South+Africa's+Geography


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What is South Africa's geography like?

South Africa is located in the southern tip of Africa. Although it is a large country, its general coordinates are considered to be 29 degrees South and 24 degrees East. The specific latitude of South Africa suggests its position in the [Southern] Hemisphere and its moderate proximity to the equator (South Africa Latitude and Longitude, n.d.). However, each city that resides in the country has different coordinates. All of these coordinates can be found at the South Africa Latitude and Longitude website. In the map to the left, the red arrow points to the general location of South Africa. It can be seen in comparison to the location of North America, which is signified by the red dot.

Furthermore, there are seven countries that border or surround South Africa: Lesotho, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Swaziland, Mocambique and Namibia.

South Africa is officially classified as semi-arid. However, it does have a considerable amount of variation in climate as well as topography. The great inland Karoo plateau has rocky hills and mountains that rise in the sparsely populated scrubland. It is very dry and becomes even drier in the northwest towards the Kalahari desert. While it is extremely hot in the summer, it can be icy in the winter.

There are also seven major biomes in South Africa. In each biome, there is a specific type of terrain along with differing plants and animals that have adapted to each of the conditions. These biomes are displayed in the map to the right. These different biomes provide several different natural resources to the country. For example, South Africa has plenty of biodiversity as a result of the biomes that house different plants and animals. Minerals and ores can also be found here, and actually, the country's economy was first built off of mining. Also, there is plenty of timber available in the midlands. However, only about 13% of the land is suitable for cultivation (Natural Resources in South Africa, n.d.). Some of the other problems that are experienced here are finding energy sources and freshwater.

Continuing with the different areas of the country, the eastern coastline of the country is lush and receives a considerable amount of rain. The southern coast is less tropical, but also green.

In the southwestern area of the country, the climate is typically considered to be Mediterranean. Here, there are wet winters and hot, dry summers.

In general, South Africa is known for its sunshine. Most of the rainfall occurs in the summer, with the exception of the Western Cape. This area gets its rainfall in the winter. In comparison to other countries that fall at the same latitude of South Africa, the country experiences lower temperatures because it is at a higher elevation. Where plateaus and mountains are found, the weather is typically somewhat warm during the day, but can drop to freezing at night. On the other hand, the coastal regions of South Africa are warmest in the winter. In the southern hemisphere, the seasons are the exact opposite of those in Europe and North America. This serves as a wonderful place to get away during cold winters!

In South Africa, the four seasons are still apparent. The summer time brings hot, sunny days in most areas. In the fall, the weather is warm, but not too hot, and there is very little rainfall. With the exception of the mountains, the winters do not usually bring snow and extremely cold weather. There are some crisp nights, though. Lastly, the spring brings beautiful plants and sun back to the land.

Resources: Google Images. (n.d.). Google Images. Retrieved November 30, 2010, from http://images.google.com/imghp?hl=EN Latitude and Longitude - World Map with Latitude and Longitude. (n.d.). Worldatlas.com. Retrieved December 1, 2010, from http://www.worldatlas.com/aatlas/imageg.htm Natural Resources in South Africa. (n.d.). South Africa Web. Retrieved December 1, 2010, from southafricaweb.co.za/page/natural-resources-south-africa South Africa's geography. (n.d.). SouthAfrica.info. Retrieved November 30, 2010, from http://www.southafrica.info/about/geography/geography.htm South Africa Latitude and Longitude. (n.d.). World Map, Map of the World. Retrieved December 1, 2010, from http://www.mapsofworld.com/lat_long/south-africa-lat-long.html