River · South Africa, Lesotho
Orange River
The Orange River is the longest river of South Africa and of Lesotho, where its upper course is called Senqu. It starts high in the Drakensberg mountains, crosses South Africa from east to west and reaches the Atlantic Ocean at Alexander Bay.
Picture credit: Martin Cígler (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Pavel Špindler (CC BY 3.0) · South African Tourism (CC BY 2.0) · Wikimedia Commons
Where is the Orange River?
The river starts here: Drakensberg mountains in Lesotho.
It ends in the Atlantic Ocean at Alexander Bay.
Countries on the river: South Africa, Lesotho.
The story behind it
In Lesotho, a country of high mountains, the river is called Senqu. It begins under peaks where snow falls in winter. Shepherds in thick blankets ride small ponies along the slopes, and the clear water rushes through deep valleys with almost no trees. Huge dams store the mountain water and send part of it through tunnels to cities in South Africa, which pays for it. Under its other name, Orange, the river then travels into ever drier country. Halfway along it thunders over the Augrabies Falls into a deep granite gorge that people call the place of great noise. Further west it becomes a green line through the desert: vineyards, date palms and fields of cotton grow on its banks, while the land just beyond them is stone and sand. Dams such as the Gariep store water for farms and cities far away. Klipspringers climb the rocks, and in the evening baboons come down to drink. For a long stretch the river marks the border with Namibia, which is one reason why books give different figures for its exact length.
Questions children ask
How long is the Orange River?
The Orange River is about 2 432 km long. Sources differ a little, partly because the river runs along a border for a long way. It is nevertheless clearly the longest river in South Africa and in Lesotho.
Which countries does the Orange River flow through?
The Orange River begins in the mountains of Lesotho, where it is called Senqu. Then it crosses South Africa, where most of its course lies. Downstream it forms a long border with Namibia.
Where does the Orange River flow into?
The Orange River flows into the Atlantic Ocean at Alexander Bay. Its mouth is a wetland of sandbanks and reeds where many waterbirds rest. In dry years only a small amount of water arrives there.
Where these numbers come from
Every figure on this page was checked against public reference sources before publication. Where sources genuinely disagree, the text says so.
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