Geography of Southern Africa
By: JG 6
The Namib Desert
The Namib Desert is a coastal desert in Southern Africa. One of the oldest and largest deserts, the Namib Desert stretches inland from the Atlantic Ocean, covering large regions of Namibia and parts of Angola and South Africa. Stretching 1,200 miles in length, but averaging a width of only 70 miles, the Namib Desert is home to the highest sand dunes in the world. The Namib desert is an important location for the mining of tungsten, salt, and diamonds.
The Cape of Good Hope
The Cape of Good Hope's name dates from the days of exploration in the 15th century, when the European powers such as Spain and Portugal sent explorers into uncharted places in search of wealth. The Cape of Good Hope is a peninsula just outside the city of Cape Town in South Africa. The Cape of Good Hope itself is a rocky headland at the tip of the Cape peninsula. The Cape of Good Hope was an important landmark for sailors and traders that travel Eastward instead of Westward.
Johannesburg
The Johannesburg, also known as Jo'burg, Joni, Egoli or Joeys, is known to be the largest city in South Africa with the population if 3.2 million people! The city is the economic hub of South Africa, and increasingly for the rest of Africa. The contrast between rich and poor has led to one of the highest crime rates in the world. As said above, Johannesburg is the economic hub and the RICHEST city in South Africa!
The Zambezi River
The Zambezi River is the fourth largest river in Africa, but the largest that flows into the Indian Ocean. The area of its basin is slightly half of the Nile River, at 1,390,000 square kilometers. Victoria Fall gives the Zambezi River most of its attention. As well as giving several countries hydroelectric power. It is important because people have use the Zambezi's strong current to produce electricity. Tourists from around the world visit the Victoria Falls, which too, provides a great money source for Africa's economy.
The Limpopo River
The Limpopo River flows in Central Southern Africa, and follows toward the Indian Ocean Eastward. The Limpopo is the second largest river in Africa that drains to the Indian Ocean, after the Zambezi River. Water Demand The Limpopo River is an important source of surface water for economic development. Almost all key economic activities such as agriculture, mining, tourism and manufacturing are, in one way or another, undertaken within the basin.
Lusaka
Lusaka is the largest city and the capital of Zambia, with the population of 1.7 million people in 2010. Lusaka is located in the southern part of the central plateau at an elevation of about 1,300 meters. Lusaka is one of the fastest-developed cities in Southern Africa. Lusaka is important, because it had become a major tourist attraction. From the malls to the markets, and the surroundings around it.
The Kalahari Desert
The Kalahari Desert, better known as the "Thirsty Land", is a large, sandy savannah in Southern Africa extending 900,000 square kilometers. Covering much of Botswana and parts of Namibia and South Africa. The Kalahari isn't what true desert is, it supports more animals and plants that settle in the area, with it's small amount of rainfall. The Kalahari Desert is important because it provides shelter, nutrients and food for many plants and animals. As well as being an important and forgotten storehouse of carbon dioxide from the world's atmosphere.
Cabinda
Cabinda is an exclave and province of Angola, a status that has been disputed by many political organizations in the territory. The capital city is also called Cabinda. The province is divided into four large towns—Belize, Buco Zau, Cabinda and Landana. Cabinda is important, because under Portuguese rule, Cabinda developed as an important agricultural and forestry center. In 1967 it discovered huge offshore oil fields. oil, timber, and cocoa were its main exports by then.
Orange River
The Orange River is the largest river in South Africa. It rises in the Drakensberg mountains in Lesotho, going westwards through South Africa to the Atlantic Ocean. The river forms part of the international borders between South Africa and Namibia and between South Africa and Lesotho, as well as several provincial borders within South Africa. The Orange River plays an important role in the South African economy by providing water for irrigation, as well as hydroelectric power.
Victoria Falls
Victoria Falls is located on the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe, and is known as the longest water fall in the world! The Zambezi is known as the “River of Life” across southern Africa, but surviving by the river near Victoria Falls is not always easy. During the rainy season the Zambezi has a fierceness and a power that is deadly to both animals and humans. At the peak of the rainy season, almost 300,000 gallons of water cascade over the falls every second! Victoria falls is important because it has a massive tourist attraction and it gives out many jobs to the people who live in the local area.