History, interesting facts about Victoria Falls
Dube,
Advert No.12548 Date: Sunday, 7 April 2024
Town Clerk of Victoria Falls City, Mr Ronnie
C DUBE TOWN CLERK
VICTORIA Falls is a city situated in the northwest corner of Zimbabwe and rests comfortably in the Zambezi Valley just a few metres from the south bank of one of Southern Africa’s great rivers, the Zambezi which meanders through Mozambique right into the Indian Ocean.
At this point of the river are the mighty, world famous Victoria Falls, on the Zimbabwe-Zambia border.
The Victoria Falls or Mosi-Oa-Tunya (the smoke that thunders) is where the mighty Zambezi river suddenly plunges into a narrow gorge of over 100m deep, forming one of the world’s largest and most beautiful waterfalls with millions of gallons of water plunging over a 1,7km-wide cliff.
This is the reason why in 1980 Unesco declared the waterfall, the rainforest and surrounding mist vegetation created by the perpetual spray, and part of the riparian system adjacent to the falls, a World Heritage Site, at the request of both the Zimbabwean and Zambian governments.
The falls are about twice as broad and two and half times as high as the Niagara Falls (between Canada and the US). They are over a mile and the greatest waterpower in the world.
The town derives its name from the falls. Many who have seen them have described the falls as one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World or the most beautiful gem of the earth’s scenery.
Moreover, the town is mainly surrounded by National Parks and Wildlife areas, where assortments of wild animals are found.
Man and wildlife share the routes home and to the watering hall.
Life in this town has been reduced to the very word “coexistence”.
Man respects wildlife and mutual understanding of the environment between the two has been built.
The first European to visit the Victoria Falls was David Livingstone on November 16, 1855 who named it in honour of his Queen, but the local inhabitants, the Kololo, had already christened the falls, Mosi-Oa-Tunya meaning “the smoke that thunders”.
Livingstone was so fascinated by the magnificent falls that he named them in honour of the reigning British monarch Queen Victoria and further noted that: “on sights as beautiful as this, Angels in their fight must have gazed”.
General background
Local languages: Ndebele, Tonga, Nambia, Dombolo, Shona and Nyanja
Business language: English Currency: US Dollar, Local currency, Rand, Pula, Pound, Euro [multi-currency economy].
Climate: Generally warm to hot throughout the year [“bring and wear your insect repellent”].
Night life: Casinos [fruit and slot machines], eating houses, night clubs and pubs. Accessibility
The country has more than 10 designated entry points.
Road: Through Zimbabwe-Zambia border post [Zambia], Through Kasane border post [Botswana]
The town is linked to other towns and cities national through a good all-weather road network.
Air: 24 international flights every week, 21 from Johannesburg and three from Namibia. These are complimented by daily flights from Harare by Air Zimbabwe.
Additional Air Botswana flies into Kasane, Chobe a 90-minute road transfer to the falls. BA Comair and SAA all fly into Livingstone, Zambia just a 30 minutes transfer across the bridge into Victoria Falls.
Rail: Access through overnight passenger train from Bulawayo and Safari train, Shongololo from South Africa [Green Route].
Sea: Only through Namibia and South Africa Communications: Accessible through broadband internet, fax, telex and other means [mobile networks and telephones]
Environmental control: A signatory to number environmental treaties Green destination certified Unesco certified
Safety ratings: It’s applauded as among the safest and friendliest centres on the planet.