The Luangwa River is one of the major tributaries of the Zambezi River, and one of the four biggest rivers of Zambia . The river generally floods in the rainy season (December to March) and then falls considerably in the dry season. It is one of the biggest unaltered rivers in Southern Africa and the 52,000 square kilometres (20,000 sq mi) that make up the surrounding valley are home to abundant wildlife.
24-499: Note: distances stated are approximate straight-line distances from source . The Luangwa rises in the Lilonda and Mafinga Hills in north-east Zambia at an elevation of around 1,500 metres (4,900 ft), near the border with Tanzania and Malawi , and flows in a southwesterly direction through a broad valley. About 150 kilometres (93 mi) from its source it has dropped to an elevation of about 690 metres (2,260 ft) and becomes
48-522: A 25-kilometre (16 mi) wide valley to the northwest, and the Luangwa in a 15-kilometre (9.3 mi) wide valley to the southeast. The river meanders less, and the floodplain narrows. The principal settlement in the Middle and Upper Luangwa Valley is Mfuwe which serves the tourism industry and has an international airport . Very few humans otherwise inhabit the valley. At 600 kilometres (370 mi)
72-480: A meandering river with a floodplain several kilometres wide. Over the next 300 kilometres (190 mi) the meanders increase, with many oxbow lakes and abandoned meanders . Near Mfuwe , the river's elevation has dropped to about 520 metres (1,710 ft), the floodplain is about 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) wide and the valley reaches about 100 kilometres (62 mi) wide, with a north-west escarpment ( Muchinga Escarpment ) about 700 metres (2,300 ft) high, and
96-525: A south-western escarpment about 450 metres (1,480 ft) high. In the dry season some sections, especially in the upper reaches, dry out completely, leaving isolated pools. The upper and middle parts of the valley contain the North Luangwa National Park and South Luangwa National Parks of Zambia . The river itself is home to large populations of hippopotami and crocodiles . The world's largest concentration of hippos lives in
120-445: Is a rift valley or graben forming a south-west extension of the east African Rift , branching off its Lake Rukwa - Lake Malawi southern section, and reaching almost as far as Lusaka . The junction is not obvious because it filled with material spewed out from an ancient, extinct volcano. There are at least 20 hot springs, characteristic of a rift valley, in the valley or on its escarpments . The Luangwa flows along four-fifths of
144-814: Is crossed by just one road, the Great East Road at the Luangwa Bridge , about 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) south of the Luangwa-Lunsemfwa confluence. 15°34′28″S 30°23′20″E / 15.57443°S 30.38887°E / -15.57443; 30.38887 Mafinga Hills The Mafinga Hills are a plateau covered by hills , situated on the border between Zambia and Malawi , in Southern Africa . These hills are composed of quartzites , phyllites and feldspathic sandstones of sedimentary origin. This plateau has
168-561: Is its exit from the Luangwa Rift Valley . After only 20 kilometres (12 mi) it emerges from the hills into the broad valley of the Zambezi and meanders over sandy flats about 1.5 kilometres (0.93 mi) wide in a floodplain 3 to 5 kilometres (1.9 to 3.1 mi) in width. It merges with the deeper Zambezi at Luangwa town . The lower section of the river forms the border between Zambia and Mozambique . The Luangwa Valley
192-753: Is the district capital of the newly formed Mafinga District, any expedition to the Mafinga Hills would be wise to use Muyombe as a starting point (two guesthouses are available). Besides going through Isoka, Muyombe can also be accessed from the south via Chama, though this road passes briefly through Western Malawi's Vwasa Wildlife Reserve, or from the East via the Malawian town of Bolero on route S104. As there are no fueling stations near Muyombe, except for in Lundazi, Nakonde, or Rhumpi (Malawi). The Luangwa River ,
216-516: The African Great Lakes . The Western Rift Valley lakes are fresh water and home to an extraordinary number of species. Approximately 1,500 cichlid fish (Cichlidae) species live in the lakes. In addition to the cichlids, populations of Clariidae , Claroteidae , Mochokidae , Poeciliidae , Mastacembelidae , Centropomidae , Cyprinidae , Clupeidae and other fish families are found in these lakes. They are also important habitats for
240-792: The Luangwa Rift Valley to the point where it meets the Lukusashi and the Lunsemfwa which has come from the opposite direction. At one time, millions of years ago, there was no way out and the Luangwa Rift filled with a Rift Valley Lake called the Madumabisa Lake , which rivalled Lake Malawi in size. The water of the lake overflowed in a river to the south-west, towards what is now the Kalahari , where it combined with
264-772: The Okavango , Upper Zambezi , Cuando and Kafue rivers, emptying into the Limpopo River and flowing to the Indian Ocean . Several geological events combined to produce the current river systems. Faulting produced another graben just to the south of the Luangwa Rift, and running east–west: the Zambezi Rift Valley and the Chicoa Trough . A tributary of the Shire River at the south end of
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#1732773166064288-713: The Central African lakes. Lakes Albert, Victoria, and Edward are part of the Nile River basin. Lake Victoria (elevation 1,134 metres (3,720 ft)), with an area of 68,800 square kilometres (26,600 sq mi), is the largest lake in Africa. It is not in the Rift Valley, instead occupying a depression between the eastern and western rifts formed by the uplift of the rifts to either side. Lakes Victoria, Tanganyika, and Malawi are sometimes collectively known as
312-608: The Ethiopian Rift Valley lakes are of great importance to Ethiopia's economy, as well as being essential to the survival of the local people, there were no intensive and extensive limnological studies undertaken of these lakes until recently. The major ones are Lake Tana , the source of the Blue Nile , lies in the Ethiopian highlands north of the Rift Valley; however, it is not a Rift Valley lake. South of
336-724: The Ethiopian highlands, the rift valley splits into two major troughs. The Eastern Rift is home to the Kenyan Rift Valley lakes, while most of the Central African Rift Valley lakes lie in the Western Rift. This area includes the Gregory Rift in Kenya and Tanzania. The Kenyan section of the Rift Valley is home to eight lakes, of which three are freshwater and the rest alkaline. Of the latter,
360-729: The Great Rift Valley then cut back eastwards through the Chicao Trough and Zambezi Valley, capturing the southerly overspill of the Madumabisa Lake. This tributary became the Zambezi, which over millions of years captured the Kafue, Cuando and the upper Zambezi . Faulting lowered the land between the Luangwa Rift and the Zambezi Rift allowing Madumabisa Lake to drain out into the Zambezi in a channel which became
384-517: The Luangwa Valley. In the dry season they are restricted by the shrinking river and pools, and are easily seen especially in isolated pools. In addition to being a source of water, the oxbow lakes and pools increase the biodiversity of the valley in other ways. The hippopotami which live in them feed on land vegetation at night. Their dung feeds some fish and fertilises the pools, increasing fish life which in turn feed crocodiles and birds. In
408-484: The dry season, the grazing land animals and their predators congregate near the river and pools, and are easily seen. In the rainy season they graze further afield and are more easily hidden in the growth of new vegetation. At about 500 kilometres (310 mi) the valley narrows to about 50 kilometres (31 mi) and becomes divided by a ridge into two parallel valleys, with a tributary, the Lukusashi River in
432-575: The evolution of at least 800 cichlid fish species that live in their waters. More species are expected to be discovered. The World Wide Fund for Nature has designated these lakes as one of its Global 200 priority ecoregions for conservation. Lake Malawi and Lake Tanganyika have formed in the various valleys of the East African Rift zone. Lake Kivu's "still waters ... hide another face: dissolved within are billions of cubic meters of flammable methane and more still of carbon dioxide,
456-606: The highest point in Zambia at 2,339-metre (7,674 ft) at Mafinga Central . It once formed a formidable barrier between the Northern and Eastern Provinces. Only very able 4-wheel drive vehicles are able to cross this area, especially during the rainy season. The shortest road link between the two provinces is now eased by the rehabilitation of the Isoka-Muyombe Road, which traverses their lower slopes. As Muyombe
480-547: The lower Luangwa River. The Luangwa Rift Valley and rivers within it form a natural barrier, with a very low population density. This, the steepness of the terrain, and the existence of the wildlife reserves have resulted in no highways crossing the valley between the Lusaka-Kabwe roads in the west and the Isoka-Chisenga road in the north, a distance of about 800 kilometres (500 mi). The lower Luangwa Valley
504-627: The major river of eastern Zambia, has its source in the Mafinga Hills. Rift Valley Lakes The Rift Valley lakes are a series of lakes in the East African Rift valley that runs through eastern Africa from Ethiopia in the north to Malawi in the south, and includes the African Great Lakes in the south. These include some of the world's oldest lakes, deepest lakes , largest lakes by area , and largest lakes by volume . Many are freshwater ecoregions of great biodiversity , while others are alkaline "soda lakes" supporting highly specialised organisms. The Rift Valley lakes are well known for
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#1732773166064528-681: The result of volcanic gases seeping in." The Ethiopian Rift Valley lakes are the northernmost of the African Rift Valley lakes. In central Ethiopia , the Main Ethiopian Rift , also known as the Great Rift Valley, splits the Ethiopian highlands into northern and southern halves, and the Ethiopian Rift Valley lakes occupy the floor of the rift valley between the two highlands. Most of the Ethiopian Rift Valley lakes do not have an outlet, and most are alkaline . Although
552-466: The river abruptly enters a narrow valley between hills rising some 200 metres (660 ft) from the broader valley floor, becoming almost a gorge. About 700 kilometres (430 mi) from its source the Luangwa merges with its tributary , the Lukusashi, after the latter has merged with the Lunsemfwa River coming from the opposite direction, and turns due south through a steep narrow valley: this
576-661: The shallow soda lakes of the Eastern Rift Valley have crystallised salt turning the shores white and are famous for the large flocks of flamingo that feed on crustaceans . All the lakes in the Tanzanian section of this group are alkaline: The lakes of the Western or Albertine Rift , with Lake Victoria , include the largest, deepest, and oldest of the Rift Valley Lakes. They are also referred to as
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