Zambezi km from the sea the Zambezi receives the drainage of Lake Malawi through the Shire River. On approaching the Indian Ocean, the river splits up into a delta. Each of the four primary distributaries, Kongone, Luabo and Timbwe, is obstructed by a sand bar. A more northerly branch, called the Chinde mouth, has a minimum depth at low water of 2 m at the entrance and 4 m further in, and is the branch used for navigation. 100 km further north is a river called the Quelimane, after the town at its mouth. This stream, which is silting up, receives
Munyati River the Mupfure River (also known as the Umfuli). Below this point, the river is often referred to as the Sanyati. After a total of the river flows into Lake Kariba (the section of the Zambezi between the Kariba Dam and the Batoka Gorge), making it part of the Zambezi Basin. The river flow is highly variable, reflecting the sharp distinction in the local climate between dry and wet seasons. Between December and May it flows strongly and is about deep on the plateau, and in breadth (although less deep) on its lower reaches. During the rest of the year, it