Geographically, South Africa is divided in two by numerous mountain ranges that form a huge arc from Mpumalanga to the Cape Peninsula.
Basically, South Africa can be divided into three major areas: a narrow coastal plain (the lowveld), the Kalahari Basin and the enormous interior plateau (the highveld).
The lowveld
Stretching down across a third of Africa, from Malawi into South Africa, the lowveld is the stereotypical African landscape of great plains, savannah-type vegetation such as acacias and thorn trees and a rich diversity of animal life such as the African elephant and the giraffe.
The Lowveld by Will Moody
The Kalahari Basin
Derived from the name kgalagadi (thirsty land), this enormous semi-desert land is characterised by red or orange sand dunes, dry river beds and hardy, thinly vegetated areas. Like most deserts, the Kalahari is incredibly hot in the summer and freezing cold at night in the winter.
The Kalahari Basin by Will Moody
The Highveld
The highveld region is the high-lying interior plateau, generally between 1200 - 1828m. The region varies from flat, grassy, treeless plains to the mountainous peaks of the Drakensberg, the highest range of mountains in South Africa, where above 3000m there is alpine-type vegetation.
The Highveld by Will Moody
South Africa is one of the least forested countries in the world, with only a tiny fraction of 1% of its surface supporting indigenous woodland.
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South Africa