Many aspects make Victoria Falls pre-eminent and renowned in many parts of the world. These aspects range from its physical size to its beautiful nature thereby outcompeting other examples of waterfalls that may be in existence. The Victoria Falls is mainly known for its beautiful nature and the kind of activities that take place there, mainly recreational activities.
1. Physical size
Victoria Falls is one of the most unparalleled waterfalls in the world. In fact, it is the largest in the world. This countenance makes it a major tourist attraction site with people from different continents visiting the falls to experience the cool natural environment and explore more about them.
The tourists do not only visit to explore and experience the environment but also go there for special reasons including vacations and honeymoons. Others also explore them to create documentaries about these fascinating waterfalls.
2. Adventurous nature
There are many activities that one can venture into once they visit Victoria Falls. Some of the activities you can choose to explore include bungee jumping. This is whereby someone ascends from a highly raised ground and they are tied onto a rope majorly for their security.
Some other recreational activities that someone can wish to venture into include simple water surfing, water rafting and canoeing. These qualities, therefore, make them an ideal recreational center.
Why Is Victoria Falls Named Victoria Falls?
The name Victoria Falls is of great antiquity when traced. It was originally called Mosi-oa-Tunya in the local language which meant “smoke that thunders”. However, this name was changed after the British Monarch David Livingstone discovered the waterfall in his search for a route to the East African Coast.
David Livingstone named this place Victoria falls, a name which represented Queen Victoria, who was also a British Monarch. This place was therefore named in honor of the queen and had been the predominant name since the 17th century up to the modern world.
Brief History of Victoria Falls
Many theories explain the origin of the Victoria Falls. However, research results clearly explain that the existence of Victoria Falls was a result of volcanic eruption and glaciation. An igneous rock, commonly known as basalt, was accumulated and all those materials solidified.
Later on due to glaciation reactions the rock cracked creating a large cliff between the two rocks. Since there was water readily available from the neighboring River Zambezi, the water diverted its routes creating a large waterfall. The area slowly began to be occupied by the early stone age natives and this place was named Mosi-oa-Tunya before the coming of the British explorer, David Livingstone who was looking for a route to the East Coast of Africa.
Why Do Tourists Visit Victoria Falls?
Victoria falls fosters the attraction of tourists from many parts of the world. These tourists are mainly fascinated by the beautiful nature of the place, not forgetting the recreational activities that take place there. There is a wide range of activities that take place at Victoria Falls.
1. Adventure
Some tourists visit the Victoria falls to enjoy the view and adventure in the place and create documentaries that may be used for future reference. This adventure may be of different types, ranging from recreational activities to the beautiful wildlife that is found in the neighboring wildlife parks that have many kinds of animals.
2. Wildlife Exploration
The existence of some wildlife parks is another key reason why tourists are interested in Victoria falls. There are many different kinds of wild animals that are found in these parks. They include elephants, wild birds, lions, elephants, buffalos and rhinos just to mention a few.
For a long time, Africa has been a major continent that has rich cultures and tourist attraction sites, one of them being Victoria falls. This therefore clearly shows how these falls are of great importance not only to the inhabitants of the place but also to the whole world in general. Visiting Victoria falls is the best recreational activity one would ever want to try.
Interesting Facts About Victoria Falls
1. Its existence is determined by the Zambezi River.
The water that flows from the falls mainly comes from the nearby Zambezi River. As explained by one of the theories, the water that flows in the Zambezi River was diverted into the cliff due to
volcanic eruptions that led to the separation of the underneath rock hence forming the Victoria Falls. This therefore clearly explains why the Zambezi River is tantamount to the existence of the Victoria Falls which are a major tourist attraction.
2. It is the largest waterfall in the world
The Victoria Falls are not only regarded as the widest or longest but also the largest waterfall in the world. It has a greater height and width compared to any other waterfalls that are in existence. These falls deposit over three million cubic meters of water every minute because the supply of water from the Zambezi River is readily high. These aspects, therefore, accord them the chance of becoming the largest in the world.
3. It may experience a change in the flow of water during some seasons
Sometimes the levels of water flowing from River Zambezi may rise or fall depending on the season. At times the levels may be high level to a point that people may be barred from venturing and seeing the falls from a near distance
Similarly, the water levels may slightly go low, decreasing the rate of flow of the water into the fall.
4. It was originally referred to as Mosi-oa-Tunya
The Victoria Falls were originally known as Mosi-oa-Tunya which was the local language of the people who lived there before they were chased away from their land by the Khoisan. One of the British missionaries named David Livingstone happened to encounter the falls in his mission of looking for a way to the East coast of Africa.
On finding the falls, David Livingstone named this place in honor of the queen, whose name was Victoria. The name Victoria has been in use from ancient times up to today. This, therefore, makes it a major site for attracting visitors.
5. It is a major tourist attraction site
Victoria falls has become a major tourist attraction site whereby tourists explore the place for their enjoyment. This earns foreign exchange for the country and hence fosters economic development in the country.