World’s Extreme Waterfalls

A waterfall is a place where flowing water rapidly drops in elevation as it flows over a steep region or a cliff.

Marmore’s Falls: Tallest Manmade Waterfall

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So you thought that all waterfalls are natural? Well, there are also manmade waterfalls in the world like the Cascata delle Marmore or more popularly known as Marmore’s Falls. It is located in Umbria, Italy and its source of water is the Velino River. This 165 meter tall man-made waterfall was created by the ancient Romans. It’s one of the tallest in Europe and the tallest man-made waterfall in the world. It has 3 sections, the top one is the tallest with a height of 83 meters.

Jurong Falls: Tallest Continuously Running Artificial Waterfall

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If Marmore’s Falls is the highest artificial waterfall Jurong Falls is the world’s tallest continuously running artificial waterfall with a height of 30 meters. It can be found at the Jurong Bird Park, a Waterfall Aviary in Singapore. The place is an ideal environment for water birds, fishes, plants and others. Water plunges over the top of a towering cliff at a rate of 140 liters per second. The water is recirculated through a meandering stream.

Angel Falls: World’s Highest Waterfall

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Angel Falls needs no introduction. It is one of the most famous waterfalls in the world located in Venezuela. This towering falls is 979 meters tall – the world’s highest. Because of the tremendous height of the falls, before getting anywhere near the ground, the water is atomized by the strong winds and turned into mist. The mist can be felt almost two kilometers away.

Wallaman Falls: Australia’s Highest Permanent Waterfall

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Scores of waterfalls can be found in ‘the land down under’ and one of the most notable is the Wallaman Falls. It is remarkable for its single drop of 268 meters. It is the highest permanent waterfall in Australia with a pool that is 20 meters deep.

Niagara Falls: Most Powerful Waterfalls in North America

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Niagara Falls, with no doubt, is among the most popular waterfalls in the world. These very wide waterfalls, which are located between Ontario, Canada and New York, USA, are by far the most voluminous and most powerful in North America with more than six million cubic feet (168,000 m³) of water falls over the crest line every minute in high flow, and almost 4 million cubic feet (110,000 m³) on average.

Hiilawe Waterfall: Tallest and Most Powerful in Hawaii

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Hiilawe Waterfall, which is located on the Big Island in Hawaii, USA, is one of the tallest and most powerful waterfalls in the Aloha State. This stunning waterfall is 442 meters tall.

Crabtree Falls: US Tallest Waterfall

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Numerous waterfalls in the US are popular tourist destinations. One of its most distinct waterfalls is Crabtree Falls of Virginia located in the George Washington National Forest. It is regarded as the highest in the US with a height of 370. It is a cascading waterfall.

James Bruce Falls: Tallest in North America

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At 840 meters tall, James Bruce Falls in British Columbia, Canada is the unofficial highest measured waterfall in the North American continent. This stunning waterfall is the world’s 8th tallest.

Yosemite Falls: Tallest in North America

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The astounding Yosemite Falls with a height of 739 meters and located in California, USA is officially regarded the highest waterfall in North America. It is one of the most favorite attractions in the Yosemite National Park. It ranks 6th highest in the world.

Ribbon Falls: Largest Single-drop in North America

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The spectacular Ribbon Fall in Yosemite National Park in California USA is the largest single-drop waterfall in North America. It is also considered the highest with a height of 491 meters.

Dettifoss: Most Powerful in Europe

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The Dettifoss in Northeast Iceland is a 100 meters wide waterfall and is considered the largest waterfall in Europe in terms of volume discharge. It has an average water flow of 200 cubic meters per second.

Rhine Falls: Largest in Europe

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The largest plain waterfall in continental Europe is 150 meters wide and 23 meters high. You can find the Rhine Falls on the High Rhine.

Huangguoshu Waterfall: Largest in China

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Many tourist spots in China were not known to the world few decades ago. Through the internet and with the country’s economic policy that is semi-capitalism, many of its tourist destinations became extremely popular to the west and to the rest of the world. One beautiful attraction in China is its largest waterfall - Huangguoshu Waterfall. It is located in Guizhou. This unique waterfall is one of few waterfalls that can be viewed from above, below, front, back, left and right in the world. At the back of this waterfall is the Water-Curtain Cave, a 134 meters long naturally formed cave.

Victoria Falls: Largest in the World/Widest in Africa

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One of the most popular falls in the world is Victoria Falls in Africa. It is popular not only for its breathtaking and scenic views but it is the largest in the world and one of the Seven Natural Wonders. This more than 1 mile long waterfalls is located on the border of Zimbabwe and Zambia on the Zambezi River. It is the widest in Africa and forms the world’s largest sheet of falling water.

Tugella Falls: Highest in Africa

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Angel Falls in Venezuela is only 32 meters tall compared to Tugela Falls, the 2nd highest in the world at 947 meters. Though it’s not the highest in the world, it is the highest in Africa. The water above the falls is pure and safe to drink.

Hannoki Falls & Shomyo Falls: Tallest in Asia

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Waterfalls are not so popular in many Asian countries due to the fact that there are only few remarkable waterfalls in the continent. The highest seasonal waterfall in Asia is only 479 meters high (compared to Angel Falls which is 979 meters high), the Hannoki Falls in Tateyama, Japan. It only has water from April to July.

Shomyo Falls, Hannoki’s twin waterfall, is usually regarded the tallest when the snow covering the Midagahara plateau melts and flows through it.

Jog Falls: Highest in India

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The 253 meters tall Jog Falls, which is located in Karnataka, India, is a popular tourist attraction in the area. It is the highest plunge waterfall in the country and can be described as the highest untiered waterfalls in India because it drops directly and does not stream on to rocks.

Sipisopiso: Highest in Indonesia

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The last, but certainly not the least, on the list is the Sipisopiso. This plunge waterfall which is located in Sumatra, Indonesia is a very popular tourist attraction. It is the highest in the country at 120 meters high.

See also

World’s Deadliest Waterfalls

The Seven Wonder-Falls in the Philippines

Amazingly Awesome Waterfalls That Descend from Hanging Valleys