Luangwa
Luangwa is a mapped river in the YearMaps hydrographic index. River courses organise settlement, agriculture and frontier-making more durably than any political boundary, and this reach is indexed against the dams, lakes and cities within its catchment.
- Feature Class
- River
- Coordinates
- -12.93°, 31.92°
About Luangwa
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. The Nsefu sector in South Luangwa is known for its Leopard population and intact wilderness.
Encyclopedic summary adapted from Wikipedia: Luangwa River (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Luangwa in Depth
Source and upper-middle course
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 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.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Luangwa River (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Luangwa: Key Facts
| Length | 770 km |
|---|---|
| Drainage basin | 145,700 km² |
| Mouth | Zambezi River |
| Drainage system | Zambezi Basin |
| Tributaries | Lunsemfwa River, Mansha, Lusangazi, Lundazi |
Facts from Wikidata Q1321671 (CC0).
Major River Dossiers
Hand-written studies of the great river systems of history.
Connected Reaches
Nearby watercourses in the same drainage network.
Water Bodies in the Catchment
Settlements Along the Reach
Hydraulic Infrastructure Nearby
Surrounding Terrain
Luangwa: Quick Answers
- Where is Luangwa?
- Luangwa is located in Zambia and Mozambique, at 12.9305° S, 31.9182° E.
- Are there dams on the Luangwa?
- No dam on the Luangwa is recorded in the YearMaps dam index, which covers major structures only.