Vaal
Vaal is a mapped river in the YearMaps hydrographic index. River courses organise settlement, agriculture and frontier-making more durably than any political boundary, and this reach is indexed against the dams, lakes and cities within its catchment.
- Feature Class
- River
- Coordinates
- -27.39°, 26.51°
About Vaal
The Vaal River ( Afrikaans pronunciation: [ˈfɑːl]; Khoemana: ǀHaiǃarib) is the largest tributary of the Orange River in South Africa. The river has its source near Breyten in Mpumalanga province, east of Johannesburg and about 30 kilometres (19 mi) north of Ermelo and only about 240 kilometres (150 mi) from the Indian Ocean. It then flows westwards to its confluence with the Orange River southwest of Kimberley in the Northern Cape. It is 1,458 kilometres (906 mi) long, and forms the border between Mpumalanga, Gauteng and North West Province on its north bank, and the Free State on its south.
It is the third largest river in South Africa after the Orange River (2200 km long) and the Limpopo River (1750 km long) and was established as the main source of water for the great Witswatersrand area after the 19th century gold rush. The Vaal Dam lies on the Vaal River in Deneysville just south of the border between Gauteng and the Free State. The Vaal River is the longest river wholly within the borders of South Africa.
Encyclopedic summary adapted from Wikipedia: Vaal River (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Vaal in Depth
History
Historically, the river formed the northern border of Moshoeshoe I's Basotho kingdom at its height in the mid-19th century, then became the boundary between two Boer republics: The South African Republic (later the Transvaal province) and the Orange Free State. The geographic name "Transvaal" comes from the name of this river, meaning "beyond the Vaal river". This was in respect to the Cape Colony and Natal, which were the main areas of European settlement at the time, and which lay south of the Vaal.
During the late 19th century, there was an influx of people migrating to the Witwatersrand in search of gold. The Vaal River would eventually become the main water source for the Witwatersrand.
Tourism
The Vaal River is made up of 50 km of navigable water. The river basin thus offers a range of leisurely water activities that attract local and international tourists throughout the year. Activities include boating, yachting and water skiing.
Deneysville is a town on the Free State side of the Vaal River and is a popular water-centre where visitors can enjoy swimming, kiteboarding, yachting, boating, catamaran cruising, jet skiing, windsurfing, snorkelling and fishing.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Vaal River (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Vaal: Key Facts
| Length | 1,120 km |
|---|---|
| Average discharge | 125 m³/s |
| Drainage basin | 196,438 km² |
| Mouth | Orange River |
| Drainage system | Orange River basin |
| Tributaries | Vet River, Mooi River, Riet River, Harts River, Vals River, Wilge River, Klip River |
Facts from Wikidata Q209530 (CC0).
Major River Dossiers
Hand-written studies of the great river systems of history.
Connected Reaches
Nearby watercourses in the same drainage network.
Water Bodies in the Catchment
Settlements Along the Reach
Hydraulic Infrastructure Nearby
Surrounding Terrain
Vaal: Quick Answers
- Where is Vaal?
- Vaal is located in South Africa, at 27.3906° S, 26.5131° E.
- Are there dams on the Vaal?
- No dam on the Vaal is recorded in the YearMaps dam index, which covers major structures only.