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News: A new study suggests that the Zambezi River, Africa’s fourth-longest, is 11% longer than previously thought, with its most distant source lying in Angola, not Zambia.
About Zambezi River
- The Zambezi River is the fourth-longest river in Africa (after Nile, Congo, Niger) and continent’s longest east-flowing stream.
- Origin: It starts off in a shallow depression in Angola’s southern highlands, at the source of a river called the Lungwebungu.
- Earlier, it was believed to begin its journey from a marshy bog near Mwinilunga in northwestern Zambia at 1,500 m elevation.
- Length: It has a new total length of 3,421 km or 342 km longer than previously thought.
- Countries covered: It flows through Angola, Zambia, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique.
- Tributaries: The main tributaries of the Zambezi River include the Shire, Kafue, Luangwa, Kabompo, and Cuando (Kwando) rivers.
- Waterfalls: The river is known for several notable waterfalls, including Victoria Falls, one of the world’s largest waterfalls, and the Chavuma Falls on the Zambia-Angola border.
- Famous Dams: Cohara Bassa and Kariba Dams
- Drains into: It drains into the Indian Ocean via a 100-km-wide delta.
