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Referred to as the longest river in South Africa, the Orange River plays an important role in the country’s economy providing water for irrigation, agriculture, mining tourism, and hydroelectric power. As a popular tourist attraction in some areas, it offers a spectacular national park with adventurous rafting trails, fishing, and canoeing.
See the fact file below for more information on the Orange River, or you can download our 27-page Orange River worksheet pack to utilize within the classroom or home environment.
Key Facts & Information
PHYSICAL FEATURES OF THE ORANGE RIVER
- The river source rises on a plateau in the highlands of Lesotho, situated 10,800 feet above sea level. This plateau lies between the Drakensberg mountain range and the Maluti Mountains.
- Following that, it flows through the three provinces of South Africa, namely the Eastern Cape, Free State, and Northern Cape provinces, to the Atlantic Ocean at Alexander Bay, where it serves as the border between South Africa and Namibia.
- Tributaries are defined as rivers that flow into a larger river or lake. Two of the largest tributaries of the Orange River are the Caledon and Vaal rivers:
- At the head of the Gariep Reservoir, the river conflates with the Caledon River, central South Africa’s major river. Most of the boundary between Lesotho and the Free State province is formed by the Caledon River.
- The course of the river then runs northwest from the Gariep Dam to a confluence with the Vaal River, its largest tributary, and the third largest river in South Africa, which forms much of the province’s northern border.
- From here, the river flows further westward through the arid wilderness of the southern Kalahari region and Namaqualand in the Northern Cape province to meet with Namibia.
- After passing through the Namib Desert’s coastal region, it makes its way a few miles north of Alexander Bay, a South African town located on the southern bank of the Orange River mouth.
BRIEF HISTORY AND ORIGIN OF THE NAME
- One of the original names of the Orange River is “Gariep.” It comes from the Khoi word meaning “river.”
- European settlers once referred to the river as “Grootrivier,” meaning “great river” in Afrikaans.
- In Lesotho, the river is called the “Sinqu river” (or Senqu river), derived from the original Koemana name.
- The current name, Orange River, was assigned by Dutch officer Robert Jacob Gordon during his exploration of the river in 1779. The name was in honor of the House of Orange.
- From 1780 to 1795, Robert Jacob Gordon explored parts of the country’s interior while at the Cape of Good Hope as the commander of the Dutch garrison.
- Gordon’s expeditions between 1777 and 1786 were recorded in his journal and the Gordon Atlas, a collection of drawings discovered in 1964.
THE ECONOMY OF THE ORANGE RIVER
- The Orange River serves as a significant resource for agriculture, industry, and mining in South Africa. It provides fresh water and has enough to generate electricity and power.
- The river is also known for its role in the South African diamond rush in 1867 when the country’s first diamond, the Eureka Diamond, was discovered in its alluvial deposits.
- The Eureka Diamond was found by Erasmus Stephanus and is currently on display at the Mine Museum in Kimberley in the Northern Cape province.
- This discovery led to the Kimberley Diamond Rush and the start of the Mineral Revolution in 1867.
- Significant events of the diamond rush took place in South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, wherein workers migrated to an area where diamonds had been discovered.
- The Richtersveld is a desert landscape located in the Northern Cape province of South Africa. The area offers a diversity of cultures, mammals, and plant life.
- In 2007, the Richtersveld Cultural and Botanical Landscape were classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- The Augrabies Falls is a waterfall located on the Orange River. While it is one of the destinations that tourists visit along the river, some people and animals have suffered casualties from the waterfall.
- Canoeing and rafting activities are popular for tourists in the river as not many animals are present that may pose a danger to the tourists and its high water levels during summer.
- Some companies provide campsites along the Orange River for popular rafting activities.
- The Orange River Project and the Lesotho Highlands Water Project were both created to provide resources for the South African economy.
ORANGE RIVER PROJECT
- The Orange River Project (ORP) is a project in South Africa aimed at satisfying the increasing water demands and achieving the following goals: stabilizing the flow of the river, generation, and transmission of hydroelectric power, providing a reliable water supply, and giving life to areas in the Eastern Cape province where there is little water.
- Consisting of several plans for creating dams and canals, one of the completed projects of ORP was the construction of the Gariep Dam in 1972. This serves as the main storage structure within the river providing two directions of supply water.
- The public utility company Eskom operates power stations at the Gariep Dam and Vanderkloof Dam. Through that, South Africa developed their first power-generation station from the hydroelectric power station at the Vanderkloof Dam.
- Because of the Gariep Dam and Vanderkloof Dam, irrigation has led to productive agricultural land in some veld landscapes. Regulation of the flow is now possible, and the water from the river has helped a farm named Aussenkehr on the Namibian side of the river to produce grapes. The river also feeds the wine-producing areas along it.
- Water quality and irrigation in the Eastern Cape province have been improved, which helps to avoid continuing productivity losses for citrus farmers along the Lower Sundays River.
LESOTHO HIGHLANDS WATER PROJECT
- To provide clean water and sanitation to the Gauteng region of South Africa and generate hydroelectricity in Lesotho, the Lesotho Highlands Water Project (LHWP), a water supply project, was developed in partnership with Lesotho and South African governments.
- Here is a description of the four phases the LHWP has worked on since its first phase (IA) was completed in 1998.
- Phase I of the project consists of the essential components and development of Katse Dam, Mohale Dam, and the Matsoku Weir. This phase is split into two sub-phases called IA and IB.
- Phase IA. This phase mainly involved the construction of the Katse Dam in the central Maluti Mountains and the Muela hydropower station. Katse Dam serves as the storage reservoir for this phase. The Katse Botanical Gardens were also built to mitigate the loss of habitat as a result of building the Katse Dam.
- Phase IB. This phase mainly involved the construction of the Mohale Dam, a rockfill dam on the Senqunyane River, and the Matsoku Diversion Weir.
- Phase II. The project’s second phase consists of constructing the Polihali Dam, which is still currently under construction. The launch of this phase happened in 2014. The COVID-19 pandemic, however, caused the phase to be delayed.
- Phase III. The project’s third phase consists of constructing the Tsoelike Dam, located at the junction of the Tsoelike and Senqu rivers.
- Phase IV. The project’s fourth phase will consist of constructing a pumping station and the Ntoahae Dam downstream of the Tsoelike Dam.
ANIMALS IN THE ORANGE RIVER
- During the 1800s, hippopotamuses were abundant in the river until they were hunted to extermination.
- The river’s location does not provide a habitat for big animals and is not inhabited by much wildlife.
- Despite its inhospitable location for much of the wildlife in the region, several bird and fish species can be found in the Orange River. Here are some of the species around the river:
- Flamingos are a type of wading bird known for their habit of standing on one leg with the other tucked beneath its body.
- The little Bittern is a wading bird known for its tiny size, thick neck, and a bill that is long and sharp.
- The White-backed Night Heron is a bird found throughout central and southern Africa.
- The Maccoa Duck is a stiff-tailed sedentary diving duck found throughout Africa’s eastern and southern countries.
- Mozambique Tilapia is a type of fish that is native to southern-eastern Africa.
- Western Mosquitofish is one of the species endemic to the Vaal-Orange River system that consumes the larvae of mosquitoes and other aquatic insects.
- Rainbow Trout is a type of fish found in the river headwaters in Lesotho.
- Orange River Mudfish is a type of fish that inhabits the Orange River system and is endemic to the Vaal-Orange River system.
Orange River Worksheets
This fantastic bundle includes everything you need to know about the Orange River across 27 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use worksheets about the Orange River, the longest river in South Africa.
Complete list of included worksheets:
- Orange River Facts
- 3-2-1 Matrix
- Trivia Quiz
- River Bingo
- Artwork Analysis
- The Explorer’s Venture
- The ORP’s Mission
- SWOT: LHWP
- Little Ways, Big Impact
- The Community News
- Spearheaded
Frequently Asked Questions
What is unique about the Orange River?
The river was vital in the South African diamond rush. That is because the first diamonds were found there, lying in alluvial deposits along its current. Nowadays, there are multiple commercial diamond mines established near the mouth and downstream section of the Orange River.
How deep is the Orange River?
A profound valley near Aliwal North is 1,000 feet deep. It is 30 miles long and was created by erosion.
Are there crocodiles in the Orange River?
Due to winter’s frigid winter temperatures, crocodiles find it impossible to sustain themselves in the Orange River’s geographical region. With its path and drainage basin carved out by this meandering river, even a slight temperature change can be detrimental to these scaly creatures.
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Link will appear as Orange River Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, December 8, 2022
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