• South Africa:
• Geography

South Africa - Geography

The Republic of South Africa is composed of nine provinces: Northern Province, North-West, Mpumalanga, Gauteng (Tshwane–Witwatersrand–Vereeniging), Northern Cape, Western Cape, Eastern Cape, Free State and KwaZulu-Natal. South Africa has land borders with: Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Swaziland. Its sea borders are with the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans. Lesotho is enclosed within its land area.

Area: 1,221,038 sq km

Main towns: Tshwane (administrative capital, Gauteng, pop. 1,687,800 in 2006), Cape Town (legislative capital, Western Cape, 3,546,400), Durban (KwaZulu–Natal, 3,244,000), Johannesburg (Gauteng, 2,091,500, greater Johannesburg 7.09m), Soweto (Gauteng, 1,766,800), Nelson Mandela Metropole (Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape, 992,700), Pietermaritzburg (KwaZulu–Natal, 797,800), Benoni (Gauteng, 637,700), Tembisa (Gauteng, 543,800), Vereeniging (Gauteng, 489,900), Bloemfontein (judicial capital, Free State, 480,500), Boksburg (Gauteng, 467,200), Welkom (Free State, 457,600), Newcastle (KwaZulu–Natal, 425,700), East London (Eastern Cape, 421,900), Krugersdorp (Gauteng, 399,100), Brakpan (Gauteng), Botshabelo (Free State).

Topography: The southern part of the ancient African plateau forms the centre of South Africa, falling through rolling hills and coastal plains to the coastal belt. The Great Escarpment, containing the Drakensberg and Cape mountain ranges, marks the high edge of the plateau. The plateau lies at an altitude of about 1,500m in the south and east, dipping towards the north and west. On the plateau, land is flat or undulating and dotted with round hills or ‘koppies’. The Limpopo and Orange are the major river systems, although Natal and parts of the Cape are traversed by fast-flowing, seasonal rivers with coastal lagoons. Surface water is in short supply.

Climate: Climate varies with altitude and continental position: Mediterranean climate in the Western Cape; humid subtropical climate on the northern KwaZulu-Natal coast; continental climate of the highveld; and arid Karoo and Kalahari fringes, with a great temperature range, giving very hot summer days and cold dry nights. The south-east trade winds, blowing first over KwaZulu-Natal, are the principal source of precipitation, falling in summer. Winter rains reach the Western Cape.

Environment: The most significant environmental issues are soil erosion, desertification, air pollution and resulting acid rain, and pollution of rivers from agricultural run-off and urban discharges. In a country with relatively few major rivers and lakes, extensive water conservation and control measures are necessary to keep pace with rapid growth in water usage.

Vegetation: Varies with climate, including temperate hardwood forest, dense coastal bush, Mediterranean scrub (including many varieties of aloes and proteas), vast grasslands of the veld dotted with flat-topped thorn trees, and bushveld scrub. South Africa’s native flora have been developed as garden flowers all over the world. Forest covers 8% of the land area, with no significant loss of forest coverage during 1990–2005. Arable land comprises 12% and permanent cropland 0.8% of the total land area.

Wildlife: South Africa’s wildlife, among which are the large mammals characteristic of the African grassland, includes species, such as the white rhino, that are endangered elsewhere. The game reserves such as the Kruger and Hluhluwe are considered among the world’s best. The wide range of bird-species includes many migrants from the northern hemisphere. South Africa was a founder member of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN).

Transport: There are 362,100km of roads (20% paved) and 20,047km of railway (about half electrified). This substantial rail network serves not only South Africa with its mining and heavy industries, but also neighbouring countries.

Ports also serve South Africa and its landlocked neighbours: Botswana, Lesotho, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The main commercial ports are at Durban, Port Elizabeth, Cape Town and East London. Durban is the leading port, with capacity for deep-sea ro-ro vessels and a principal terminal of the 3,100km underground oil pipeline.

International airports are at Bloemfontein, Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg and Port Elizabeth, while East London, Kimberley and Tshwane (Pretoria) are important domestic airports. There are also some 210 licensed aerodromes and 40 heliports.