The fourth longest river in Africa, the Zambezi flows for more than 2,000 miles from Zambia to Mozambique before emptying into the Indian Ocean. Along the way it passes through Angola and along the borders of Namibia, Botswana, and Zimbabwe. According to the Zambezi Society, it is one of the least damaged rivers in the world. The diverse ecosystems supported by the river provide homes for countless species, including black rhinos, crocodiles, leopards, lions, elephants, cheetahs, and more than 600 kinds of birds. The delicate balance of the river is threatened by hydroelectric projects, human settlements, tourism, and exploration for precious minerals.
The 750-mile Vaal River flows southwest from the Drakensberg Mountains in Mpumalanga Province, South Africa, to the Orange River. It forms the border between Gauteng, Mpumalanga, and North West Province on the north and the Orange Free State to the South. The river is heavily regulated by dams, and the water provides power for industry and irrigation for agriculture. According to the organization Save the Vaal Environment (SAVE), wetlands near the Vaal are threatened by potential opening of a coalmine in the area.
The Orange River is one of the main rivers through South Africa. The river's 1,300-mile trek to the sea begins in Lesotho. It flows southwest before turning northwest and west through central South Africa. It forms the southwest border of Free State province and part of the border between South Africa and Namibia before entering the Atlantic Ocean. The southern portion of the river passes through both the Kalahari and Namib Deserts and doesn't reach the sea some years. Alluvial diamond beds can be found in the river's mouth. The South African Orange River project creates hydroelectric power and provides irrigation and municipal water supplies.
Described by Rudyard Kipling in the "Elephant's Child" as the "great grey-green, greasy Limpopo river all set about with fever trees," the 1,100-mile-long Limpopo River flows along a great arc from Limpopo Province, South Africa, to the Indian Ocean. Along the way it passes between South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Botswana and then through Mozambique. The lower portion of the river brings water to a fertile, heavily populated area.
