Mtamvuna River is a river that forms the border between KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape Provinces in South Africa. The river has a wide mouth and flows into the Indian Ocean just south of Port Edward. The Mtamvuna river is approximately 162 km long with a catchment area of 1,553 km². The name means "the reaper of mouthfuls" because of the damage the river does to crops during floods.[2]: 329
History
Historically the Mtamvuna River is the northern limit of the Pondoland region.[3]
In 1552 a Portuguese ship ran aground at the mouth of the Mtamvuna River and a group of local people got close to the sailors wishing to trade with them.[4]
Ecology
The Umtamvuna Nature Reserve is a protected area located close to the deep Mtamvuna River Gorge.[5] Presently this river is part of the Mvoti to Umzimkulu Water Management Area.[6]
See also
References
- ^ Meanings of place names in South Africa
- ^ Vic Mayhew, ed. (1980). Illustrated guide to Southern Africa. Cape Town: Reader's Digest Association South Africa in association with T.V. Bulpin. ISBN 978-0-620-04650-3.
- ^ Contributions to the ecology of Maputaland, Southern Africa
- ^ History of South Africa[permanent dead link]
- ^ Umtamvuna Nature Reserve, KwaZulu Natal
- ^ Mvoti to Umzimkulu WMA 11
External links
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