Largest Waterfalls

1.Inga Falls
Total Height : 315 feet/96 meters
Continent : Africa
Country : Congo
State / Province : Kinshasa
Locality : Matadi

Detailed Information :
This is a rapids that loses 315' of elevation in about 9 miles. Like Boyoma Falls, this might be stretching the acceptable definition of a falls. Since the falls are the target of an immense hydroelectric (40,000 Megawatts!) facility (still in the pre-planning stages--provided the corruption issue in regional politics is taken care of) this may be a moot point. The proposed scheme is to be a "run of the river" project, which means that flow is diverted as opposed to massive damming. Credit acknowledged to Encyclop?dia Britannica from Encyclop?dia Britannica Premium Service: "At a sharp bend in the river between Sikila Island and the mouth of the Bundi River (a Congo River tributary), the Congo falls 315 feet (96 m) in 9 miles (14 km) and flows at a rate of about 1,500,000 cubic feet (43,000 cubic m) per second." Further research shows a roughly 2.5 million cfs figure as the 100 year event which means a factor of 1.7 x mean flow can be postulated. The Oasis Foundation measurements show a figure slightly less than those quoted by Britannica, but one and a quarter million cfs is still an astounding volume of water. The first link below doesn't have a photo of the falls, but it does have "before" and "after" topographical images that show the magnitude of the project. The second link provides sattelite photos of the falls.

2. Livingstone, Chutes de
Total Height : 131 feet/40 meters
Continent : Africa
Country : Congo
State / Province : Kongo Central
Locality : Luozi

Detailed Information :
This is easily the largest waterfall in the world in terms of flow. It's safe to postulate a factor of about 1.7 with regard to maximum floodstage. If that is true, or even close, the flow would be on the order of two million cubic feet per second. Many sources atttribute this waterfall a height of about 876' but this comprises a series of rapids over a 220 mile stretch of river, which in our eyes is really stretching the concept. There is a fairly pronounced series that drop 131 feet in a short distance, which is more acceptable.

3. Boyoma Falls
Total Height : 200 feet/61 meters
Continent : Africa
Country : Congo
State / Province : Orientale
Locality : NULL

Detailed Information :
This is a series of rapids on the Lualaba (Congo) River, dropping about 200 feet over a distance of 10 miles. No individual tier is much more than 10 to 15' in height. We're not sure why 10 miles of intermittent rapids are considered one waterfall, although it was probably oriented around river navigation issues.

4.Guaíra, Salto del
Total Height : 130 feet/40 meters
Continent : South America
Country : Brazil
State / Province : Paran
Locality : Guaíra

Detailed Information :
This waterfall actually straddles the border of Brazil and Paraguay. Sadly, the waterfall no longer exists. It was flooded by the backwater of the Itaipu Dam. The height of 374' has been mentioned also, but this includes the drop of the rapids over the next several miles of river. The falls themselves are a maximum of 130'. There were 18 major segments of this waterfall, and hundreds of minor ones. The major segments were: Salto Presidente Franco, Salto Diretor Francis, Salto Deodoro, Salto General Estigar?bi, Salto Os?rio, Salto Marechal Lopes, Salto Benjamim Constant, Salto Saldanha Gama, Salto Bar?o de Mau?, Salto Rabisco Mendes, Salto Ruy Barbosa, Salto Maria Barreto, Salto Thomas Laranjeira, Salto Floriano, Salto Saltinho, Salto do Limite, Salto do Caxias, and Salto do Tamandar

5.Khone, Chutes de
Total Height : 70 feet/21 meters
Continent : Asia
Country : Laos
State / Province : Ban Hang Khone
Locality : Khone

Detailed Information :
This monstrous segmented waterfall on the Mekong River near the Cambodian border in the extreme southern part of Laos is the widest in the world, stretching to as much as 14 kilometers wide during the monsoon season! There are 2 main portions: Khong Phapheng Falls and Somphamit Falls.

Thanks : world-waterfalls

Tallest Waterfalls

1. Angel Falls

Total Height : 3212 feet /979 meters
Tallest Single Drop: 2648 feet/807 meters
Continent: South America
Country: Venezuela
State / Province: Bolivar
Locality: Canaima National Park

Detailed Information:
Angel Falls is the tallest waterfall in the world, as well as the tallest single drop in the world. The falls consist of a 2648 foot plunge, where the water comes out of the face of Auyan Tepui, then it cascades down steep talus before dropping over another 100 foot cascade. No one seems to know what the stream the falls occur on is called. For the longest time, there have been references to Angel Falls being known in Pemon (the local language) as Churún Merú, and the falls subsequently being on Rio Churún. However, the real Pemon name of the falls is Kerepakupai Merú, which means "fall from the deepest place". To further clear this issue, Churún Merú is a totally different waterfall of about half the height of Angel Falls, located further up the large canyon bysecting Auyan Tepui. The top of the Tepui from which the falls drop is heavily fractured and jointed sandstone. The waters above the falls drop into a series of cracks, crevices, and gorges and burst out of the cliff face about 50 feet below the brink. The waterfall segments in periods of highest water. We've seen photos that show the falls split into 3 major portions, creating a veil of water on the order of 600' in width. Pilot Jimmy Angel is widely credited for discovering the falls in 1937, but the true discoverer was one Ernesto de Santa Cruz, who found the falls in 1910. The falls were subsequently named for Jimmy Angel, since he was the first westerner to view the falls.

2.Tugela Falls
Total Height : 3110 feet /948 meters
Tallest Single Drop: 1350 feet/411 meters
Continent: Africa
Country: South Africa
State / Province: Kwazulu Natal
Locality: Royal Natal National Park

Detailed Information:
Tugela Falls is the second tallest waterfall on the planet. The Tugela River drops over 3000 feet in 5 major tiers, three of which can be seen in the picture below. Some sources show heights of 2853, 2014, 1800 feet for the falls. The figures of 2014 and 1800 feet probably refer to only the first 3 drops.

3.Tres Hermanas, Cataratas las

Total Height : 3000 feet /914 meters
Continent: South America
Country: Peru
State / Province: Ayacucho
Locality: Cordillera Oriental

Detailed Information:
While searching for information on Peru's Catarata Parijaro, we stumbled upon this waterfall that is claimed to have in excess of 3000' of descent. We knew the 2 upper tiers were each about 600'. We saw a photo of the entire series taken by Alejandro Balaguer. We think that 3000' is a wholly credible figure.

4.Olo'upena Falls

Total Height : 2953 feet /900 meters
Continent: Oceania
Country: USA
State / Province: Hawaii
Locality: Molokai

Detailed Information:
This may not be the most volumnous waterfall in Hawaii, but we have to include it in the Oceania Top 20 simply because of it's incomprehensible height. We had once seen a mention of 300' as the height for this waterfall. Examination of the topo maps shatters this notion. This is a legitimate 900m waterfall. While not a high volume falls, it certainly is tall. We are quite certain that the 4th photo in the link below is Olo'upena Falls.

5.Yumbilla, Catarata
Total Height : 2938 feet /896 meters
Continent: South America
Country: Peru
State / Province: Amazonas
Locality: Cuispes

Detailed Information:
Several sites claim a height of 870m, but Peru's IGN (Instituto Geografico Nacional) claims a height of 895.4m. At either height, it's legitimately one of the world's very tallest waterfalls.

Thanks : world-waterfalls