What is Orange River?
[[File:Orange River basin map.svg|thumb|374x374px|Basin of the Orange River]] [[File:OrangeRiverUpington.jpg|thumb|250px|Sunset over the ǂNūǃarib near [[Upington]] in the [[Northern Cape]].]] The '''Orange River''' (officially called Oranje) is a [[river]] in Southern Africa. It is {{Convert|2160|km||abbr=}} long. It starts in [[Lesotho]], and is the longest river there. For large parts of its course, it forms the border between [[South Africa]] and [[Namibia]]. ==Geography== The Orange river basin extends into South Africa, Namibia, and [[Botswana]]. The river starts in the [[Drakensberg|Drakensberg mountains]]. It passes only through the city of Upington: it does not run through other major cities. ==Economic usage== The river is important for the South African [[economy]]. Its water is used for [[irrigation]] and [[Hydroelectricity|hydroelectric power]]. The river was named the Orange River in honor of the [[Dutch people|Dutch]] ruling family, the [[House of Orange]], by the Dutch [[explorer]] Robert Jacob Gordon. {{Commonscat}} {{geo-stub}} {{authority control}} [[Category:Ramsar sites]] [[Category:Rivers of Namibia]] [[Category:Rivers of South Africa]] [[Category:Geography of Lesotho]]