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Great falls - Niagara Falls, Victoria Falls, Iguassu Falls, Angel Falls, world's highest falls |
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Waterfalls are among the prettiest and most exciting of Nature's creations. The sight of water freefalling through the air and crashing to earth in a cloud of spray and a thundering roar is truly one of life's finer experiences. Plus, most waterfalls are located in rugged, spectacular country, and there are always beautiful rainbows to be seen at waterfall sites.
South Africa's Tugela Falls is nearly as high, with a total drop of 3,110 feet. (Some sources list it as 2,800 feet, which would still make it the second highest.) Yet not many people have heard of Tugela Falls, because it isn't the highest waterfall. North America's highest waterfall Yosemite Falls is the sixth highest waterfall in the world. Located in Yosemite National Park in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California, it is a fantastic and breathtaking sight. In fact, aside from Angel Falls, few people have ever heard of any of the other highest waterfalls. That's because most high waterfalls occur in remote mountains where few people see them. Plus, they are usually created by small rivers. After all, many rivers are born in mountains; they have to flow for a ways, taking in more water from tributaries, before they become truly big. But what if a river like the Amazon, the Nile, or the Mississippi flowed over a cliff? One such superfall is Khone Falls, on the Mekong River in Laos. It drops just 72 feet, yet it has an average movement of 400,000 cubic feet of water per second. Far more famous is a waterfall created by Africa's Nile River. Uganda's Murchison Falls National Park has been created there. But the biggest single sheet of falling water in the world is another African giant, Victoria Falls. Created by the mighty Zambezi River in Zimbabwe, this awesome giant creates a deafening roar as a wall of water about a mile wide crashes nearly 400 feet toward the ground below. The story of Victoria Falls' discovery is also well known. The first European to see it was David Livingstone (of Stanley and Livingstone fame), who named it for Queen Victoria.
You've probably never even heard of the largest waterfall on Earth. Located downstream on the Parana itself, Guaira Falls boasted 7,5 times the average discharge of Iguassu. Sadly, it was erased by the construction of Itaipu dam, completed in 1982.
Etienne Brule, the first European to see Lakes Ontario, Erie Huron and Superior, may also have been the first to see Niagara Falls, in 1615. Of course, it was buried deep in the wilderness 400 years ago. Today, Niagara Falls is famous mainly because it is located near one of the world's biggest population centers. Of course, it is an amazing sight, even if it doesn't compare to some of the giants in foreign lands. The American Falls cascade 70-110 feet, while the Canadian Horseshoe Falls plunges 170 feet into the Maid of the Mist Pool. More than six million cubic feet (160,000 cubic meters) of water go over the falls every minute during peak flow. Niagara has become especially known as an attraction for lovers. It is also popular with daredevils, a number of whom found fame - or death - in attempting to survive one of the quickest river trips around, a fall of less than five seconds over Niagara Falls. The wooden barrel might even be considered the official waterfall vehicle! If you guessed there would be tons of record waterfalls in the Himalayas and the Andes, join the crowd - so did I! Yet, even though Asia is the largest continent, there is just one waterfall high enough to make this list. North America makes a fair showing with half a dozen superfalls. Yet Canada, the United States and Mexico combined are beat by tiny Norway, with a whopping eight! With France and Switzerland boasting one superfall apiece, Europe easily beats the other continents with a total of ten waterfalls for the record books. Even tiny, arid Australia has three times as many superfalls as Asia! There are waterfalls that aren't as high as those listed, but are much wider-and it isn't hard to figure out why. Look at the names of the rivers that create the waterfalls in the chart. You probably haven't heard of any of them before. That's because most high waterfalls occur high in the mountains where big rivers are rare. After all, many rivers are born in mountains and have to flow for a ways, taking in more water from tributaries, before they become truly big. www.geobop.com
Below is a list of the highest waterfalls in rank order:
Height listings from www.infoplease.com |
The
The
most spectacular waterfall maker in the world is South America's
Rio Parana. One of its tributaries creates 
North
America's most famous waterfall is located near the midpoint of
the Niagara River, which flows from Lake Erie into Lake
Ontario. On one side of an island in the river is the long, straight
line of American Falls; on the other, the graceful crescent
of Horseshoe Falls. The twin falls drop about 180 feet,
together forming the famous