South Africa Geography
Geography of South Africa is full of diversity. The country is located in the southern end of Africa.The long coastline of South Africa stretches more than 2500 km. on the Atlantic coast southwards from the desert border with Namibia.
South African Provinces
While we discuss about Geography of South Africa it is very important to mention the 9 provinces of the country.
- The Eastern Cape
- The Free State
- Limpopo
- Gauteng
- Mpumalanga
- The Northern Cape
- KwaZulu-Natal
- North West
- The Western Cape
Topographical features of South Africa
The mountainous escarpment separates the low-lying coastal zone from the high inland plateau. The province of KwaZulu – Natal located on the east divide the coast from the escarpment. The inland Karoo plateau comprises rocky hills and mountains. The famous Kalahari Desert is located on the north-western part of the country. The eastern and southern coast of South Africa features green land. The two main rivers that flow are Limpopo and Orange.
Climate of South Africa
Another important aspect of Geography of South Africa is the variable climatic condition of the country. The Karoo plateau and the Kalahari Desert temperature are exceptionally dry and very hot in the summers and chilling in winters. The climate on the eastern part of the country is tropical whereas the south western part has a Mediterranean climate. The most notable feature of this region is the wind that blows throughout the year.
Geographical and climatic diversity of the country has also affected the vegetation of the country. There are more than 20,000 species of plants surviving all over South Africa.
