Zambesi

Zambesi, also spelled Zambezi, is a major river of southern Africa. It rises in the highlands of Zambia near the Angolan border and flows southeast for about 2,500 kilometers, draining a basin of roughly 1.3 million square kilometers before emptying into the Indian Ocean. The alternative spelling Zambesi appears in older texts, while Zambezi is the more common contemporary form.

The river passes through or along the borders of several countries. It forms part of the boundary between Namibia’s Caprivi Strip and Zambia, then becomes the frontier between Zambia and Zimbabwe at Victoria Falls, one of the region’s most famous natural attractions. The Zambezi continues through northern Zimbabwe and southern Mozambique to the delta and into the Indian Ocean near Beira. Major tributaries include the Kafue and Luangwa rivers, which contribute significant flow to the system. The Barotse Floodplain in western Zambia is a notable seasonal wetland on the Zambezi’s western reach.

Hydroelectric power and navigation are important uses of the river. The upper Zambezi hosts the Kariba Dam, creating Lake Kariba on the Zambia–Zimbabwe border, and the Cahora Bassa Dam on the Mozambican side, both major sources of electricity for the region. The lower Zambezi supports agriculture in floodplains and is a focus of tourism around Victoria Falls and wildlife-rich habitats. In recent decades, dam regulation, sediment transport changes, drought, and habitat loss have raised ecological and transboundary water-management concerns.

Historically, the Zambezi has been a crucial trade route and exploration corridor, with Victoria Falls among the earliest widely documented natural landmarks encountered by European explorers in the 19th century.