Blyde River Canyon
| Blyde River Canyon | |
|---|---|
 | |
  Mpumalanga, South Africa | |
| Length | 26 km (16 mi) |
| Geography | |
| Coordinates | 24°35′S 30°48′E / 24.59°S 30.80°E |
| Rivers | Blyde River |
The Blyde River Canyon is a 26km long[1] Canyon located in Mpumalanga, South Africa. It is one of the larger canyons on Earth but much smaller than those of Asia, the Grand Canyon and the Fish River Canyon.[1][2] Unlike the Grand and Fish River Canyon, the Blyde River Canyon is a "green canyon" which is dominated by subtropical vegetation. The canyon forms part of the Blyde River Canyon Nature Reserve.
The Blyde River Canyon passes a rock formation known as the "
Name
The canyon is named for the river that runs through it, the
In 2005, the Blyde River was renamed to the Motlatse River, and the Mpumalanga Provincial Government announced that the canyon would be renamed as well.[clarification needed][4]
Fauna and flora
The Blyde River Canyon supports large diversity of life, including numerous fish and antelope species as well as
Kadishi waterfall
.JPG)
At 200 metres (660 ft), the Kadishi Tufa waterfall is the second tallest tufa waterfall on earth. A tufa waterfall is formed when water running over dolomite rock absorbs calcium, and deposits rock formations more rapidly than they erode the surrounding rock. In the case of the Kadishi Tufa fall, the formation that has been produced strikingly resembles a face which is crying profusely, and is thus sometimes known as 'the weeping face of nature'.
Tourism
The canyon and the surrounding Drakensberg escarpment is a very popular tourist region with a well-developed tourism industry supported by good public infrastructure.[citation needed]
References
- ^ a b Mpumalanga. "Blyde River Canyon Nature Reserve". www.mpumalanga.com. Retrieved 2020-10-02.
- ^ Raven, B. W. "Water Affairs in the Lower Blyde River." The role of DWAF in local water (2004).
- ^ "Dictionary of Southern African Place Names" by RE Raper - HSRC
- ^ "Blyde River Canyon is no more".
External links
