Geography
Positioned just south of the Tropic of Capricorn, South Africa is mostly a dry and sunny country, with a climate that is moderated by its surrounding oceans and topography. For example, the Cape (the south-west tip of South Africa) is the meeting point for two great ocean currents that have a major influence on the climate of Southern Africa, and the Cape itself - the warm Agulhas current (about 20ºC) from the equatorial waters of the Indian Ocean and the cold Benguela current (about 8ºC) runs up the west side of the Cape from Antarctica.
South Africa's seasons are the reverse of the Northern Hemisphere. Spring is September - October, summer is November - March, autumn is April - May and winter is June- August.
South Africa has a great variety of climate zones, from the extreme desert of the southern Namib in the farthest northwest to the lush subtropical climate in the east along the border with Mozambique and the Indian Ocean. From the east, the land quickly rises over a mountainous escarpment towards the interior plateau known as the Highveld.
Highveld grassland
Even though South Africa is classified as semi-arid, there is considerable variation in climate as well as topography.
The interior of South Africa is a giant, rather flat, and sparsely populated scrubland Karoo, which is drier towards the northwest along the Namib desert. In contrast, the eastern coastline is lush and well-watered, which produces a climate similar to the tropics. The extreme southwest has a climate remarkably similar to that of the Mediterranean with wet winters and hot, dry summers, hosting the famous Fynbos Biome.
Fynbos Biome
This area also produces much of South Africa's wine. This region is also particularly known for its wind, which blows intermittently almost all year. The severity of this wind made passing around the Cape of Good Hope particularly treacherous for sailors, causing many shipwrecks. Further east on the country's south coast, rainfall is distributed more evenly throughout the year, producing a green landscape.
The Free State is particularly flat due to the fact that it lies centrally on the high plateau. North of the Vaal River, the Highveld becomes better watered and does not experience subtropical extremes of heat. Johannesburg, in the centre of the Highveld, is at 1 740 metres and receives an annual rainfall of 760 millimetres. Winters in this region are cold, although snow is rare.
To the north of Johannesburg, the altitude drops beyond the Highveld's escarpment, and turns into the lower lying Bushveld, an area of mixed dry forest and an abundance of wildlife. East of the Highveld, beyond the eastern escarpment, the Lowveld stretches towards the Indian Ocean.
Lowveld
It has particularly high temperatures, and is also the location of extended subtropical agriculture.
Many people think that the coldest place in South Africa is Sutherland in the western Roggeveld Mountains, where midwinter temperatures can reach as low as -15C. In fact, the coldest place is actually Buffelsfontein, which is in the Molteno district of the Eastern Cape. Buffelsfontein recorded a low of -18.6 C. The deep interior has the hottest temperatures: A temperature of 51.7 °C was recorded in 1948 in the Northern Cape Kalahari near Upington. 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.
South Africa also has one possession, the small sub-Antarctic archipelago of the Prince Edward Islands, consisting of Marion Island (290 km²) and Prince Edward Island (45 km²).
Next >>
|
South Africa Navigation
Quick Facts
Introduction
History
Geography <<
Flora and Fauna
Industry
|
