Thukela_River
Tugela River
River in South Africa
The Tugela River (Zulu: Thukela; Afrikaans: Tugelarivier) is the largest river in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa. With a total length of 531 km (330 mi), it is one of the most important rivers of the country.[1]
The river originates in Mont-aux-Sources of the Drakensberg Mountains at an elevation of almost 11,000 feet[2] and plunges 947 metres down the Tugela Falls. The Mont-aux-Sources is also the origin of tributaries of two other major South African rivers, the Orange and the Caledon River. From the Drakensberg range, the Tugela follows a 531 km (330 mi) route through the KwaZulu-Natal midlands before flowing into the Indian Ocean.[3] The total catchment area is approximately 29,100 km2 (11,200 sq mi).[3] Land uses in the catchment are mainly rural subsistence farming and commercial forestry.