Orange River

Orange River
Kai Garib (Groote Rivier), Gariep, Senqu, Oranje, Igqili( isiZulu and isiiXhosa)
Sunset over the Orange River near Upington in the Northern Cape
Map
Location
CountryLesotho, South Africa, Namibia
DistrictMokhotlong
DistrictThaba Tseka
DistrictQacha's Nek,

Quthing,

Mohale's Hoek
Physical characteristics
SourceMont-aux-Sources[1]
 • locationMaloti Mountains (Drakensberg), Lesotho
 • coordinates28°53′47″S 29°1′4″E / 28.89639°S 29.01778°E / -28.89639; 29.01778
 • elevation3,350 m (10,990 ft)
MouthAlexander Bay
 • location
Atlantic Ocean
 • coordinates
28°37′58″S 16°27′08″E / 28.63278°S 16.45222°E / -28.63278; 16.45222
Length2,432 km (1,511 mi)
Basin size973,000 km2 (376,000 sq mi)
Discharge 
 • average365 m3/s (12,900 cu ft/s)
Basin features
Tributaries 
 • rightCaledon River, Vaal River, Fish River (Namibia)
Official nameOrange River Mouth (Namibia)
Designated23 August 1995
Reference no.744[2]
Official nameOrange River Mouth (South Africa)
Designated28 June 1991
Reference no.526[3]

The Orange River (from Afrikaans/Dutch: Oranjerivier) is a river in Southern Africa. It is the longest river in South Africa. With a total length of 2,432 km (1,511 mi), the Orange River Basin extends from Lesotho into South Africa and Namibia to the north. It rises in the Drakensberg mountains in Lesotho, flowing westwards through South Africa to the Atlantic Ocean. The river forms part of the international borders between South Africa and Lesotho and between South Africa and Namibia, as well as several provincial borders within South Africa. Except for Upington, it does not pass through any major cities. The Orange River plays an important role in the South African economy by providing water for irrigation and hydroelectric power. The river was named the Orange River in honour of the Dutch ruling family, the House of Orange, by the Dutch explorer Robert Jacob Gordon. Other names include simply the word for river, in Khoekhoegowab orthography written as !Garib, which is rendered in Afrikaans as Gariep River with the intrusion of a velar fricative in place of the alveolar click,[4] Groote River (derived from Kai !Garib) or Senqu River (used in Lesotho), derived from ǂNū "Black".[5] It is known in isiZulu as isAngqu.[6]

  1. ^ Key rivers of South Africa Archived 10 July 2012 at archive.today
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference Ramsar744 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference Ramsar526 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Travel, Wild Africa. "Wild Africa Travel: Orange River". www.wildafricatravel.com. Archived from the original on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 3 December 2016.
  5. ^ "Orange River Basin". www.dwa.gov.za. Archived from the original on 13 December 2016. Retrieved 3 December 2016.
  6. ^ Doke, C.M (1972). Zulu-English Dictionary (in English and Zulu). Johannesburg: Witwatersrand University Press. p. 11. ISBN 0-85494-027-8.