Fish River, Nambia
Encyclopedia
The Fish River is a river
in Namibia
. It is 650 km long, flowing from Hardap Dam near Mariental
. The flow of the river is seasonal; in winter the river can dry up completely. Despite this, the river is the site of the spectacular Fish River Canyon
, a canyon 160 km long, and at points as much as 550 m deep.
The outflow of the Fish River joins the Orange River
at the border with South Africa
about 100 km from the Atlantic Ocean
.
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
in Namibia
Namibia
Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia , is a country in southern Africa whose western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and east. It gained independence from South Africa on 21 March...
. It is 650 km long, flowing from Hardap Dam near Mariental
Mariental, Namibia
Mariental is a town of 10,000 inhabitants in south-central Namibia, lying on the B1 national road 145 miles north of Keetmanshoop and 170 miles southeast of Windhoek. It lies at an elevation of 3,576 feet . Mariental is connected to the TransNamib railway line from Windhoek to Keetmanshoop...
. The flow of the river is seasonal; in winter the river can dry up completely. Despite this, the river is the site of the spectacular Fish River Canyon
Fish River Canyon
The Fish River Canyon is located in the south of Namibia. It is the second largest canyon in the world and the largest in Africa, as well as the second most visited tourist attraction in Namibia. It features a gigantic ravine, in total about long, up to 27 km wide and in places almost 550 metres...
, a canyon 160 km long, and at points as much as 550 m deep.
The outflow of the Fish River joins the Orange River
Orange River
The Orange River , Gariep River, Groote River or Senqu River is the longest river in South Africa. It rises in the Drakensberg mountains in Lesotho, flowing westwards through South Africa to the Atlantic Ocean...
at the border with South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
about 100 km from the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
.