Orange River
| Orange River Kai Garib (Groote Rivier), Gariep, Senqu, Oranje, Igqili( isiZulu and isiiXhosa) | |
|---|---|
Sunset over the Orange River near Upington in the Northern Cape | |
| Location | |
| Country | Lesotho, South Africa, Namibia |
| District | Mokhotlong |
| District | Thaba-Tseka |
| District | Qacha's Nek, Mohale's Hoek |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | Mont-aux-Sources |
| • location | Maloti Mountains (Drakensberg), Lesotho |
| • coordinates | 28°53′47″S 29°1′4″E / 28.89639°S 29.01778°E |
| • elevation | 3,350 m (10,990 ft) |
| Mouth | Alexander Bay |
• location | Atlantic Ocean |
• coordinates | 28°37′58″S 16°27′08″E / 28.63278°S 16.45222°E |
| Length | 2,432 km (1,511 mi) |
| Basin size | 973,000 km2 (376,000 sq mi) |
| Discharge | |
| • average | 365 m3/s (12,900 cu ft/s) |
| Basin features | |
| Tributaries | |
| • right | Caledon River, Vaal River, Fish River (Namibia) |
| Official name | Orange River Mouth (Namibia) |
| Designated | 23 August 1995 |
| Reference no. | 744 |
| Official name | Orange River Mouth (South Africa) |
| Designated | 28 June 1991 |
| Reference no. | 526 |
The Orange River (from Afrikaans/Dutch: Oranjerivier) is a river in Southern Africa. It is the longest river in South Africa. With a total length of 2,432 km (1,511 mi), the Orange River Basin extends from Lesotho into South Africa and Namibia to the north. It rises in the Drakensberg mountains in Lesotho, flowing westwards through South Africa to the Atlantic Ocean. The river forms part of the international borders between South Africa and Lesotho and between South Africa and Namibia, as well as several provincial borders within South Africa. Except for Upington, it does not pass through any major cities. The Orange River plays an important role in the South African economy by providing water for irrigation and hydroelectric power. The river was named the Orange River in honour of the Dutch ruling family, the House of Orange, by the Dutch explorer Robert Jacob Gordon. Other names include simply the word for river, in Khoekhoegowab orthography written as !Garib, which is rendered in Afrikaans as Gariep River with the intrusion of a velar fricative in place of the alveolar click, Groote River (derived from Kai !Garib) or Senqu River (used in Lesotho), derived from ǂNū "Black". It is known in isiZulu as isAngqu.