Category: Africa
South Africa
As the name suggests, South Africa is located in southern Africa. In the north are the states of Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe. To the east of South Africa are the states of Mozambique and Swaziland. The state of Lesotho is completely enclosed by South Africa. The western border of the country is formed by the Atlantic Ocean. The Indian Ocean lies in the south and southeast of the country. The state area is 1,219,912 km². That is about 3.4 times the area of Germany.
Geography
Most of the country is dominated by the central plateau, also known as the Highveld. The plateau has a height of 900 to 2,000 meters above sea level. The land falls away very quickly towards the coast. The sloping land is known as the Great Edge Step and has a width of 20 to 250 km.
In the northeast of the country are the Drakensberg. They extend into the state of Lesotho. The highest point of the Drakensberg in South Africa is the Mafadi with 3450 meters.
The Kalahari Desert begins northwest of the city of Bloemfontein. The desert is terrifying as far as Botswana and Namibia.
Most of South Africa’s rivers originate in the Drakensberg and flow into the Indian Ocean, meaning they flow east or south-east. At 1,600 km, the Oranje is the longest river in South Africa. But it flows into the Atlantic Ocean.
Climate
There are great differences in climate in South Africa. The climate ranges from extreme deserts in the Kalahari to subtropical areas in the southeast of the country and on the border with Mozambique. In the west of the country there is an arid to maritime climate. In the south, the warm Agulhas Current and the cold Benguel Current meet at the Cape of Good Hope, creating a semi-arid to semi-humid climate. For more information about the continent of Africa, please check ezinereligion.com.
