South Africa is poor by any bodies of water, including rivers.Those waterways that exist in this area, are small, and most of the year are more like long-waterless riverbed.However, there is a fairly long and wide river.The largest of them - the renowned Chukovsky Limpopo, Orange River (which was not close in color to orange) and the Vaal.
Lost in Translation
name of this waterway has presented the Scot Gordon, who was a member of the Dutch expedition.However, it does not mean the color of its waters.Orange River was named to perpetuate the ruling dynasty of Holland in those years - Orange.However, the English spelling of the dynastic names (Orange), and Dutch (Oranj) indicate even orange.Translator, translating the name of the river in the Russian language is not delved into the incentive arguments Scot, that the river and became Orange.An error has long been to clarify, but the Russian-speaking people are used to the name of the African rivers were puzzles, poems, and even cartoon mentioning the name of this river.So I became the official name did not.
River geography
Orange River in Africa - the longest waterway (as much as 1865 km).For some of its distance the river is the border between Namibia and other countries.The source of the Orange River in the mountains of the Dragon, located in the border areas of Lesotho and South Africa.And the first springs of the river are located on the slopes of Mont-LAS above sea level at 3160 meters. In this case it is called the mountains in a different way - Cinco.Only replenished with waters of the tributaries, the river Orange is entitled to a familiar name.After all, then it becomes quite affluent.By the way, most of the so-called tributaries can be disregarded when calculating the content of Orange, because they are seasonal, shallow and very dependent on the amount of precipitation.Significant contribution to the deepness made only Vaal and Caledon - themselves (by African standards) are not that small rivers.
finish becomes the Atlantic Ocean, where the river empties into Orange.An interesting fact can be considered that the confluence of the river with the Atlantic - Namib desert, which translated means "Coast of skeletons."
Most of the "body" of the river is located in Namibia, South Africa and Lesotho neighbor.At a distance of tens of kilometers after replenishing water tributaries Orange pleases the eye breadth and overflowing.However, reaching the driest places, it is much shallower.In the dry season it is not difficult to cross the ford, and the woman did not dampen the skirt (if it is not a ball gown).
In principle, the Orange River, too, can be attributed to seasonal: its content is highly dependent on rainfall.And the path which runs in close proximity to the Kalahari, is very conducive to strong evaporation of water.That is why the Orange River in Africa unnavigable.
Nearby river
On the north side of the Orange River in deserts and drylands simply carry their water Nosob, Kuruman, milled and some other river, less conspicuous than the same Limpopo, Vaal and Orange.But above all, it is drying up river bed, which become only the rivers during the rainy season, so geographers call them seasonal.It is not surprising - the way these waterways passes through one of the worst of deserts - the Kalahari, where nowhere to take to recharge ponds.Yet for the rainy season, they manage to save all that is able to survive in the wilderness.
majestic waterfalls
world famous Victoria Falls Africa, which is considered the largest, beautiful and water on the continent.However, it is one of the most spectacular geographical errors.Orange River boasts a much more magnificent spectacle, which belongs to the national park.
Augrabis Falls was named Finn by the name Vicar.Name something pleasant locals - the Boers - and later became international.Augrabis - higher waterfall than Victoria, and abounding more.The top point where overthrown water in the gorge rises to 146 meters, and the depth of failure is almost 200 meters.
little-known waterfall is not difficult to explain: around Orange and Augrabis Kalahari stretches frightening, almost always impassable even for well-equipped expeditions.Even in the hot season, when the Orange River turns almost a trickle, to get close to the edge to admire the waterfall, it is extremely dangerous because of unstable and slippery stones.A flood becomes unavailable the whole flood plain of the river because of the violent floods of water;even conventional roads turn into muddy streams of mud.So you can hear the rave reviews are mainly from those who watched Augrabis from a helicopter.
The river
Orange River is fed mainly by rain, therefore the "mode of life" in her flood.Spills occur from November to the end of March, and they reach a maximum between the middle of February and March.Local states are trying to help the Orange and its tributary, the Vaal revive supervised land.66 of the last century embodied project of the irrigation system, which should be covered more than 30,000 hectares of land.Completion planned for the end of the 20th century, but until the final construction is not visible.
Though Africa and is considered the waterless area in the world, and there is room and beauty, and rivers, and waterfalls.
