Victoria Falls National Park

Victoria Falls
Victoria Falls
Plant species
tourism in Victoria Falls

Victoria Falls National Park

  • Country: 
    Zimbabwe
  • Site number: 
    2108
  • Area: 
    1,750 ha
  • Designation date: 
    03-05-2013
  • Coordinates: 
    17°58'S 25°51'E
Materials presented on this website, particularly maps and territorial information, are as-is and as-available based on available data and do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the Ramsar Convention concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.

Overview

Dominated by a unique vegetation of mopane forest and miombo woodlands, and characterized by basaltic gorges shaped by the Zambezi River, the Victoria Falls National Park is a natural wonder and a biodiversity hotspot. Also designated as a World Heritage site for its exceptional geological features and natural beauty, the Park is known for the largest and most spectacular waterfalls in the world, the Mosi-oa-Tunya (“The smoke that thunders”) or Victoria Falls. Animal species recorded in the Site include a sizeable number of elephants, buffalo, lions, leopards and black rhinoceros Diceros bicornis, of which 10% of the world population lives in the Park. Hippopotamus, giraffe, zebra, antelopes, warthog, baboons and other monkeys, and Nile crocodiles can also be found in large numbers. The Site also supports a wealth of reptiles, amphibians and over 500 bird species including falcons, eagles, black storks and herons, which feed and nest in the area. The flora is made up of about 400 species of trees, shrub, grasses, sedges and ferns, notably including the hairy leaved Cape fig (Ficus sur), the African olive (Olea europaea subsp. cuspidata) and the Natal mahogany (Trichilia emetica). The other most common tree species include the wild date palm (Phoenix reclinata) which together with the waterboom (Ilex mitis) and red milkwood (Sapotaceae) species make up over 80% of the trees in the Site. Thousands of tourists travel to the park each year for sightseeing, rafting, boating, and game viewing.

Administrative region: 
Matabeleland North Province

  • Global international designation: 
    • World Heritage site
  • National legal designation: 
    • Protected area - Victoria Falls National Park
  • Regional (international) legal designations: 
    • Other international designation
  • Last publication date: 
    24-11-2015

Downloads

Ramsar Information Sheet (RIS)

Additional reports and documents