Victoria Falls – Travel Guide At Wikivoyage

History

It took thousands of years of erosion for Victoria Falls to appear as and where it does now. Mosi-oa-Tunya, or "the smoke that thunders” only became known to the western world as Victoria Falls after David Livingstone first set eyes on this astonishing natural wonder in 1855, a heartbeat ago in geological time. During the Jurassic Period (150-200 million years ago) volcanic activity resulted in thick basalt deposits covering large parts of Southern Africa. As the lava cooled and solidified, cracks appeared in the hard basalt crust, which were filled with softer clay and lime. About 2 million years ago, the land between Zimbabwe and the Kalahari Desert was lifted by the same series of earth movements that caused the Great African Rift Valley to the north. This blocked the flow of what was then the upper Limpopo River, which began to fill up a vast inland sea called Lake Makgadikgadi in the region of modern Botswana. This began to overflow in a new course over Zimbabwe's basalt plateau about 20,000 years ago. Erosion by the mighty Zambezi River cut through the softer materials in the hard basalt, forming the first of a series of waterfalls. Over the last 20,000 years, the falls have receded 8km upstream, as the Zambezi carved its way through seven linked gorges. This geological history can be seen in the dark basalt in the sheer rocky walls of gorges below the Falls. It is guessed that the Devil's Cataract, which is the lowest point of Victoria Falls, will eventually become the start of the next gorge as the river continues to cut its way back upstream.

Essentially the river falls into a section of gorge along its northern side forming a waterfall a mile long. You view the falls head on from across the gorge.

Victoria Falls comprises eight ravines and several islands that house four endangered and migratory bird species, including the taita falcon and black eagle. Meanwhile, Victoria Falls’ stunning spray mist which can be seen as far as 50km is a result of its lively ecosystem. The newest waterfall can be found in Zimbabwe at The Devil’s Cataract. In an aerial view of Victoria Falls, there is a great chance that there will be more waterfalls in the future.