Zambezi River

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Victoria Falls on the Zambezi River as seen from Zambia.

Lush vegetation growing along the Zambezi River below Victoria Falls, southern Africa.

Victoria Falls on the Zambezi River, at the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe.

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Zambezi River summary

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Geography & Travel

Zambezi River

river, Africa

Also known as: Zambesi River, Zanbere River

Written by Nic J. Money, Arthur N.L. WinaSee All

Fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

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Category: Geography & Travel

Also spelled:: Zambesi

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Zambezi River, river draining a large portion of south-central Africa. Together with its tributaries, it forms the fourth largest river basin of the continent. The river flows eastward for about 2,200 miles (3,540 kilometres) from its source on the Central African Plateau to empty into the Indian Ocean. With its tributaries, it drains an area of more than 500,000 square miles (1,300,000 square kilometres). The Zambezi (meaning “Great River” in the language of the Tonga people) includes along its course the Victoria Falls, one of the world’s greatest natural wonders, and the Kariba and Cahora Bassa dams, two of Africa’s ...(100 of 2160 words)

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