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