Land
A great plateau occupies two-thirds of the country. The plateau is the highest along the south-eastern edge. The Drakensberg Mountains are a part of the Great Escarpment, that separates the plateau from the coastal areas. The escarpment includes Champagne Castle, which is the highest elevation in the country. There are three regions in the plateau-Highveld, Bushveld and Middle Veld. The Highveld covers most of the plateau and is between 1200-1800 metres. It is characterized by rounded ridges and depressions. The northern part has a rock ridge. The Bushveld is north of the Highveld. It slopes downward from the east to the west and averages less than 1200 metres. The Middle Veld is the western section of the plateau. It slopes downward in a westerly direction. It is between 600-1200 metres. Between the edge of the plateau and the eastern and southern coastline, the land goes down towards the sea, in a series of abrupt steps. South Africa includes part of the Kalahari Desert in the north-west and part of the Nambi Desert in the west.
Rivers
The main rivers are the Orange, Vaal and Limpopo. The Orange is the longest in the country and flows in a north-western direction. It empties in the Atlantic Ocean after 2100km. The western part of it forms the boundary between South Africa and Namibia. The Vaal originates in the north-eastern part of the country, near Swaziland and flows in a south-western direction to a central part of the country, where it joins the Orange River. The Limpopo originates in the north-eastern regions and flows north-west to the Botswana border and continues on until the Indian Ocean. Many rivers are dry during much of the year, therefore are not much good for navigation or hydroelectric power. They are used for irrigation. There are only a few freshwater lakes in South Africa. Most of these so called lakes, are really lagoons. Marshy areas form in low places during the rainy season but contain large amounts of salt.
Climate
Almost all of South Africa has a mild, temperate climate. Most of the country is under the influence of easterly trade winds which blow from the Indian Ocean. The winds bring about 890mm of precipitation yearly. The High Veld receives 380-760mm annually. This amount decreases rapidly toward the west. The western coast only has 50mm annually. The rainfall from the trade winds is mainly between October and April. The amount of rainfall varies greatly from year to year in drier regions of the plateau. The south-west is under the influence of western winds from the Atlantic Ocean. This region has about 560mm of rain between June and September. Snow is rare in South Africa and winter frosts occur in higher areas of the plateau.
Geology
There are ancient crystalline rocks under the whole plateau. These rocks were worn down to form an almost level surface. It is covered in most places by thick layers of sandstone and shale. The layers were almost horizontal except in the southwest. Extensive folding has formed irregular hills and mountains in the southwest. The underlying bedrock is exposed in the Highveld and the Middle Veld.
Plants
The natural vegetation varies from region to region according to the amount of rainfall. There are many palms in the east because of the heavy rainfall. The south coast forests are composed of yellowwood, stinkwood, ironwood and cedar. The east supports the growth of trees and grass. Most of the plateau is covered with grassland. On the Highveld, it resembles a prairie and is often treeless. The Bushveld is like a savanna and has scattered trees and bushes. The Middle Veld doesn't have much rainfall and grassland is poor. The vegetation is coarse desert grasses. They grow in tufts and go green only after it rains. The national flower of South Africa is the protea.
Animals
There are many animals present in South Africa. Some examples are lions, elephants, zebras, leopards, monkeys, baboons, hippos and antelope. Most large animals are only found in game reserves. The most notable game reserve is the Kruger National Park in the north-east. It was founded in 1926. The park occupies about 19 490 sq km. Almost all of the wildlife indigenous to the country is found there. There are many other game reserves around the country. There are an abundance of birds in South Africa - over 900 kinds. Some examples are the ostrich, francolin, quail, quinea fowl and the grouse. Snakes are also fairly common, with over 200 species. Large numbers of fish inhabit the coastal waters - 1000 kinds.
Minerals
South Africa is very rich in mineral resources, especially gold, coal and diamonds. The richest gold field was discovered in 1886 in South Africa. Gold occurs in tiny specks, invisible to the naked eye. It is in pebble beds, called blankets. Some gold is mined to depths below 3000 metres. Diamonds are an important source of mineral wealth. Most come from the diamond fields near Kimberly. They were discovered in 1870 and mined with large scale methods. Other minerals found in South Africa are copper, nickel, platinum, asbestos, chromium, fluorite, phosphates, vanadium, tin, titanium, antimony, manganese and iron ores. Large mineral deposits account for a great part of the wealth of South Africa. South Africa contains almost all of the minerals necessary for industry, except oil.
Soils
The grasslands of the central plateau have dark to black soils, called chernozems. This area is similar to the North American prairies. The soil in the west receives less rain, so it is more of a chestnut-coloured soil. In the south, the soil is thin and often red. In the north-east, the soil is reddish and yellowish. Erosion is a problem in most of the country.
