Mambatuta Falls
Encyclopedia
The Mambatuta Falls are a steep waterfall on the Luapula River
, which originates in Lake Bangweulu
and flows through Zambia
and along the border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo
into Lake Mweru
.
The Luapula flows south from Lake Bangweulu as a broad, swampy river a few hundred meters (yards) wide. It then turns west and runs along the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo. After the Mambatuta falls the river narrows and meanders north, then descends through the Mambilima falls
, following which it broadens into a wetland region 150 kilometres (93.2 mi) that feeds the south end of Lake Mweru.
Mambatuta is a steep waterfall that descends in a single vertical drop.
At one time the Bangweulu / Mweru basin was part of the Zambezi system, and several species of fish that are common in the Zambezi system are found in the Luapula.
Congo fauna have penetrated up the Luvua into Lake Mweru, but have been blocked by the Mambatuta Falls from entry into Lake Bangweulu. The transition occurred in the early Tertiary
.
Luapula River
The Luapula River is a section of Africa's second-longest river, the Congo. It is a transnational river forming for nearly all its length part of the border between Zambia and the DR Congo...
, which originates in Lake Bangweulu
Lake Bangweulu
Bangweulu — 'where the water sky meets the sky' — is one of the world's great wetland systems, comprising Lake Bangweulu, the Bangweulu Swamps and the Bangweulu Flats or floodplain...
and flows through Zambia
Zambia
Zambia , officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. The neighbouring countries are the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Tanzania to the north-east, Malawi to the east, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia to the south, and Angola to the west....
and along the border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a state located in Central Africa. It is the second largest country in Africa by area and the eleventh largest in the world...
into Lake Mweru
Lake Mweru
Lake Mweru is a freshwater lake on the longest arm of Africa's second-longest river, the Congo. Located on the border between Zambia and Democratic Republic of the Congo, it makes up 110 km of the total length of the Congo, lying between its Luapula River and Luvua River segments.Mweru...
.
The Luapula flows south from Lake Bangweulu as a broad, swampy river a few hundred meters (yards) wide. It then turns west and runs along the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo. After the Mambatuta falls the river narrows and meanders north, then descends through the Mambilima falls
Mambilima Falls
Mambilima Falls is a series of rapids on the Luapula River on the boundary between Zambia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.The falls used to be called the Johnstone Falls.They extend along a stretch of the river....
, following which it broadens into a wetland region 150 kilometres (93.2 mi) that feeds the south end of Lake Mweru.
Mambatuta is a steep waterfall that descends in a single vertical drop.
At one time the Bangweulu / Mweru basin was part of the Zambezi system, and several species of fish that are common in the Zambezi system are found in the Luapula.
Congo fauna have penetrated up the Luvua into Lake Mweru, but have been blocked by the Mambatuta Falls from entry into Lake Bangweulu. The transition occurred in the early Tertiary
Tertiary
The Tertiary is a deprecated term for a geologic period 65 million to 2.6 million years ago. The Tertiary covered the time span between the superseded Secondary period and the Quaternary...
.