Landscape/Landforms
South Africa’s landscape and climate are extremely varied, ranging from hot, dry deserts to cool, wet mountains. A line of mountains known as the ‘Great Escarpment’, dominates the landscape as it spreads across nearly the whole of the country. As the country of South Africa forms the southern tip of the African continent, so much of the country is surrounded by ocean. The coastline of South Africa consists of beautiful sandy beaches, as well as spectacular rocky areas. Then in the inland of South Africa, away from the coastline, to the interior of South Africa, there is a much different environment.
South Africa’s landscape and climate are extremely varied, ranging from hot, dry deserts to cool, wet mountains. A line of mountains known as the ‘Great Escarpment’, dominates the landscape as it spreads across nearly the whole of the country. As the country of South Africa forms the southern tip of the African continent, so much of the country is surrounded by ocean. The coastline of South Africa consists of beautiful sandy beaches, as well as spectacular rocky areas. Then in the inland of South Africa, away from the coastline, to the interior of South Africa, there is a much different environment.
A huge plateau makes up a very large part of the country’s landscape. This plateau is where the grassy plains are located, that are home to animals that include giraffes, zebras, and elephants and sheep as South Africans raise many sheep. The grasslands provide plenty of food for the herds of sheep, which then produce wool for clothing. South Africa’s best-known mountain is Table Mountain that overlooks the city of Cape Town. Its attractive flat-top mountain is a famous landmark that is regularly covered with a layer of cloud. The mountains are on average 12⁰C cooler than lower areas.
Rainfall is higher in the mountains too, although in the eastern parts of the country it only exceeds 800mm per year. The rainy season for most of the country is in summer. In the Western Cape the rains come in the winter and in most of the Eastern Cape, it is distributed evenly throughout the year. In South Africa the climate is seasonal, getting quite cold in the winter (May-August). Its rather pleasantly warm and sunny in spring and autumn, and often hot in summer (November-March) with frequent rains to cool things down.