Victoria Falls

Victoria Falls is a waterfall on the Zambezi River at the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe. The river plunges into a narrow, deep gorge, creating one of the world's largest sheets of falling water.

Zambezi River: The fourth-longest river in Africa, flowing eastward from Zambia to the Indian Ocean. Its flow over the basalt plateau forms the falls and feeds the downstream gorge.
David Livingstone: A Scottish explorer and missionary whose travels in Africa included the Zambezi River expedition of 1855. He recorded the falls for European audiences and named them for Queen Victoria.
Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park: A protected area in Zambia that includes the Zambian side of Victoria Falls and nearby wildlife habitat. It protects the falls' surroundings while providing access from the Zambian bank.
UNESCO World Heritage Site: A place recognized under the World Heritage Convention for outstanding cultural or natural value. UNESCO inscribed Victoria Falls as a transboundary natural site in 1989.
Batoka Gorge: A deep, winding gorge carved by the Zambezi River below Victoria Falls. The river's plunge and erosive force continue through this narrow downstream channel.
Kololo people: A Sotho-speaking people who established a kingdom in parts of present-day Zambia and Botswana during the nineteenth century. Livingstone learned the local name Mosi-oa-Tunya from Kololo guides.
Victoria Falls National Park: A protected area in Zimbabwe that includes the southern bank and viewpoints of Victoria Falls. Its paths and viewpoints make the Zimbabwean side of the falls accessible.
World Heritage Convention: A 1972 international treaty establishing cooperation to protect cultural and natural heritage of outstanding universal value. The convention provides the framework for Zambia and Zimbabwe's shared heritage designation.
Basalt: A dark, fine-grained volcanic rock formed when lava cools at or near Earth's surface. The hard basalt layers around the falls fracture and guide the river's erosion.
Mosi-oa-Tunya: A Lozi name for Victoria Falls, commonly translated as “The Smoke That Thunders.” The name evokes the falls' rising spray and powerful roar.

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