Cataract (waterfall)

What is a cataract? A cataract is a waterfall on a large river, such as the Nile.

A cataract on the Yellow River, China.

Cataracts are waterfalls on very large rivers. They do not have to be high, but they carry enormous volumes of water.

The word cataract is not used for most waterfalls. It is used for waterfalls along the River Nile in Egypt, which are little more than steps, but there are steps in other places, too. One of the most famous is on the Mississippi. the Great Falls of the Potomac is another cataract.

Video: St Anthony Falls, Minnesota, the only cataract or series of low waterfalls on the Mississippi River.
Video: Great Falls of the Potomac near Washington, DC.

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