Limpopo

Limpopo (limpō'pō) [key], river, c.1,100 mi (1,770 km) long, rising in Limpopo prov., South Africa. It flows in a great arc, first north (forming part of the South Africa–Botswana border), then east (forming the South Africa–Zimbabwe border), and finally southeast through Mozambique to the Indian Ocean. The upper Limpopo is also known as the Krokodil, or Crocodile. The river's main tributary, the Olifants, enters the Limpopo c.130 mi (210 km) from its mouth; below this point the Limpopo is permanently navigable. The lower Limpopo waters a fertile and heavily populated region.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2007, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

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