Letaba River

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox river | name = Letaba River | native_name = {{native name|ts|Ritavi}} | name_other = | name_etymology = Meaning "sandy river" in Northern Sotho language<ref>{{Citation | first = Elwyn | last = Jenkins | title = Falling into place: the story of modern South African place names | publisher = David Philip Publishers | year = 2007 | page = 75 }}</ref> | image = Letaba River (16651107134).jpg | image_size = | image_caption = View of the Letaba River | map = | map_size = | map_caption = | pushpin_map = South Africa | pushpin_map_size = | pushpin_map_caption = Location of the Letaba River's mouth | subdivision_type1 = Country | subdivision_name1 = South Africa | subdivision_type2 = | subdivision_name2 = | subdivision_type3 = Region | subdivision_name3 = Limpopo Province | subdivision_type4 = | subdivision_name4 = | subdivision_type5 = | subdivision_name5 =  | length = | width_min = | width_avg = | width_max = | depth_min = | depth_avg = | depth_max = | discharge1_location = | discharge1_min = | discharge1_avg = | discharge1_max =  | source1 = | source1_location = Gauteng Province | source1_coordinates = | source1_elevation = | source2 = | source2_location = Soutpansberg | source2_coordinates = | source2_elevation = | mouth = Olifants River | mouth_location = Limpopo Province | mouth_coordinates = {{coord|23|59|22|S|31|49|36|E|display=inline,title}} | mouth_elevation = | progression = | river_system = | basin_size = {{convert|67000|km2|abbr=on}} | tributaries_left = Nharhweni River, Ngwenyeni River, Klein Letaba River, Molototsi River, Nsama River | tributaries_right = Groot Letaba River, Nwanedzi River, Makhadzi River | custom_label = | custom_data = | extra = | mapframe-custom = {{maplink|frame=yes|frame-align=center|plain=yes |type1=line|id1=Q1009332|stroke-colour1=#4271ae|stroke-width1=2|title1=Groot Letaba River |type2=line|id2=Q1009320|stroke-colour2=#4271ae|stroke-width2=1|title2=Klein Letaba River |type3=line|id3=Q982692|stroke-colour3=#4271ae|stroke-width3=3|title3=Letaba River}} | mapframe = yes }} The '''Letaba River''' ({{langx|af|Letabarivier}}), also known as '''Leţaba''', '''Lehlaba''' or '''Ritavi''', is a river located in eastern Limpopo Province, South Africa. It is one of the most important tributaries of the Olifants River.

==Course== It starts at the confluence of the Groot Letaba River and Klein Letaba River, whence they continue their journey eastwards through the Lowveld as the Letaba River. It joins the Olifants River in the foothills of the Lebombo Mountains, near South Africa's border with Mozambique. In Mozambique, the latter river is called the Rio Elefantes.

Tributaries include the Middle Letaba River, Nharhweni River, Ngwenyeni River, Nwanedzi River, Molototsi River, Nsama River, and Makhadzi River.

==Dams in the basin== *Ebenezer Dam *Tzaneen Dam *Modjaji Dam, in the Molototsi River *Hudson Ntsanwisi Dam, in the Nsama River *Middle Letaba Dam, in the Middle Letaba River *Engelhard Dam [[image:Letaba River - South Africa 2008.jpg|thumb|none|450px|Game animals along its banks, near Letaba camp, central Kruger Park]]

==References== {{Reflist}}

Category:Olifants River (Limpopo) Category:Rivers of Limpopo