The Keiskamma River ( af, Keiskammarivier) is a river in the

Eastern Cape Province The Eastern Cape is one of the provinces of South Africa. Its capital is Bhisho, but its two largest cities are East London and Gqeberha. The second largest province in the country (at 168,966 km2) after Northern Cape, it was formed in 199 ...

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

. The river flows into the

Indian Ocean The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, covering or ~19.8% of the water on Earth's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia to the east. To the south it is bounded by th ...

in the Keiskamma Estuary, located by Hamburg Nature Reserve, near

Hamburg (male), (female) en, Hamburger(s), Hamburgian(s) , timezone1 = Central (CET) , utc_offset1 = +1 , timezone1_DST = Central (CEST) , utc_offset1_DST = +2 , postal ...

, midway between

East London East or Orient is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from west and is the direction from which the Sun rises on the Earth. Etymology As in other languages, the word is formed from the f ...

and

Port Alfred A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Ha ...

. The Keiskamma flows first in a southwestern and then in a southeastern direction after meeting its main tributary, the

Tyhume River The Tyhume River is a river in Amathole District Municipality in the central part of the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. It springs in the forested mountains of Hogsback, part of the Amatola Mountains, and runs down the Tyhume River Valle ...

. The Keiskamma River marked the border between the

Cape Province The Province of the Cape of Good Hope ( af, Provinsie Kaap die Goeie Hoop), commonly referred to as the Cape Province ( af, Kaapprovinsie) and colloquially as The Cape ( af, Die Kaap), was a province in the Union of South Africa and subsequen ...

and former British

Kaffraria Kaffraria was the descriptive name given to the southeast part of what is today the Eastern Cape of South Africa. Kaffraria, i.e. the land of the Kaffirs, is no longer an official designation (with the term ''kaffir'' now an offensive racial s ...

, known also then as Queen Adelaide's Province, until 1847. Presently this river is part of the

Mzimvubu to Keiskamma Water Management Area Mzimvubu to Keiskamma WMA, or Mzimvubu to Keiskamma Water Management Area (coded: 12), includes the following major rivers: the Swane River, Mntafufu River, Mzimvubu River, Mngazi River, Mthatha River, Xora River, Mbashe River, Nqabara River, ...

Ecology

There is a small population of the

endangered An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and inva ...

Eastern Province rocky The Eastern Province rocky (''Sandelia bainsii''), also known as rocky kurper, is a species of fish in the family Anabantidae. It is endemic to South Africa. The specific name of this species is thought to honour the Scottish geologist, explor ...

''(Sandelia bainsii)'' in the

, part of the Keiskamma river basin.Sandelia bainsii
/ref>

Dams

Sandile Dam Sandile Dam is a zoned embankment dam located on the Keiskamma River Ezingcuka near Keiskammahoek, Eastern Cape, South Africa. It was established in 1983 and serves mainly for irrigation purposes. The hazard potential of the dam has been ranked hi ...

References

External links

Keiskamma River Catchment (South Africa)Towns of historical interest in the 'keiCape slavery heritage

The carcass of Huberta, the Keiskamma River Hippopotamus (Apr 1931)
Rivers of the Eastern Cape Internal borders of South Africa {{SouthAfrica-river-stub

Ecology

Dams

See also

References

External links