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| By User: Bgabel at wikivoyage shared - Source : Wikimedia Commons |
1. First Discovered by European eyes in 1855.
The Falls were first seen by the European eyes when
David Livingstone found them in 1855. To see them he stood on what is now known
as Livingstone Island; Small outcrops of land on the edge of the waterfall, in
Livingstone, Zambia.
2. Without the Zambezi River, the falls would not
exist.
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| By Someone35 - Source : Wikimedia Commons |
They are part of the stretching of 2,574 km from
Zambezi and lie almost exactly halfway along the river, with the Zambezi, then
leaving the falls and making its way to the east to flow into the Indian Ocean.
3. The flow of the Zambezi and water level change.
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| By Ludovico Mazzocchi - Source : Wikimedia Commons |
From September to December, the Zambezi flow reduced
and the water level dropped. This allows dare devils to swim to the edge of
Victoria Falls in a pool that forms naturally and looks down to the ravine
below. The pool is made by a stone wall which stops enough currents to swim; it
was accommodated with a ‘devil pool’.
4. The Falls are 1,708 meters wide and 108 meters
high.
Although known as the largest waterfall in the world,
Victoria Falls is not the highest (Angel Falls) or the widest (Khone Falls).
However, it is the largest curtain of water falling on the planet, one and a
half times wider than Niagara Falls and twice as high.
5. On the Zimbabwean side of the Falls lies The Victoria Falls Rainforest.
This special place is home to unique plants and
animals, some of which are indigenous for the area. Their environment is
equally unique, because the rain forest is the only place on earth where it
rains throughout the day ... every day! This is a direct result of water vapor
riding from the waterfall, which then falls like rain in the rain forest...
6. Victoria Falls is a home to ‘Moonbow’, which is a rainbow
at night.
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| By Ralf Junghanns - Source : Wikimedia Commons |
At sunset in the full moon, Victoria Falls organizes
rare and beautiful scenes when the light from the moon bounces from the spray
giving life to ‘Moonbow’, a rainbow at night. The spectacle takes place from
sunset until sunrise and is one of the Africa’s most distinctive and striking
secrets.
7. David Livingstone had heard magical tales about the
waterfalls.
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| By Gary Bembridge - Source : Flickr |
Before exploring the area and witnessing the falls,
David Livingstone had heard the stories of mighty waterfalls. Even though at
that time it was not called Victoria Falls! Local residents named it
Mosi-oa-tunya, which means' smoke that draws it. Livingstone re-named the
waterfall to honor the Queen of Victoria.
8. Every minute, over 5 million cubic meters of water
pour over the falls.
During the rainy season it flows into a canyon of more
than 100 meters. The opposing cliff consisting of a canyon is made of basal and
rises to the same height.
9. One of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World.
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| By Holger Wirth - Source : Flickr |
The Falls joined the Great Barrier Reef, Grand Canyon,
Aurora Borealis, The Paricutin Volcano, Port of Rio de Janeiro and Mount
Everest.
10. Victoria Falls sits on the very borderer of Zambia
and Zimbabwe.
We thought the Zimbabwean side was the best place to
see the falling face. Spray from the waterfall will keep you soaking
(especially on the Zimbabwean side), so be sure to package waterproof!
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