Africa 2: Zimbabwe - Victoria Falls

Part of the Series: Exploring the World Series: Africa

The Scottish explorer Dr. David Livingstone was the first white person to discover Victoria Falls and named them in honor of Queen Victoria. Also known locally as Mosi-oa-Tunya, which means "the Smoke that Thunders," the falls have been named "One of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World," and this program, with its spectacular aerial footage that offers a bird's-eye view of the falls and the Zambezi River (literally, the "Great River"), proves why. The falls' width and height form the largest sheet of falling water in the world; also their unusual form allows visitors to view the whole width of the falls face-on. It is no wonder that the falls are one of Africa's major tourist attractions, as well as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Shared between Zambia and Zimbabwe, each country has a national park to protect the falls and a town that serves as a tourism center. On the Zimbabwe side, we visit the Victoria Falls Hotel, a featured landmark, built in 1904, to accommodate travelers as a result of Cecil Rhodes' dream to bring the railway from Cape Town to Cairo. Also, in the Falls Crafts Village, we learn that bargaining is a way of life in this shopping center known for its woodcarvings and sculptures.