Lugenda River
Lugenda River | |
---|---|
Location | |
Country | Mozambique |
Physical characteristics | |
Source | |
• location | Lake Amaramba |
Mouth | |
• location | Ruvuma River |
• coordinates | 11°25′26″S 38°29′06″E / 11.4239°S 38.4849°E |
Basin features | |
River system | Ruvuma River |
The Lugenda or Lujenda (alternate: Msambiti River)[1] is a river of northern Mozambique. It flows in a south-north direction from Lake Amaramba/Lake Chiuta and is the largest tributary of the Ruvuma River.[2] It joins the Luambala River at 13°26′12″S 36°18′20″E / 13.43667°S 36.30556°E. The river valley is reported to be only 800 feet (240 m) above sea level.[3] North of Lake Chiuta, those on the west bank call it the Msambiti River.[1] At one point, the Lugenda splits into several streams with islands between them, some of whom are populated such as the island Achemponda.[4]
Elephants loom large in the life of people of the Lugenda River Valley. The tribal people, inhabiting the river valley for several thousand years, are mainly the Yao and Makua tribals. Other groups residing here are Ngoni, Marave and Matambwe people.[5]
Etymology
The etymology of the word Lugenda in
Geography
The Lugenda River, which joins the main Ruvuma River system in its lower reaches from the south east, rises near Lake Chilwa, from the small Lake Chiuta (1,700 feet (520 m)). The river flows for a length of 300 kilometres (190 mi) before it joins the Ruvuma River at Negomano village. Its origin is marked by a narrow wooded ridge (a sand bar ridge which is 25 metres (82 ft) high and 9,000 years old)[6]) that separates the swamps on the southern side of Chuta Lake from the Lake Chilwa. The stream at the outlet of the Lake Amaramba is about 80 metres (260 ft) wide. It is a swampy water body between its origin from the Chitwa Lake and Lake Amaramba.[7] Mount Mecula (1,441 metres (4,728 ft)) is the central mountain in the valley. The mountain is rich in vegetation and is considered an important botanical area of the preserve in the valley. The Lugenda River and Mecula Mountain are thus the important tourist destinations in Mozambique's northern province.[5]
The river has a complex flow pattern. It flows in the westerly direction through "Pandanus palm-braided channels". On the east, its flow is through rocky gorge with the entire river vanishing into "slot canyons" displaying broad sandy waterways. This is the location of the breeding colonies of globally threatened
The headwaters of the Lugenda River are in Lakes Chilwa and Chiuta on the border between Mozambique and Malawi, from where the river flows northeast along inferred depressions ultimately joining the Ruvuma River, on the Mozambique / Tanzania border, flowing to the Indian Ocean.[8]
The flow contribution from the Lugenda River to the Ruvuma River is estimated to be 18 cubic kilometres (4.3 cu mi). Most of the basin area of the river lies in the Niassa Province where the irrigation potential is reported to be 200,000 hectares (490,000 acres).[6]
It is a slow-moving river and often appears, as it emerges from the Lake Amaramba, as a lake due to its large expanse of water.
The river is bridged at Luambala where its width is about 150 metres (490 ft).[9]
Mineral resources
The river valley formed by the Lugenda River, which flows within deep banks, is rich in iron ore intercalated in quartz and granite rock formations. Crystallized lime carbonate is also found.[9] Coal is extracted from two coal fields, located on both sides of the river, one close to the Pemba Bay and the other near Itule town. Iron ore is extracted from large areas to the west of the Pemba Coalfield. Gold is also found in the valley in upper reaches of the Rarico River, a tributary of the Lugenda River.[10]
History
The river valley, and the Niassa Wild Life Preserve enclosed within it, has a history linked to
Ecology
Lugenda River Valley, formed by the river, is part of the rich ecological corridor comprising the
Lugenda Wilderness Camp, which is part of the Wildlife Preserve, is on the eastern bank of the Lugenda river, amongst the Ngalongue Mountains (inselbergs); inselberg is a common international term used to define isolated rock hill, knob, ridge, or small mountain that rises abruptly from a gently sloping or virtually level surrounding plain.[12] The camp is an integral component of the African wildlife ecosystem. Safaris are arranged from this camp for visits to the African wilderness. The camp has 16 east-African styled tents, a well turned out accommodation for visitors.[7][13]
- Fauna and flora
Forty species of
References
- ^ a b c d Manchester Geographical Society (1885). The Journal of the Manchester Geographical Society (23-24). Cambridge Scholars Publishing. pp. 302–304.
- ISBN 2-88032-949-3.
- ISBN 978-0-7011-1544-9.
- ^ Manchester Geographical Society (1885). The Journal of the Manchester Geographical Society (23-24). Cambridge Scholars Publishing. p. 307.
- ^ a b c d e "Emerging from the shadows, Nissa National Reserve" (PDF). Africa Geographic Article. June 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-14. Retrieved 2010-10-11.
- ^ ISBN 92-5-103966-6.
- ^ a b c "Ruvuma River & Niassa National Reserve". Airboat Afrika Company. Retrieved 2010-10-11.[dead link]
- ISBN 1-55963-365-4. Retrieved 2010-10-11.
- ^ a b c African Society, African Society. London, JSTOR (Organization) (1901). Journal of the African Society, Volume 1. MacMillan. pp. 131–132. Retrieved 2010-10-11.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Papers by command, Volume 116, Part 2. HMSO. 1902. p. 432.
- ^ "Zoning and Identification of Areas for Investment in the Agrarian Sector and Socio-Environmental Analysis for Niassa Province" (PDF). Ministry of Agriculture, Republic of Mozambique. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2009-05-20. Retrieved 2010-10-11.
- ^ Inselberg, Encyclopædia Britannica Online. 29 Nov. 2009.
- ^ "Our Pristine Location". lugenda.com. Retrieved 10 October 2010.
- ^ "Our Pristine Location". Lugenda Wilderness Camp. Retrieved 2010-10-11.
- ISBN 978-1-74059-545-2. Retrieved 2010-10-11.
- ISBN 978-1-84162-177-7. Retrieved 2010-10-11.
- ^ "Mozambique" (PDF). Mozambique. p. 3. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-07. Retrieved 2010-10-11.
- ISBN 978-1-110-86096-8.