Victoria Falls Facts For Kids
Victoria Falls is an amazing waterfall on the Zambezi River between Zambia and Zimbabwe, called 'The Smoke That Thunders' for its misty roar, drawing visitors to its wild beauty.
About this topic
The falls are in a wild area full of different plants and animals. Imagine a giant curtain of water crashing over a cliff! It's so powerful that you can hear and feel it from far away. This natural wonder draws visitors from everywhere to see its beauty and power.
Quick Facts
Key Points
Photos of Victoria Falls
Victoria Falls National Park marker
First Gorge, from the Zambian side
Panorama of the Victoria Falls
Satellite image showing the broad Zambezi falling into the narrow cleft and subsequent series of zigzagging gorges
Victoria Falls from the sky
![Victoria Falls' Second Gorge (with bridge) and Third Gorge (right). The peninsular cliffs are in Zambia, the outer cliffs in Zimbabwe. The cliffs are composed of Batoka Formation basalt flows. The breaks in slope with vegetation are brecciated amygdaloidal basalt zones separating six successive and massive lava flows with distinct vertical jointing.[19][5]: 391](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/50/Victoria_Falls_gorge1.jpg/500px-Victoria_Falls_gorge1.jpg)
Victoria Falls' Second Gorge (with bridge) and Third Gorge (right). The peninsular cliffs are in Zambia, the outer cliffs in Zimbabwe. The cliffs are composed of Batoka Formation basalt flows. The breaks in slope with vegetation are brecciated amygdaloidal basalt zones separating six successive and massive lava flows with distinct vertical jointing.[19][5]: 391
Victoria Falls — photo 7
📘 Cool Names From Around The World
The Tonga people say Shungu Namutitima, meaning "Boiling Water," because the water churns and bubbles as it falls. Another old name is "The Place of the Rainbow," since rainbows often shine in the spray. These names show how much the falls amazed the people living nearby.
🔎 European Discovery
Livingstone named it after Queen Victoria of Britain, so it became Victoria Falls. Local tribes already knew the spot well and shared stories about it. Livingstone explored more in 1860 with his friend John Kirk. Soon after, other Europeans like artists and adventurers visited to sketch and study this wonder.
🧭 Amazing Size And Gorges
The water crashes into the First Gorge, a deep rocky crack. Downstream are more gorges, like the Second Gorge, which has a famous bridge over it. The deepest one, Songwe Gorge, plunges 140 meters. These gorges were carved by the river over millions of years, twisting like a zigzag path.
💡 How The Falls Formed
Around 2 million years ago, the land lifted up, changing the river's path. It started flowing straight toward a big crack in the basalt. About 20,000 years ago, the water poured over the edge, carving a deep gorge below called the Batoka Gorge. Today, the Zambezi plunges over this wide crack, 1,700 meters across, creating the amazing Victoria Falls. Two islands, like Livingstone Island, sit right on the edge during low water.
This slow process of uplift, cracking, and carving shaped one of the world's greatest waterfalls.
🌟 Early Human History
Later, during the Middle Stone Age, people made sharper tools for cutting and scraping. By the Early Iron Age, folks built homes nearby. They made pottery and even melted iron to shape tools and weapons. These discoveries prove humans explored and settled around the falls long before anyone wrote about them.
The river and forests provided food and shelter, drawing families to this special place over many generations.
🧩 Wildlife And National Parks
Near the falls, a misty rainforest grows from constant water spray. It has rare trees like pod mahogany and ebony, plus creepers and palms. Further out, mopane woodland and grassy savannahs spread wide. Droughts sometimes hurt plants and animals, but life bounces back.
Spot elephants, giraffes, zebras, buffalo, and antelopes roaming. Monkeys chatter in trees, while hippos and Nile crocodiles** lurk in the river. Birds of prey, like falcons and eagles, soar overhead—over 35 kinds! Rhinos live safely in special reserves.
🗺️ Bridge And Tourism
The bridge connected Zambia and Zimbabwe, sparking tourism. The fancy Victoria Falls Hotel opened in 1904 for visitors arriving by rail. Soon, people traveled from far away to see the thundering water.
Today, the bridge and parks draw adventure seekers for walks, boat rides, and wildlife safaris. It's a gateway to Africa's wonders, blending history with excitement.
🧠 Take the Quiz about Victoria Falls
Frequently asked questions
What is Victoria Falls and where is it?
Victoria Falls is one of the world's most amazing waterfalls. It pours down the Zambezi River on the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe in southern Africa. Local people call it Mosi-oa-Tunya, meaning 'The Smoke That Thunders' because of the mist and roar.
Why do local people call it 'The Smoke That Thunders'?
Local people call Victoria Falls Mosi-oa-Tunya, or 'The Smoke That Thunders,' for the huge clouds of mist that rise like smoke and the loud booming noise it makes.
Who was the first European to see Victoria Falls?
David Livingstone was the first European to see Victoria Falls in November 1855. He was traveling down the Zambezi River and named it after Queen Victoria.
How big is Victoria Falls?
Victoria Falls is over 1,700 meters wide and 108 meters high. That's like more than 30 giraffes standing nose to tail, creating the world's largest sheet of falling water.
How did Victoria Falls form?
Long ago, lava flows made a flat basalt plateau, and the Zambezi River started flowing toward a big crack in it. About 20,000 years ago, the water poured over the edge, carving a deep gorge below.
What animals live near Victoria Falls?
Near Victoria Falls, you can spot elephants, giraffes, zebras, buffalo, and antelopes roaming. Monkeys chatter in trees, hippos and Nile crocodiles lurk in the river, and birds like falcons and eagles soar overhead.