Mzimkulu River
The Mzimkulu River is a river in South Africa. In the past, the Mzimkulu formed part of the border between Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal provinces. Presently this river is part of the Mvoti to Umzimkulu Water Management Area. In late February of every year, the river is host to one of South Africa's most popular canoe races, the Drak Challenge. Course It rises in the Drakensberg mountains just north of Rhino Peak, with the source being on the Lesotho border. It flows southeast towards the Indian Ocean, which it enters through an estuary at Port Shepstone. Its main tributary is the Bisi River which joins its right bank about halfway down its course. Towns on the Umzimkulu include Underberg and Umzimkhulu. Ecology The scaly yellowfish ''(Labeobarbus natalensis)'' is a fish found in the Umzimkulu River System as well as in the Umgeni, Umkomazi, Thukela and the Umfolozi. It is a common endemic species in KwaZulu-Natal Province and it lives in different habitats between the Dra ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Xhosa Language
Xhosa ( , ), formerly spelled ''Xosa'' and also known by its local name ''isiXhosa'', is a Bantu language, indigenous to Southern Africa and one of the official languages of South Africa and Zimbabwe. Xhosa is spoken as a first language by approximately 8 million people and as a second language in South Africa, particularly in Eastern Cape, Western Cape, Northern Cape and Gauteng, and also in parts of Zimbabwe and Lesotho. It has perhaps the heaviest functional load of click consonants in a Bantu language (approximately tied with Yeyi), with one count finding that 10% of basic vocabulary items contained a click. Classification Xhosa is part of the branch of Nguni languages, which also include Zulu, Southern Ndebele and Northern Ndebele, called the Zunda languages. Zunda languages effectively form a dialect continuum of variously mutually intelligible varieties. Xhosa is, to a large extent, mutually intelligible with Zulu and with other Nguni languages to a lesser e ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Estuary
An estuary is a partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. Estuaries form a transition zone between river environments and maritime environments and are an example of an ecotone. Estuaries are subject both to marine influences such as tides, waves, and the influx of saline water, and to fluvial influences such as flows of freshwater and sediment. The mixing of seawater and freshwater provides high levels of nutrients both in the water column and in sediment, making estuaries among the most productive natural habitats in the world. Most existing estuaries formed during the Holocene epoch with the flooding of river-eroded or glacially scoured valleys when the sea level began to rise about 10,000–12,000 years ago. Estuaries are typically classified according to their geomorphological features or to water-circulation patterns. They can have many different names, such as ba ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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KwaZulu-Natal South Coast
The KwaZulu-Natal South Coast (better known as the KZN South Coast or just the South Coast) is a region along the southern stretch of coastline of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, south of the coastal city of Durban. The primary hubs of the South Coast are Port Shepstone and Amanzimtoti with several other coastal hubs at Kingsburgh, Margate, Port Edward, Shelly Beach, Scottburgh and Umkomaas whilst Harding and Umzinto have developed as primary commercial centres for the hinterland. These serve as the main towns for the coastal region with the highest concentration of commercial activities. Demographics As of 2016, the Ugu District Municipality which governs within official boundaries of the South Coast has a population of 753,336 people compared to 2011 where it had a population of 689,051 which indicates that between 2011 and 2016 the population grew at about 8.5%. The annual population growth was 2.03% and the number of men per 100 females decreased from 91.8% in 2011 t ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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List Of Estuaries Of South Africa
This is a list of estuaries in South Africa. The list is in order from East (border with Mozambique) to the West (border with Namibia). The South African coastline stretches for some 3000 km from Kosi Bay near the Mozambique border in the east to the Gariep (Orange) River at the Namibian border in the west. Some 300 river outlets intersect this coastline and these range from small water bodies that are only occasionally connected to the ocean, to large, permanently open systems, and coastal lakes connected to the sea via a narrow channel (Heydorn, 1991). Being places where rivers meet the sea, estuaries are one of the most important features of the South African coastline; they are tranquil areas of high productivity and play a vital role in the life cycles of many plants and animals. Apart from their ecological importance, estuaries are also popular sites for human activity and development. Recreational uses of estuaries include bait collection, bird watching, boating, fis ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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List Of Rivers Of South Africa
This is a list of rivers in South Africa. It is quite common to find the Afrikaans word ''-rivier'' as part of the name. Another common suffix is "''-kamma''", from the Khoisan term for "river" Meiring, Barbara"South African Toponymic Guidelines for Map and other editors: Fourth Edition" 12. Retrieved on 30 April 2013. (often tautologically the English term "river" is added to the name). The Zulu word ''amanzi'' (water) also forms part of some river names. The Afrikaans term ''spruit'' (compare spring) often labels small rivers. List * A Drainage basin code assigned by the Department of Water Affairs (South Africa), a complete list is available at Drainage basins of South Africa Gallery Image:South Africa Topography.png, Topographic map of South Africa. Image:Orange watershed topo.png, Course and watershed of the Orange River with topography shading and political boundaries. Image:Groot River.jpg, Grootrivier in Nature's Valley, stained a tea colour by plant tann ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Endemism
Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsewhere. For example, the Cape sugarbird is found exclusively in southwestern South Africa and is therefore said to be ''endemic'' to that particular part of the world. An endemic species can also be referred to as an ''endemism'' or, in scientific literature, as an ''endemite''. Similarly, many species found in the Western ghats of India are examples of endemism. Endemism is an important concept in conservation biology for measuring biodiversity in a particular place and evaluating the risk of extinction for species. Endemism is also of interest in evolutionary biology, because it provides clues about how changes in the environment cause species to undergo range shifts (potentially expanding their range into a larger area or b ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Umfolozi River
The Umfolozi River (also uMfolozi, Imfolozi or Mfolozi) is a river in KwaZulu-Natal, a province of South Africa. It is formed by the confluence of the Black (''Imfolozi emnyama'') and White Umfolozi (''Imfolozi emhlope'') Rivers near the southeastern boundary of the Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Game Reserve. The isiZulu name ''imFolozi'' is generally considered to describe the zigzag course followed by both tributaries, though other explanations have been given. The river flows in an easterly direction to the Indian Ocean at Maphelana, a coastal resort just south of the St Lucia River mouth. It originally meandered over the Monzi Flats, where it split into numerous slow-flowing channels before entering the St. Lucia Estuary at Honeymoon Bend. The slow-moving water and reed beds in channels operated as a natural filtering system that removed silt from the Umfolozi floodwaters and created a rich habitat for numerous species. Ecology During the 1950s, the Umfolozi Landowners Association ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Tugela River
The Tugela River (; ) is the largest river in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa. With a total length of , and a drop of 1370 metres in the lower 480 km, it is one of the most important rivers of the country. The river originates in Mont-aux-Sources of the Drakensberg Mountains at an elevation of 3282 metres This has a very detailed description of the river's course. and plunges in five distinct free-leaping falls 947 metres down the Tugela Falls. The Mont-aux-Sources is also the origin of tributaries of two other major South African rivers, the Orange and the Caledon River. From the Drakensberg range, the Tugela follows a route through the KwaZulu-Natal midlands before flowing into the Indian Ocean. The total catchment area is approximately . Land uses in the catchment are mainly rural subsistence farming and commercial forestry. Tributaries The Tugela is fed by a number of tributaries coming off the Drakensberg, the largest being the Mzinyathi ("Buffalo") River ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Umkomazi River
The uMkhomazi River is a river in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Course It rises in some of the highest eastwards-facing slopes of the Drakensberg mountains, near the mighty Thabana Ntlenyana. The river flows southeastwards towards the Indian Ocean, which it enters through a navigable estuary at Umkomaas (eMkhomazi), about 50 km southwest of Durban. Its main tributaries are the Loteni, Nzinga, Mkomazane, Elands and the Xobho River. Towns on the uMkhomazi drainage basin include Bulwer, Impendle, Ixopo, Craigieburn and Boston. Presently the only dam in its catchment area is the Ixopo Dam, but other dams are planned. The uMkhomazi is part of the Mvoti to Umzimkulu Water Management Area. Ecology The Mkhomazi State Forest and the Mkhomazi Wilderness Area are protected areas in the upper course of the Umkomazi River. The scaly yellowfish ''(Labeobarbus natalensis)'' is a fish found in the uMkhomazi River System as well as in the Umgeni, Umzimkulu, Tukhela and ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Umgeni River
The Umgeni River or Mgeni River () is a river in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It rises in the "Dargle" in the KZN Midlands, and its mouth is at Durban, some distance north of Durban's natural harbour. It is generally agreed its name means "the river of entrance" in Zulu, though other meanings have been suggested. The river is approximately long with a catchment area of . The Howick Falls are some famous waterfalls on the Mngeni. Tributaries A noteworthy tributary is the Msunduzi River, which joins it between Nagle and Inanda dams. Higher up its course, the Msunduzi (or 'Dusi' for short) passes through the KwaZulu-Natal capital Pietermaritzburg. A famous downriver race, the Dusi Canoe Marathon takes place between the capital and Durban, attracting thousands of canoeists for the three-day event held every year January. A small tributary that has an impact exceeding its size and length is the Lions River which joins the Umgeni about 4 kilometers upstream of Midmar Dam (near ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Scaly Yellowfish
The scaly yellowfish, or KwaZulu-Natal yellowfish, (''Labeobarbus natalensis'') is a species of freshwater fish in the family Cyprinidae. This fish is found in the Tugela River System in South Africa, as well as in the Umzimkulu, Umfolozi and the Mgeni. It is one of the most common fishes in KwaZulu-Natal Province and it lives in different habitats between the Drakensberg foothills and the coastal lowlands. The species has been categorized as least concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, also known as the IUCN Red List or Red Data Book, founded in 1964, is an inventory of the global conservation status and extinction risk of biological .... References Labeobarbus Freshwater fish of South Africa Taxa named by François-Louis Laporte, comte de Castelnau Fish described in 1861 {{Labeobarbus-stub ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Underberg, KwaZulu-Natal
Underberg is an administrative town in a dairy and cattle farming community in the Mzimkulu River valley of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It is situated at the foot of the 1,904 m Hlogoma Peak ''(place of echoes)'' in the foothills of the southern Drakensberg, KwaZulu-Natal. Underberg was established in 1917 when the railway from Pietermaritzburg reached the area. It is an important commercial centre for the region's farming industry providing many of the support services. It is also a trading center for people who come down the nearby Sani Pass from Lesotho. The town also houses provincial offices of the ministries of Social Welfare and Transport, a clinic; as well as the municipal library. The Underberg School offers pre-primary and primary education. Churches in town include the Catholic Church, Congregational Church, The Underberg Baptist Church and Highlands Church International. Tourism is the second biggest industry in the area, next to farming. The area surroundin ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |