Matlabas River | |
---|---|
Etymology | Meaning "sandy river" in the Tswana language [1] |
Location | |
Country | South Africa |
State | Limpopo Province |
Physical characteristics | |
Source | Waterberg Massif |
• elevation | 1,700 m (5,600 ft) |
Mouth | |
• location | Limpopo River, South Africa/Botswana border |
• coordinates | 23°41′45″S26°59′53″E / 23.69583°S 26.99806°E |
• elevation | 844 m (2,769 ft) |
Basin size | 3,448 km2 (1,331 sq mi) |
The Matlabas River is a river in Limpopo Province, South Africa. It is a tributary of the Limpopo River. The river's catchment area comprises 3,448 square kilometers. [2] The entire catchment area of the river is located within the Waterberg District Municipality.
The Matlabas has its source in the western part of the Waterberg Massif within the area of the Marakele National Park. [3] After leaving the mountains it flows roughly northwestwards across the Lowveld until it joins the right bank of the Limpopo River.
Although it is a perennial river, the Matlabas is highly subject to seasonal variations, thus its runoff is very variable. [4] Its main tributary is the Mamba River. [5]
The Limpopo River rises in South Africa and flows generally eastward through Mozambique to the Indian Ocean. The term Limpopo is derived from Rivombo (Livombo/Lebombo), a group of Tsonga settlers led by Hosi Rivombo who settled in the mountainous vicinity and named the area after their leader. The river is approximately 1,750 kilometres (1,087 mi) long, with a drainage basin 415,000 square kilometres (160,200 sq mi) in size. The mean discharge measured over a year is 170 m3 per second at its mouth. The Limpopo is the second largest river in Africa that drains to the Indian Ocean, after the Zambezi River.
Limpopo is the northernmost province of South Africa. It is named after the Limpopo River, which forms the province's western and northern borders. The capital and largest city in the province is Polokwane, while the provincial legislature is situated in Lebowakgomo.
Gaza is a province of Mozambique. It has an area of 75,709 km2 and a population of 1,422,460, which is the least populous of all the provinces of Mozambique.
Lephalale, also known as Ellisras, is a coal mining town in the Limpopo province of South Africa immediately east of the Waterberg Coalfield. The town was established as Ellisras in 1960 and named after Patrick Ellis and Piet Erasmus who settled on a farm there in the 1930s. In 2002, Ellisras was renamed Lephalale by the provincial government of Limpopo, after the main river that crosses the municipality. Lephalale is divided into three main subsections, Ellisras, Onverwacht and Marapong. Lephalale is derived from the setswana language meaning "to flow".
The Olifants River,Lepelle, iBhalule or Obalule is a river in South Africa and Mozambique, a tributary of the Limpopo River. It falls into the Drainage Area B of the Drainage basins of South Africa. The historical area of the Pedi people, Sekhukhuneland, is located between the Olifants River and one of its largest tributaries, the Steelpoort River.
The Mokolo River is a major watercourse in Limpopo Province of South Africa. This river collects much of the drainage of the Waterberg Massif and discharges it to the Limpopo River. The river's catchment area comprises 8,387 square kilometres (3,238 sq mi).
The Palala or Lephalala River, also called the Rhooebok-river by Thomas Baines, is a river in South Africa. This river's catchment basin is a sub-watershed of the Limpopo River.
Marakele National Park is a National Park, part of the Waterberg Biosphere in Limpopo Province, South Africa.
The Mwenezi River, originally known as the Nuanetsi River, is a major tributary of the Limpopo River. The Mwenezi River starts up in south central Zimbabwe and flows south-east along what is known as the Mwenezi River Valley that bisects the district into two sectors. The river is found in both Zimbabwe and Mozambique. In Zimbabwe it has been known as the Nuanetsi or Nuanetzi River in the past, a name it retains in Mozambique.
The Mokolo Dam Nature Reserve or Mokolo Dam Provincial Park is a protected area of bushveld in the Limpopo province, South Africa. It almost surrounds the Mokolo Dam on the Mokolo River. It is located 32 km south of Lephalale, just northeast of the Marakele National Park and not far from the Lapalala Game Reserve.
The Levubu River or Levuvhu is located in the northern Limpopo province of South Africa. Some of its tributaries, such as the Mutshindudi River and Mutale River rise in the Soutpansberg Mountains.
The Crocodile River is a river in South Africa. At its confluence with the Marico River, the Limpopo River is formed.
The Mogalakwena River is one of the main watercourses in Limpopo Province, South Africa. It is also a major tributary of the Limpopo River.
The Nzhelele River is a major watercourse in Limpopo Province, South Africa. The river's catchment area comprises 3,436 square kilometers.
The Nyl River is a watercourse in Limpopo Province, South Africa. It flows at the head of the Mogalakwena River, being its southernmost tributary or uppermost section. It is located near Mookgophong (Naboomspruit) in the northern part of the Springbok Flats, a particular geological formation.
The Notwane River is a river in southeastern Botswana. Certain sections of its course form the international boundary with South Africa. Its mouth is at the head of the Limpopo River. It has a catchment area of 18,053 square kilometers.
The Lotsane River is a river in southeastern Botswana. It is a seasonal left hand tributary of the Limpopo River and has a catchment area of 9,748 square kilometers.
The Shingwedzi River is a river in Limpopo Province, South Africa, and Gaza Province, Mozambique. It is a left hand tributary of the Olifants River (Rio dos Elefantes) and the northernmost river of its catchment area, joining it at the lower end of its basin. The Shingwedzi is a seasonal river whose riverbed is dry for prolonged periods.
The Waterberg Coalfield is an extensive deposit of coal in the Ellisras Basin in South Africa, lying mostly in the Waterberg District Municipality of the Limpopo province. Mining is increasing, both for export and for local power production, and industry in the region is expected to expand. This may have significant impact on the dry and fragile Limpopo basin ecosystems.
The Phugwane River is a river in Limpopo Province, South Africa. It is a left hand tributary of the Shingwedzi River and the northernmost river of its catchment area, joining it in the middle of its basin. The Phugwane is a seasonal river whose riverbed is dry for prolonged periods.