Geography of Southern Africa
by P.B. - 6
Namib Desert
Namib Desert, the oldest desert in the world, lies along southern Africa's west coast. The desert covers more than 31,200 square miles. It extends from the Orange River in the south to Angola in the north. It is important because it is an important location for mining salt, diamonds, and tungsten.
Cape of Good Hope
Cape of Good Hope is a peninsula in South Africa that is about 100 miles northwest of Cape Agulhas, which is the southern tip of Africa.It extends south from Table Mountain and is part of the city of Cape Town. It is important because...it used to be a landmark for sailors in the past who used this place as a marker for navigation. A Portuguese explorer named Bartolomeu Dias named the Cape of Good Hope when he discovered it in 1488 because he believed his discovery might lead to a sea route to India.
Johannesburg
Johannesburg is the largest city in South Africa, by population. The city is one of the 50 largest metropolitan in the world, and is also the world's largest city not situated on a river, lake, or coastline. It claims to be the lightning capital of the world, though this title is also claimed by others. Even though Johannesburg is not the capital of South Africa, is has the constitutional court.
Zambezi River
The Zambezi River is the fourth longest river in Africa. Only the Nile, Congo, and Niger rivers are longer. The Zambezi rises in Zambia, near the border between Angola and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). It is important because people have use the Zambezi's currect to produce electricity. Tourists from around the world visit these falls, which, too, provides a great money source for Africa's economy.
Linpopo River
The Limpopo River is an important river that flows for about 1,000 miles in southeastern Africa. The Limpopo rises in the highlands and separates the province in South Africa of Limpopo from Botswana and Zimbabwe before it crosses Mozambique and dumps into the Indian Ocean. Vasco de Gama and his first expedition, probably the first Europeans to sight the river, anchored off the mouth in 1498. However, there has been human habitation in the region since time immemorial because of the water.
Lusaka
Lusaka is the centre of business and government in Zambia and connects to the country's four main highways heading north, south, east, and west. English is the official language of the city, but other African languages are also spoken. In 2010, the city's population was about 1.7 million.
Kalahari Desert
The Kalahari Desert is a large, dry sandy basin that covers about 190,000 square miles ) in southern Africa. It spreads across much of Botswana, and parts of Namibia and South Africa. It is important because...
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 municipalities—Belize, Buco Zau, Cabinda and Landana.
Orange River
Orange River is the longest river in South Africa. It flows westward across the southern part of the African continent. Sandbars and shallow waters make the Orange River useless for navigation. 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 a waterfall in southern Africa on the Zambezi River at the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe.While it is neither the highest nor the widest waterfall in the world, it is claimed to be the largest. This claim is based on a width of 1,708 metres (5,604 ft)and height of 108 metres (354 ft), forming the largest sheet of falling water in the world. The falls' maximum flow rate compares well with that of other major waterfalls (see table below).