River in South Africa
| Mtamvuna River Umtamvuna | |
|---|---|
 View of the Mtamvuna River Gorge from Clearwater Trail Centre, near Port Edward | |
  Location of the Mtamvuna River mouth | |
| Etymology | Mtamvuna meaning "the reaper of mouthfuls" in the Xhosa language. |
| Location | |
| Country | South Africa |
| Province | KwaZulu-Natal / Eastern Cape Province |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | |
| • location | Near Weza Forest Reserve, Eastern Cape, South Africa |
| • elevation | 1,820 m (5,970 ft) |
| Mouth | Indian Ocean |
| • location | 5km S of Port Edward, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa |
| • coordinates | 31°4′49″S 30°11′42″E / 31.08028°S 30.19500°E / -31.08028; 30.19500 |
| • elevation | 0 m (0 ft) |
| Length | 162 km (101 mi) |
| Basin size | 1,553 km (600 sq mi) |
Mtamvuna River is a river that forms the border between KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape Provinces in South Africa. The river has a wide mouth and flows into the Indian Ocean just south of Port Edward. The Mtamvuna river is approximately 162 km long with a catchment area of 1,553 km². The name means "the reaper of mouthfuls" because of the damage the river does to crops during floods.
History
Historically the Mtamvuna River is the northern limit of the Pondoland region.
In 1552 a Portuguese ship ran aground at the mouth of the Mtamvuna River and a group of local people got close to the sailors wishing to trade with them.
Ecology
The Umtamvuna Nature Reserve is a protected area located close to the deep Mtamvuna River Gorge. Presently this river is part of the Mvoti to Umzimkulu Water Management Area.
See also
References
- Meanings of place names in South Africa
- Vic Mayhew, ed. (1980). Illustrated guide to Southern Africa. Cape Town: Reader's Digest Association South Africa in association with T.V. Bulpin. ISBN 978-0-620-04650-3.
- Contributions to the ecology of Maputaland, Southern Africa
- History of South Africa
- Umtamvuna Nature Reserve, KwaZulu Natal
- Mvoti to Umzimkulu WMA 11
External links
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