimbabwe side.

Who saw Victoria Falls first?

David Livingstone, the Scottish missionary and explorer, is the first European recorded to have viewed the falls on 16 November 1855, from what is now known as Livingstone Island, one of two land masses in the middle of the river, immediately upstream from the falls near the Zambian shore.

What did Victoria Falls used to be called?

Long before the Scottish missionary and explorer Dr. David Livingstone 'discovered' the Falls in 1855, the local Batonga people had named them Mosi-oa-Tunya, 'the smoke that thunders'.

Why is Victoria Falls sacred?

For them, the Falls represents a place to reflect on the transcendental nature of life, to honour those who have gone before, and to try and honour their memory with personal purity.

Who survived Victoria Falls?

Only one photo-loving tourist is known to have fallen at the Victoria Falls and survived. Wang Shunxue, a Chinese tourist was lucky to be pulled alive from a horrific fall in November 2013.

Is Victoria Falls bigger than Niagara?

In comparison, Victoria Falls is the world's largest sheet of falling water and is almost double the height of Niagara Falls and half a kilometer wider. In the wet season, the spray from Victoria Falls can rise 400m above the falls and can be seen from up to 48km away.

Is Victoria Falls man made?

Geologists know that the formation of Victoria Falls is the result of the gradual erosion of the land by water. The geological process that erodes the rock at a waterfall produces a gorge. In this case, the gorge forms at the base of the waterfall.

What makes the Victoria Falls attractive?

Visit one of the seven natural wonders of the world In the 1800s the local Kololo tribe named the waterfall as 'Mosi-oa-Tunya' or 'the Smoke that Thunders'. The wide basalt cliffs and powerful Zambezi river together create a waterfall like no other, spilling over 500million cubic metres of water every minute.

Is Victoria Falls one of the 7 Wonders?

With scale, drama, power and beauty it is easy to see why The Victoria Falls has been accredited as one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the world. Such an awe-inspiring experience, a once in a lifetime opportunity to observe one of our world's most precious areas of natural magnificence.

Can you swim in Victoria Falls?

It is possible to swim in the rock pools right underneath the waterfalls at certain times of the year ('low water'). This is an unforgettable adventure right in the heart of one of the most beautiful places on earth!

What are 3 facts about Victoria Falls?