The most powerful iguazu waterfall in the world. The biggest waterfalls in the world

Everyone loves to do lists. Forbes magazine publishes a list of the richest people on an annual basis. Children make a list of gifts for the New Year, sending it to Santa Claus or Father Frost. The music industry is constantly creating lists of the best singles and there are many lists on the theme of nature too. In this article we will describe the largest waterfalls in the world. But in this case, it is not the size that is meant, but their height.

A waterfall is a river that bypasses a rocky ledge and creates a falling stream. Surely you have already seen this magnificent spectacle. And the higher the waterfall, the more beautiful it is. So, let's move closer to the topic. Let's make a rating called "The largest waterfalls in the world." Photos of these giants will be attached to the article. So you can see these natural masterpieces at least in the picture.

1. Angel

The height of 986 meters gives him the title of "The largest waterfall in the world." This miracle of nature is located in South America on the Carrao River. The waterfall is hidden from everyone by a dense tropical forest, it is not easy to get to it. Additional difficulties are created by the complete absence of roads. Tepui - so the natives call a flat mountain, from the top of which Angel falls. Its full name is Auyan Tepui (translated as "Devil's Mountain"), and it takes its place among hundreds of similar mountains.

The main characteristics of these dormant rocks are flat tops and vertical slopes that are constantly being eroded by heavy rains. In 1910, the Spanish explorer Sanchez La Cruz discovered, but this event did not receive wide publicity.

The official discovery was made by the American gold digger and pilot James Engel, after whom this miracle of nature was named. In 1935, he flew over Mount Tepui and landed on its flat top in search of gold. But James's monoplane fell into the swampy jungle, and the gold digger had to go in search of civilization on foot. It was then that he noticed this impressive giant and soon told the world about him.

2. Tugela

This is the second largest waterfall in the world. This is evidenced by its height of 947 meters. Tugela is located in the Natal National Park in Drakensberg (South Africa) and consists of five cascading waterfalls. In the brightest colors it can be seen after the rain. To do this, you just need to go along the main excursion road.

This giant got its name in honor of the source of the river of the same name, located not far from the cliff in By the way, the water in the river above the waterfall is clean and drinkable. During the winter months, the cliff is covered with snow. At the same time, all the surroundings become like a postcard depicting a magical winter country.

Drakensberg is a separate world of loneliness and majestic landscape. A landscape of cliffs, farmland, river valleys and vast areas of untouched wilderness opens up before tourists. Anyone can find a holiday to their liking. For outdoor enthusiasts there is hiking, mountain biking, mountain climbing and canoeing. And lovers of passive pastime can choose scenic tours, day walks, bird watching or fishing.

There are two trails leading to the bottom of the waterfall. The first is to the top of Mount-Aux-Sources, starting at the car park at Whitsishokek and on to Futujaba, from where there is a short climb to the top of the Amphitheater. The total travel time (there and back) is 10 hours. Another trail to Tugelu leads from the national park. A seven-kilometer ascent along the gorge winds through the local forest. Any tourist visiting Drakensberg should definitely visit this wonderful creation of nature.

3. Waterfall "Three sisters"

It is no coincidence that this beautiful Peruvian waterfall, located in the Ayacucho region of the country, received such a name. It consists of three separate tiers. The top two are perfectly visible from the air, and the third is a huge pool into which water falls.

"Three sisters" were discovered by a group of photographers who came to shoot a completely different waterfall - Katarata (267 meters). Needless to say, they were delighted with the find. "Three Sisters" is almost completely surrounded by forests with more than 30-meter trees. The very same creation of nature rises to 914 meters.

4. Olupena waterfall

This beautiful waterfall is located in the USA, but you have to walk a lot to see it. All this is because the place of its deployment is the most remote Hawaiian island of Molokai. Most people have never heard or seen this waterfall. Even among enthusiasts, a significant part of the visual information about this giant was obtained using aerial photography.

The Olupena waterfall is surrounded on both sides by huge mountains. Despite the fact that the giant does not have enough water to discharge, it is considered the highest waterfall in the United States (900 meters). The Olupena waterfall is multi-level and extremely thin. Therefore, in the general classification, it is registered as a tape.

5. Yumbila

The fifth is located in Peru, in the region The height of this giant is still contested. According to the National Institute of Peru, it is 895 meters. Other sources indicate a height of 870 meters. Yumbila is a multi-level system with 4 descents.

Previously, Gokta with its 771 meters was considered the highest waterfall in Peru. Therefore, the discovery of Yumbila greatly pleased the government of Peru. And this event inspired the Ministry of Tourism to develop a 2-day excursion, during which you can see all the largest waterfalls in the country. Tourists should take note of this.

6. Vinnufossen

This Norwegian giant is not the largest waterfall in the world. But the total height of 860 meters gives him the title of the highest in all of Europe. It is located in the municipality of Sunndal. Vinnufossen is cascading. 420 meters - this is the size of the largest step. The maximum height of the water fall is 150 meters.

To feel Winna on your body, it is enough to walk five minutes in his direction from the nearest track. This giant is especially beautiful in summer and spring, when the river is filled with water from melted glaciers. In the course of its fall, Vinnufossen splits into parts and flows through the trees.

A waterfall is a river, usually originating in the mountains. On the way of the water flow, sometimes there are cliffs and rapids, and then the water falls vertically down, with a roar and a lot of splashes. The greater the height of the cliff and the volume of falling water, the more impressive and bewitching this natural phenomenon looks. The number of waterfalls on Earth has not been accurately calculated, it is known that there are more large waterfalls known to researchers and tourists. But in any mountain system there are thousands of them, small and large, and today scientists still have the chance to make an extraordinary discovery.

The most powerful: how Brazil and Argentina shared it

Brazil and Argentina have been competing for the right to possess the greatest creation of nature since the late 1980s, because the most powerful waterfall in the world is located in two countries at the same time. Iguazu National Wonder is the oldest natural monument, the largest complex of waterfalls, consisting of 275 streams. The height of the water fall varies from 60 to 80 meters (this is a relatively small height), the length reaches 3000 meters.

Two national parks began to grow towards the waterfall from two sides - Argentinean (opened in 1909) and Brazilian (opened in 1939).

Today, Iguazu is the most visited site by tourists. “Dividing” it officially ceased in 1928, laying the border between countries right in the middle. In 1986, the UNESCO Foundation took Iguazu under its protection, approving the status of a conservation site for the complex.

Iguazu - ancient as the creation of the world

Europeans discovered Iguazu in 1541 as a result of exploring the conquered Indian lands and searching for the mythical country of El Dorado. The indigenous people - the Guarani Indians - called this place innocently: I-guasu (Big Water). The conquistadors, however, considered the name not noble enough and immediately began to rename the cascades in their own way. So Iguazu became the Leap of Saint Mary of Our Lady.

In fact, the waterfall demonstrates absolute contempt for any name whatever, because the history of the entire human civilization is negligible compared to it. Studies have shown that it is approximately 140 million years old. It arose at the confluence of the Iguazu River into the Parana River, but over time, basalt deposits - the walls of the waterfall - increased in volume, as a result of which the waterfall "creeped away" from the place of occurrence by 1-2 meters per year. As a result, today the Iguazu complex is located 28 km from Parana.

It is impossible to fully consider the Iguazu complex from one point - the streams are interspersed with sharp rocks and fragments of the jungle. For tourists, a 2-kilometer route was laid from rock to rock, its points are connected by rock-islands sticking out of the water.

There are many legends about the origin of the waterfall, which boil down to one version: the god fell in love with a mortal, but she refused him. The enraged deity took revenge on the girl, and doomed her to an eternal fall in a canoe from a waterfall.

Saint Mary with the Devil's Throat: object description

The largest object in the waterfall complex and the most powerful waterfall in the world is a horseshoe-shaped cliff, which is called the Devil's Throat. Here the greatest power of the falling water is recorded. The width of the "throat" is more than 150, and the length is more than 700 meters, in the very middle of the stream there is a border between Brazil and Argentina. Most of the waterfalls from the complex are located in Argentina, but the most stunning view of the Devil's Throat opens from Brazil. So the choice of a national park to visit becomes a real dilemma for tourists.

Separate waterfalls of the complex (there are 275 of them) are stretched out on a plane of 3000 meters. Of this distance, more than 900 meters are land - rocks sticking out of the water.

The most famous of the secondary waterfalls of the Iguazu complex:

• "Two sisters",
• "Adam and Eve"
• "Three Musketeers",
• "Salto Escondido" ("hidden fall"),
• "Salto Floriano" ("flower fall"),
• "San Martin" ("Saint Martin"),
• "Ramirez"

Iguazu Power Controversy

Iguazu is higher than Niagara, but much lower than Victoria, and besides, it is unstable: it is known that Iguazu completely dried up in 1978 due to low rainfall.

The debate about the importance of one criterion over another is reflected in the following table, where Iguazu, alas, is not in the first place:

Since ancient times, waterfalls have delighted people. Powerful streams of water, fog and spray - this is a spectacular, impressive phenomenon. Entire resort towns have already been set up near some popular waterfalls to attract more tourists.

What is the largest and highest waterfall in the world?

Many people believe that Niagara Falls is the largest in the world, but this is not entirely true. There are still high waterfalls on Earth, which, in terms of the vertical length of the stream, outperform Niagara.

Angel

The first place is occupied by the large Angel Falls, whose height is 979 meters, located in Venezuela. The discovery took place in 1933 by pilot James Angel. A person can only get there by air or river. The height of the water fall is very high, so it is sprayed into small particles, turning into a mist. A person can encounter fog several hundred kilometers away.

The place is not only very beautiful, but also mysterious. It makes a strong impression on travelers.

Tugela

The Tugela Falls are slightly inferior to Angel. It is amazing that it consists of five cascades. It is also very long, the height of Tugela is 948 meters. The localization of this attraction is South Africa. To get to this place, you need to walk. There are two routes, it takes at least six hours to overcome them. The adventure takes a lot of effort, so only the strongest and strongest travelers use the tour.

Three sisters

The third place in the ranking belongs to the attractions "Three Sisters". Location - Peru. The name is derived from three tiers of water. Its height is 914 meters. This place is surrounded on all sides by forest, so it is very difficult to get to it. Not all tourists decide on this adventure, so few people know about this attraction.

What is the widest drop in water called?

Usually, experts estimate the power of the water flow of the waterfall, its height and width. Next, consider the most attractive waterfalls in width.

Khon

The widest waterfall is Khon. It is located on the Mekong River. This is the border between two states: Kampuchea and Laos. Water passes through a deep gorge, at the exit the river floods a huge plain, forming an incredibly wide waterfall. Granite ledge in the riverbed stretched for 12 kilometers. The sight of this phenomenon fascinates, causes peace and tranquility. Travelers are very fond of this attraction.

Guaira

In South America, there is an equally impressive waterfall - Guaira. Its width is 4800 meters. Localization - the border of Paraguay and. The waterfall was flooded during the construction of the reservoir. A powerful stream of water is still in this place.

The authorities are trying to restore the attraction, but managing so much water is almost impossible.

Victoria

Victoria Falls is also incredibly wide. Width - 1800 meters. The attraction was named after the queen in the middle of the nineteenth century. It is located in South Africa.

When the rainy season comes, this place turns into rain stream, there is fog, so it’s impossible to see the waterfall. People who love extreme sports come here. This place is very popular, excursions are regularly made.

Full-flowing arteries - photo

A huge stream of water rushes down, this sight cannot but surprise. The largest water flows on our planet pass through the Iguazu Falls and Niagara Falls.

Iguazu

First up is the Iguazu Falls. It is located on the border between Brazil and Argentina. The status of the most full-flowing Iguazu Falls was not accidental. It does not consist of one waterfall, but of several. This is real kingdom of waterfalls, there are 270 of them in total.

Brazil and Argentina attract travelers from all over the world. According to researchers, the Iguazu River erupts on average 1700 cubic meters of water per second. Near such power, people often feel fear. However, its popularity is not decreasing.

Niagara

World famous Niagara Falls is also incredibly full. It is located between and Canada. In fact, this is not one waterfall, as many people believe, but several at once. The place fascinates tourists and attracts people from all over the world.

There is so much water in this place that hydroelectric power plants have been built under the waterfall, whose total capacity can reach 4.4 gigawatts.

Little miracle of nature

The smallest waterfall in the world Sarkyram. Its location is Western Kazakhstan. Attraction features:

• Located near woodland;
• Water drop height does not exceed 4 meters;
• Until 2008 called Red Falls.

The waterfall is located next to a small settlement, so there are often tourists at its foot, it is not difficult to get to it.

There are many amazing places on the planet. Waterfalls have always attracted people. Their greatness and strength are frightening, but at the same time fascinate. It will take a long time, but these sights will not lose their grandeur. More and more people are interested in excursions to such places.

Iguazu Falls is a fairly wide and indented area of ​​water fall. The waterfall is located on the Iguazu River of the same name near the border of the countries of Brazil and Argentina.
It is believed that the formation of the waterfall occurred as a result of a strong earthquake caused by a volcanic eruption, as a result of which large cracks formed in the earth's crust.
During the rainy season in November - March, the flow of water can reach 12,750 cubic meters per second.
Iguazu Falls consists of many individual waterfalls, which are separated by islands, the total area of ​​​​a single complex is more than 2700 square meters.
There are 275 waterfalls in this area, the largest one is called "Devil's Throat" - the water in this area falls from a height of 80 meters.
In the language of the Guarani people, the term "Iguazu" means "big water". The waterfall was discovered in 1541 by Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca and since 1984 it has been part of the natural world heritage of UNESCO.

The waterfall is located in Africa, on the border of Zambia and Zambezi.
The waterfall was discovered in 1855, after David Livingston first saw this amazing natural phenomenon.
During the Jurassic period (150 - 200 million years ago), volcanic activity resulted in a thick layer of basalt covering most of South Africa. As the lava cooled and crystallized, cracks appeared in the hard crust of basalt, which were filled with clay and lime. The Zambezi River gradually washed away soft rocks, thus, a waterfall was formed.

The width of the flow of falling water is 1700 meters, the height is 108 meters, in terms of the volume of falling water (during the rainy season) per unit time, Victoria Falls is the largest waterfall on the planet.
The volume of water ranges from 300 to 9000 cubic meters per second. On average per year - about 1000 cubic meters per second.

The waterfall is located in the north-east of Iceland, on the river Jökulsau-au-Fjödlum, is the largest waterfall in Europe in terms of the volume of falling water - on average, about 200 cubic meters per second.
The width of the waterfall is 100 meters, the height of the water fall is 44 meters.

5 Shoshone Falls

The waterfall is located in the west of Guyana, on the border with Venezuela, on the Potaro River. The height of the water fall is 226 meters, the width of the waterfall is about 100 meters. The maximum water flow is more than 1200 cubic meters per second (average annual flow is about 650 cubic meters). The waterfall is the largest in the world in many ways. But since it is located in a remote area, little is known about it. It is not visited by tourists.

The waterfall is located in the south of Iceland on the Hvitau River. The height of the waterfall is 32 meters, the average water flow is 125 cubic meters per second. But it should be noted that the waterfall consists of two steps, the first is 11 meters high, the second is 21 meters.

The highest waterfall on planet Earth. The height of the water fall is 979 meters, the height of the continuous fall of water is 807 meters.
The waterfall is located in Venezuela on the Churun ​​River.

Yosemite Falls is located in eastern California in the United States on the Merced River. The total height of the waterfall is 739 meters. The waterfall consists of 3 cascades, the height of the upper waterfall is 435 meters, the middle - 206 and the lowest 98 meters.

10 Huangguoshu Waterfall

There are a lot of unique, beautiful places on our planet and the most impressive objects of mother nature are waterfalls. They are truly beautiful, you can look at them for hours watching how tens of tons of water in a continuous stream falls from the ledge, creating an incomparable view. But which waterfall is the highest on earth, and where is it located - that's what we'll talk about in today's article.

The highest waterfall in the world - this is Angel in Venezuela with a height of almost 979 meters (although some believe that it is 75 meters higher and its real height is 1 km. 54 m, but despite this, it takes an honorable first place).

For the first time, it was mentioned by the Venezuelan researcher Ernesto Sanchez La Cruz in 1912, but still did not officially publish his discovery.


21 years later, on November 16, 1933, American pilot Jimmy Crawford Angel accidentally noticed him when he was flying in his small plane, and the waterfall was named after him.


After a few years, he decided to return to him and learn more about him. Taking their wife and three comrades with them, they tried to land nearby, but due to the fact that the plane was damaged and its wheels were completely sunk in marshy soil, they had to descend on foot to the very bottom. It took them 11 days to reach civilization.


A little later, after 18 years, the Latvian explorer Alexander Laime in 1955 decided to independently reach this area and, as a result of long efforts, he succeeded. In the mid-60s, it was possible to raise the fallen plane and it was taken to one of the aviation museums.


Angel Falls is one of Venezuela's top tourist attractions, but even today, getting there is not an easy task.

3. The Three Sisters waterfall is located in Peru, deep in the forests and got its name due to the fact that it is divided into three parts. Its height is 914 meters.

4. "Olupena" - the highest waterfall in the United States, located in Hawaii, it is only 14 meters less than the "Three Sisters". Around him, there are several, so getting close to him without special transport is impossible in principle.

5. "Yumbilla" - located near the well-known Amazon River. As for its height, here the numbers diverge a little. Some sources claim that its real height is 870 m, but other slopes claim that it is 25 meters higher.

6. Norwegian V.Vinnufossen ranks sixth in our ranking, and is the highest waterfall in Europe - 860 meters.

7. In Russia, Talnikovy waterfall is considered the highest - 600 meters.