They were named after the British Queen in 1855 by Scottish explorer David Livingstone, but their local name of "Mosi-oa-Tunya" -- meaning "the smoke that thunders"-- is far more descriptive.
The falls straddle the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe, in the heart of two national parks -- the Mosi-oa-Tunya park on the Zambian side and the Victoria Falls park in Zimbabwe, which collectively form a UNESCO World Heritage Site.