Great Karoo | plateau, South Africa | Britannica.com plateau, South Africa Alternative Titles: Central Karoo, Great Karroo, Groot Karoo Similar Topics Jos Plateau Great Karoo, Karoo also spelled Karroo, Afrikaans Groot Karoo, also called Central Karoo, plateau basin in Western Cape province, South Africa , lying between the Great Escarpment (north) and the Swartberg (south). It represents the effect of headwater erosion by rivers flowing southwest and southeast from the escarpment. The Great Karoo is divided into a western basin and a much larger eastern basin. The western, which is the headwater basin for the Doring River, is about 140 miles (225 km) north to south and about 50 miles (80 km) wide. The eastern basin contains the headwaters of the Buffels, Dwyka, Gamka, Groot, and Sondags rivers; it is about 300 miles (480 km) long, its width decreasing westward from 80 to 50 miles (130 to 80 km), and is rugged in the north and flat in the south.

The low annual rainfall (ranging from 16 inches [400 mm] in the east to 4 inches [100 mm] in the west) and the fauna are typical of arid, semidesert regions. A grazing area, especially for sheep and goats, the basin is fertile where irrigated along the stream courses. Grains and fruit are the chief crops. The principal towns are Graaff-Reinet, Beaufort West, and Aberdeen. The Great Karoo, near Laingsburg, Western Cape province, S.Af. Winfried Bruenken Karroo - Encyclopedia Karroo GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES KARROO, two extensive plateaus in the Cape province, South Africa, known respectively as the Great and Little Karroo. Karroo is a corruption of Karusa, a Hottentot word meaning dry, barren, and its use as a place-name indicates the character of the plateaus so designated. They form the two intermediate "steps" between the coast-lands and the inner plateau which constitutes the largest part of South Africa.

The Little (also called Southern) Karroo is the table-land nearest the southern coast-line of the Cape, and is bounded north by the Zwaarteberg, which separates it from the Great Karroo. From west to east the Little Karroo has a length of some 200 m., whilst its average width is 30 m. West of the Zwaarteberg the Little Karroo merges into the Great Karroo. Eastward it is limited by the hills which almost reach the sea in the direction of St Francis and Algoa Bays. The Great Karroo is of much larger extent. Bounded south, as stated, by the Zwaarteberg, further east by the Zuurberg (of the coast chain), its northern limit is the mountain range which, under various names, such as Nieuwveld and Sneeuwberg, forms the wall of the inner plateau. To the south-west and west it is bounded by the Hex River Moun tains and the Cold Bokkeveld, eastward by the Great Fish River. West to east it extends fully 350 m.

in a straight line, varying in breadth from more than 80 to less than 40 m. Whilst the Little Karroo is divided by a chain of hills which run across it from east to west, and varies in altitude from 1000 to 2000 ft., the Great Karroo has more the aspect of a vast plain and has a level of from 2000 to 3000 ft. The total area of the Karroo plateaus is stated to be over ioo,000 sq. m. The plains are dotted with low ranges of kopjes. The chief characteristics of the Karroo are the absence of running water during a great part of the year and the consequent parched aspect of the country. There is little vegetation save stunted shrubs, such as the mimosa (which generally marks the river beds), wild pomegranate, and wax heaths, known collectively as Karroo bush. After the early rains the bush bursts into gorgeous purple and yellow blossoms and vivid greens, affording striking evidence of the fertility of the soil. Such parts of the Karroo as are under perennial irrigation are among the most productive lands in South Africa.

Even the parched bush provides sufficient nourishment for millions of sheep and goats. There are also numerous ostrich farms, in particular in the districts of Oudtshoorn and Ladismith in the Little Karroo, where lucerne grows with extraordinary luxuriance. The Karroo is admirably adapted to sufferers from pulmonary complaints. The dryness of the air tempers the heat of summer, which reaches in January a mean maximum of 87Â° F., whilst July, the coldest month, has a mean minimum of 36Â° F. A marked feature of the climate is the great daily range (nearly 30Â°) in temperature; the Karroo towns are also subject to violent dust storms. Game, formerly plentiful, has been, with the exception of buck, almost exterminated. In a looser sense the term Karroo is also used of the vast northern plains of the Cape which are part of the inner table-land of the continent. (See CAPE COLONY.) - Please bookmark this page (add it to your favorites). - If you wish to link to this page, you can do so by referring to the URL address below this line.

Copyright © 1995-2011 ITA all rights reserved. Encyclopedia Alphabetically Karroo Encyclopedia > Places > Africa > African Physical Geography Karroo Karroo or Karoo (both: kərōˈ, kä–) [ key ], the semiarid plateaus of South Africa. The Little Karroo, in Western Cape, is located N of the Langeberg and Outeniqua Ranges and extends c.200 mi (320 km) from east to west at an altitude of 1,000 to 2,000 ft (305–610 m). It is separated from the Great Karroo, in Western Cape and Eastern Cape (c.300 mi/480 km long; alt. 2,000–3,000 ft/610–915 m), by the Swartberg Mts. The Northern Karroo, in Northern Cape, North West and Free State, forms (with the highveld, see veld ) the innermost and highest of South Africa's plateau regions.

It extends north from the Great Karroo, bounded by Namaqualand on the west and the Komsberg and Roggeveld escarpments on the southwest, and merges with the highveld of Free State and Transvaal provinces. Up to 4,000 ft (1,219 m) high in Northern Cape province, it rises to c.6,000 ft (1,829 m) in the highveld of Transvaal. It forms the lower western half of the central escarpment. The Karroo, where irrigated, is very fertile. Livestock grazing is important there, and citrus fruits and grains are raised. The name is also applied to the low scrub vegetation found in semiarid regions and also to a system of rocks laid down over central and southern Africa during the late Paleozoic and early Mesozoic eras. The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2012, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

1911 Encyclopædia Britannica/Karroo - Wikisource, the free online library 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica/Karroo 2029103 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica , Volume 15 — Karroo KARROO, two extensive plateaus in the Cape province, South Africa, known respectively as the Great and Little Karroo. Karroo is a corruption of Karusa, a Hottentot word meaning dry, barren, and its use as a place-name indicates the character of the plateaus so designated. They form the two intermediate “steps” between the coast-lands and the inner plateau which constitutes the largest part of South Africa. The Little (also called Southern) Karroo is the table-land nearest the southern coast-line of the Cape, and is bounded north by the Zwaarteberg, which separates it from the Great Karroo. From west to east the Little Karroo has a length of some 200 m., whilst its average width is 30 m. West of the Zwaarteberg the Little Karroo merges into the Great Karroo.

Eastward it is limited by the hills which almost reach the sea in the direction of St Francis and Algoa Bays. The Great Karroo is of much larger extent. Bounded south, as stated, by the Zwaarteberg, further east by the Zuurberg (of the coast chain), its northern limit is the mountain range which, under various names, such as Nieuwveld and Sneeuwberg, forms the wall of the inner plateau. To the south-west and west it is bounded by the Hex River Mountains and the Cold Bokkeveld, eastward by the Great Fish River. West to east it extends fully 350 m. in a straight line, varying in breadth from more than 80 to less than 40 m. Whilst the Little Karroo is divided by a chain of hills which run across it from east to west, and varies in altitude from 1000 to 2000 ft., the Great Karroo has more the aspect of a vast plain and has a level of from 2000 to 3000 ft.

The total area of the Karroo plateaus is stated to be over 100,000 sq. m. The plains are dotted with low ranges of kopjes. The chief characteristics of the Karroo are the absence of running water during a great part of the year and the consequent parched aspect of the country. There is little vegetation save stunted shrubs, such as the mimosa (which generally marks the river beds), wild pomegranate, and wax heaths, known collectively as Karroo bush. After the early rains the bush bursts into gorgeous purple and yellow blossoms and vivid greens, affording striking evidence of the fertility of the soil. Such parts of the Karroo as are under perennial irrigation are among the most productive lands in South Africa. Even the parched bush provides sufficient nourishment for millions of sheep and goats. There are also numerous ostrich farms, in particular in the districts of Oudtshoorn and Ladismith in the Little Karroo, where lucerne grows with extraordinary luxuriance. The Karroo is admirably adapted to sufferers from pulmonary complaints.

The dryness of the air tempers the heat of summer, which reaches in January a mean maximum of 87° F., whilst July, the coldest month, has a mean minimum of 36° F. A marked feature of the climate is the great daily range (nearly 30°) in temperature; the Karroo towns are also subject to violent dust storms. Game, formerly plentiful, has been, with the exception of buck, almost exterminated. In a looser sense the term Karroo is also used of the vast northern plains of the Cape which are part of the inner table-land of the continent. (See Cape Colony .) South Africa South Africa Official name: Republic of South Africa Area: 1,219,912 square kilometers (471,011 square miles) Highest point on mainland: Njesuthi Mountain (3,408 meters/11,181 feet) Lowest point on land: Sea level Hemispheres: Southern and Eastern P.M.

= noon GMT Longest distances: 1,821 kilometers (1,132 miles) from northeast to southwest; 1,066 kilometers (662 miles) from southeast to northwest Land boundaries: 4,750 kilometers (2,952 miles) total boundary length; Botswana 1,840 kilometers (1,143 miles); Lesotho 909 kilometers (565 miles); Mozambique 491 kilometers (305 miles); Namibia 855 kilometers (531 miles); Swaziland 430 kilometers (267 miles); Zimbabwe 225 kilometers (140 miles) Coastline: 2,798 kilometers (1,739 miles) Territorial sea limits: 22 kilometers (12 nautical miles) 1 LOCATION AND SIZE South Africa is located at the southern tip of the African continent. It covers 1,219,912 square kilometers (471,011 square miles), or nearly twice as much area as the state of Texas. 2 TERRITORIES AND DEPENDENCIES South Africa has no territories or dependencies.

3 CLIMATE The climate of South Africa ranges from Mediterranean-like in the southwest to temperate in the interior plateau, to subtropical in the northeast. Snow is rare, although winter frosts do occur in the higher areas of the plateau. Average January temperatures in Durban fall between 21°C and 27°C (69°F and 81°F); in Johannesburg, between 14°C and 26°C (58°F and 78°F); and in Cape Town, they range from 16°C to 26°C (60°F to 78°F). Winter temperature ranges follow the same regional pattern. The average July temperature range is 11°C to 22°C (52°F to 72°F) in Durban, 4°C to 17°C (39°F to 63°F) in Johannesburg, and 7°C to 17°C (45°F to 63°F) in Cape Town. Nearly all of South Africa enjoys a mild, temperate climate.

Except for the extreme southwest, most of the country is under the influence of the easterly trade winds that originate over the Indian Ocean, bringing about 89 centimeters (35 inches) of yearly precipitation to the Eastern Lowveld and the Eastern Uplands as far west as the Drakensberg. The Highveld receives from 38 to 76 centimeters (15 to 30 inches) of precipitation each year. On the western coast, annual rainfall is often as low as 5 centimeters (2 inches). The rainfall deposited by the trade winds occurs mainly between October and April. In the drier regions of the plateau, the amount of rainfall and the beginning of the rainy season vary greatly from year to year. The extreme southwest receives about 56 centimeters (22 inches) of rainfall annually, most of it between June and September. 4 TOPOGRAPHIC REGIONS South Africa's general topography consists of a broad central plateau edged by a prominent escarpment overlooking slopes that descend to the eastern, southern, and western coasts. The mountainous edges of the plateau extend in a sweeping arc from the country's northeastern tip to its southwestern extremity.

Collectively, these edges are known as the Great Escarpment. Inland from the crest of the Great Escarpment the country consists generally of rolling plains that gradually descend to an altitude of about 900 meters (2,952 feet) in the center. 5 OCEANS AND SEAS The Indian Ocean borders South Africa on the east; the Atlantic Ocean borders it on the west; and both the Indian and Atlantic Oceans border it on the south. Off South Africa's eastern coast, the Indian Ocean ranges from 20°C to 25°C (68°F to 77°F); off the western coast, the Atlantic Ocean ranges from 9°C to 14°C (48°F to 57°F). Off the southern shore, the combined seas range from 16°C to 21°C (61°F to 70°F). Seacoast and Undersea Features There are coral reefs off the eastern coast surrounding Sodwana Bay that attract divers from all over the world. Off the southern coast, the continental shelf extends to form the large triangular Agulhas Bank, while on the western coast it forms the Benguella Upwelling.

Islands and Archipelagos With an area of 310 square kilometers (120 square miles), South Africa's most important islands are the Prince Edward Islands southeast of Cape Town. There are also a number of small islands off the southwestern coast, including Dassen Island, the Bird Islands, and Robben Island. Coastal Features South Africa has a rugged coastline with rocky shores and few sheltered bays or harbors; however, there are sandy beaches in some places, usually backed by low sand dunes. Most of the country's western coastline is smooth. At St. Helena Bay in the southwest, it begins to become jagged, indenting at Saldanha Bay and jutting out at the Cape of Good Hope peninsula, on which Cape Town is located. Other prominent coastal features include Vals Bay and Cape Agulhas, the southernmost point in Africa. The southern coast forms several indentations, including Algoa Bay and Mossel Bay. From here, the shoreline becomes smooth again as it heads due northeast, with no other notable features except the St. Lucia estuary and Sodwana Bay in the northeast.

6 INLAND LAKES The largest lake in South Africa is Saint Lucia, a saltwater lagoon located on the northeastern coast of the country near Sodwana Bay and separated from the Indian Ocean by a narrow 11.3-kilometer- (7-mile-) long channel. Its surface area varies from about 298 square kilometers (115 square miles) in the dry season to 350 square kilometers (135 square miles) during the wet season, and its depth ranges from 0.9 to 2.4 meters (3 to 8 feet). The lake is the only place on Earth where hippopotamuses, sharks, and crocodiles share the same waters. 7 RIVERS AND WATERFALLS The chief rivers of South Africa are the Orange, the Vaal, and the Limpopo. The Orange River is the longest river in the country. It originates in Lesotho, flows in a northwestern direction, and empties into the Atlantic Ocean after a course of some 2,100 kilometers (1,300 miles). The westernmost section of the Orange River forms the boundary between South Africa and Namibia.

The Vaal River originates in the northeastern section of the country, near Swaziland. It flows in a southwestern direction to a point in the central portion of the country, where it joins the Orange River. The Limpopo River originates in the northeastern region, flows northwest to the Botswana border, and then travels east along the borders of Botswana and Zimbabwe before entering Mozambique and continuing to the Indian Ocean. In general, the rivers of the country are irregular in flow rate. Many are dry during much of the year. 8 DESERTS Part of the Kalahari Desert extends southward from Botswana and Namibia into western South Africa. It is generally covered with red soil and low-growing grasses and brush, except in the east, where large patches of sand are found. 9 FLAT AND ROLLING TERRAIN The coastal belt of the west and south ranges in elevation from 150 to 180 meters (500 to 600 feet) and is very fertile. There is very little coastal plain in the east and southeast, where the Great Escarpment borders the central plateau, reaching almost to the sea.

The Highveld, the largest and highest part of South Africa's central plateau, is characterized by level or gently undulating terrain. 10 MOUNTAINS AND VOLCANOES The Groote-Swartberge lies between the Great Karroo Range and the Little Karroo Range in the southern part of the country. Between the latter area and the coastal plain is another mountain range, the Langeberg. On the southern coast, just south of Cape Town, an isolated peak, Table Mountain, rises to about 1,086 meters (3,563 feet). On the southwestern coast, the edge of the plateau is marked by the Roggeveld Mountains, a range of folded mountains that descends abruptly to the coastal plain. 11 CANYONS AND CAVES The twenty-million-year-old Cango Caves, located near Oudtshoorn in the Groote-Swartberge Mountains, is the longest underground cave system in the world. These caverns also have some of the world's largest stalagmite formations. Their underground area covers more than 5 kilometers (3 miles) of widely branching caverns, interconnected tunnels, and deep pits, complete with magnificent limestone formations and colorfully illuminated sandstone formations.

DID YOU KNOW? Robben Island is the site of South Africa's maximum-security prison, where former president and anti-apartheid leader Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for twenty-seven years. 12 PLATEAUS AND MONOLITHS The topography of South Africa consists primarily of a great plateau that occupies about two-thirds of the country. The plateau reaches its greatest heights along the southeastern edge, which is marked by the Drakensberg Mountains, part of the Great Escarpment, which separates the plateau from the coastal areas. The escarpment includes Njesuthi Mountain, which at 3,408 meters (11,181 feet) is the highest point in the country. Three regions may be distinguished within the plateau: the Highveld, the Bushveld, and the Middle Veld. In the center is the Highveld, which covers most of the plateau. It ranges in elevation from about 1,200 to 1,800 meters (4,000 to 6,000 feet). A rock ridge called the Witwatersrand marks the northern limit of the Highveld; this region includes the city of Johannesburg.

North of the Witwatersrand is the Bushveld, or Transvaal Basin. This section, much of which is broken into basins by rock ridges, slopes downward from east to west toward the Limpopo River. The Bushveld averages less than 1,200 meters (4,000 feet) in height. The western section of the plateau, known as the Middle Veld (or Kaap Plateau), also slopes downward in a westerly direction, at elevations of between 600 and 1,200 meters (2,000 and 4,000 feet). Between the edge of the plateau and the eastern and southern coastline, the land descends seaward in a series of abrupt grades, or steps. Along the eastern coast there are two steps. The interior step is a belt of hilly country called the Eastern Uplands. The exterior step is a low-lying plain called the Eastern Lowveld.

In the south, three other steps, proceeding from the interior to the coast, consist of a plateau called the Great Karroo, or Central Karroo; a lower plateau called the Little Karroo, or Southern Karroo; and a low-lying plain. 13 MAN-MADE FEATURES The Gariep Dam on the Orange River in Free State is the largest dam in South Africa. Designed for hydroelectric power generation and irrigation, it is 88 meters (289 feet) high and 914 meters (2,999 feet) long. A related feature is the Orange Fish Tunnel, the world's second-longest water supply tunnel, with a length of 82 kilometers (51 miles). Water from the Gariep Dam travels through the tunnel to the Great Fish River and the Sundays River. 14 FURTHER READING Books Cohen, Robin, et al. African Islands and Enclaves. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage Publications, 1983. Lamar, Howard, and Leonard Thompson, eds. The Frontier in History: North America and Southern Africa Compared. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1981.

Mandela, Nelson. The Struggle Is My Life. New York: Pathfinder, 1986. Web Sites The Great African Plateau (B) AFRICA - GEOGRAPHY (cont'd) (b) The Great African Plateau To the south and east of the region just described Africa may be considered as one connected mass of elevated land, comprising the most extensive table-lands, as well as high mountain groups and chains. The Eastern Edge of the Great African Plateau The great mass of the African plateau land is to southward of the 10th parallel of N. latitude, but it is prolonged on the eastern side almost to the north coast of the continent by the wedge-shaped table-land of Abyssinia, the highest surface in Africa, and by the mountains which extend from it between the lower course of the Nile and the Red Sea. The terminal point of the high land in this direction may be said to be Jebel attaka, which rises immediately west of Suez to a height of 2640 feet. From this point to the southern extremity of the continent the eastern, and generally higher edge, of the great plateau runs in an almost unbroken line.

Passing southwards along its margin, the most prominent heights before the table-land of Abyssinia is reached are Mounts Elba, 6900, and Soturba, 6000 feet in elevation, near the middle of the African coast of the red Sea. There may, however, be greater heights in the little known region of Nubia, which lies between these mountains and the Nile. The eastern slope of the Abyssinian plateau begins immediately south of the port of Massowah, and is a uniform line of steep descent, unbroken by any river, falling abruptly from an average height of 7000 feet to the depressed plain which here skirts the coast of the Red Sea. This edge, which extends southward for at least 800 miles, forms the water-parting of the rivers which have furrowed deeply into the opposite slopes of the plateau, and appears to be higher than the general surface of the country; yet several lofty groups of mountains rising from the level of the high land attain a much greater elevation, and Mount Abba Jared, the highest known point, is estimated at 15,000 feet above the sea.

Between the most southern part of Abyssinia which is known and the equator, where the edge of the plateau has again been partly explored, a long space of unknown country intervenes; but there is every reason to believe that the slope is continuous. Mount Kenia, 18,000 feet, and Kilima-njaro, 18715 feet, the highest points in all Africa, mark the eastern edge under the equator; further south on the inland route from Zanzibar to the Tanganyika, the edge is known as the Rubeho Mountains, with a height of 5700 feet at the pass by which they are crossed on the caravan route. Still further, the edge is again known where it forms a rampart, called the Njesa, walling in the Nyassa Lake. From this point Mount Zomba, 7000 feet high, near Lake Shirwa, Mount Milanje, 8000 feet, and Mount Clarendon, 6000 feet, carry it south to where the Zambeze river makes the first break in its uniform line.

The narrows and rapids of Lupata, below the town of Tete, mark the point at which the river breaks through the plateau land to the coast slope beneath it. Passing the river, the eastern edge is again followed in the Mashona and matoppo Mountains (7200 feet) of Mosilikatse's kingdom, from which heights the chief tributaries of the Limpopo river flow. At the headwaters of that river the plateau edge forms the Hooge Veldt of the Transvaal Republic which joins with the Kathlamba or Drakenberg. The portion of the edge which bears this name is specially prominent: it runs southward in a huge wall of rocky crags which support the table-land behind for 500 miles, almost parallel with the coast, and at a distance of 150 miles from it, having Zulu Land, Natal, and Caffraria on the slopes of the spurs which it throws down to the coast.

In the Transvaal republic, where the Drakenberg joins the Hooge Veldt, the edge attains a height of 8725 feet in the summit named after the explorer Mauch, but it is highest where it forms the interior limit of Natal, and where Cathkin Peak rises to 10,357 feet above the sea. The Southern Edge of the Great African Plateau As in Abyssinia, so here, this part of the eastern plateau edge is the great water-parting of the continent, and the streams which form the Orange river flow down its inward slope. There is no break in the continuance of the edge where it passes round from the Drakenberg to form the inmost and highest of the alternate ridges and terraces of the Cape Colony. It is now named in successive parts from east to west the Storm Berge, the Zuur Berg, Schnee Berge, Nieuwe-veld, and Rogge-veld, the last-named portion of the edge turning northward with the bend of the western coast. Its greatest height within the Cape Colony is in compass Berg, the summit of the Schnee Berge, 8500 feet above the sea.

The outer terraces of the Cape Colony, in which two chief ridges may be traced, lie closer together, and much nearer the coast; between these and the inmost or chief edge is the dry elevated region known as the Great Karroo. Their elevation is also very considerable, though they are broken through by lies of drainage sloping from the chief edge; the part of the middle ridge, which is named the Little Zwarte Berge, attains 7628 feet, and several points in both are upwards of 6000 feet above the sea. Table Mountain, a well-known and flat-topped mass of granite overhanging Cape Town, 3550 feet high, is the nucleus of the peninsula which extends south to form the cape of Good Hope, but is altogether separated from the mountain ridges of the colony. The Western Edge of the Great African Plateau The western edge of the great African plateau is generally lower than the eastern, since the whole slope of the continent is more or less from the great heights on its eastern side, towards the west, but it is also clearly traceable, and of great height throughout.

Rounding the western side of the Cape colony, the three ridges above noticed run together, and decrease somewhat in elevation as the mouth of the Orange river is approached. Their elevation at the point of union in Little Namaqua Land is still very considerable; and here Mount Welcome attains 5130 feet, and Vogelklip, to north of it 4343 feet above the sea, beyond the Orange river in Namaqua and Damara Lands, the western edge continues in one or more terraces parallel to the coast. Mount Omatako, in the latter country, rises to 8800 feet. Northward, through Benguela and Angola, a more broken series of ridges and terraces mark the descent from the interior plateau, and the great Congo river breaks through to the coast-land at the place where it forms the cataracts of the narrow gorge of Yellala. Sierra Complida is the name given by the Portuguese to that part of the western edge which runs between the Congo and the rapids of the lower Ogowai river on the equator.

On the plateau edge at the southern side of this river, Du Chaillu has made known a mountain of 12,000 feet in elevation; and the furthest point which has been reached on the Ogowai was in the vicinity of high mountains. Passing the Oggowai, and following the coast of the Bight of Biafra, the edge is now known as the Sierra do Crystal. The Camaroon mountains, at the head of the gulf, form a high peninsula of volcanic mountains, rising to 13,700 feet; but are isolated from the plateau lands, and belong rather to the remarkable line of volcanic heights which shows itself in the islands of Fernando Po, Prince's Island, St Thomas, and Annobon, stretching away into the ocean in the direction of St Helena. From the Sierra do Crystal the plateau edge inclines towards the lower course of the river Niger to a point above its delta, and below the confluence of the Benue, and turns abruptly to the east.

The heights which skirt the northern coast-land of the Gulf of Guinea, and which stretch as far as the head-waters of the Senegal and Gambia, and in inner slope of which the Niger also has its sources, may be considered as an extension from the great plateau. But they are of smaller general elevation; and that best known part of the ridge, which has the name of the Kong Mountains, is apparently not higher than from 2000 to 3000 feet. The Northern Edge of the Great African Plateau The northern edge of the great African plateau is almost unknown; but there are evidences that it runs eastward between the 4th and 8th parallels of N. latitude, to a point at which it is well known, and where the Nile falls over its slope, forming the succession of rapids above Gondokoro. The character of the upper Benue river is that of a mountain-born river; and Mounts Alantika, 10,000 feet high, and Mindif, 6000 feet, which rise to southward of Lake Chad, seem to be the outliers of the plateau edge in which the Benue has its sources.

Beyond the Nile the margin of the plateau curves northward, to form the inner slope of the Abyssinian table-land. Heights in the Interior of the Great African Plateau The general elevation of the surface of the great African plateau, the limits of which have now been traced, may be taken at from 3000 to 4000 feet above the sea; but its surface presents very great undulations, from the depressions which are occupied by some of the great lakes, to the high mountains which rise above its average level. The most prominent of these interior masses yet known are the Blue Mountains, discovered by Baker, rising from the western shore o the Albert Lake to a height of perhaps 10,000 feet, and which are believed to extend southward to unite with the Balegga Mountains, made known by Livingstone in his journey of 1871, north-west of Lake Tanganyika; these again are believed to join with the mountains which rise midway between the Victoria, the Albert Nyanza, and the Tanganyika, dividing the drainage to these vast lakes, and rising here in Mount M'fumbiro to upwards of 10,000 feet.

Another great central line of heights which also had an important part in directing the water-shed to the interior of South Africa, runs from the north of the Nyassa Lake, where it is named the Lobisa plateau, through the Muchinga Mountains, which separate the drainage of the Lualaba and its lakes from that of the Zambeza basin, westward to the heights in the far interior of Angolo, known as the Mossamba Mountains, and from which rivers flow in all directions. The Plateau of Barbary The plateau of Barbary, in the north of the continent, beyond the lower land of the Sahara, is a distinct and separate high land, stretching from Cape Bon, on the Mediterranean coast opposite Sicily, in a south-westerly direction to the Atlantic coast, through Tunis, Algeria, and Marocco. The eastern portion of it in Algeria and Tunis rises in a broad plateau from 2000 to 3000 feet in general height, with outer heights, enclosing an elevated steppe, at a distance of about 100 miles apart.

On the west, where it enters Marocco, these outer ridges draw together and form the high ranges of the Atlas Mountains, rising to a much greater elevation, and attaining 11,400 feet in the summit named Mount Miltsin. Read the rest of this article: Karoo | region, South Africa | Britannica.com region, South Africa Levant Karoo, also spelled Karroo , arid to semiarid geographic region of Eastern Cape , Western Cape , and Northern Cape provinces, South Africa . The Karoo is best defined by its vegetation, which consists of assorted succulents and low scrub bushes spaced from one foot to several feet apart. The area is devoid of surface water, and its name is derived from the Khoisan word meaning “land of thirst.” Its subregions include the intermontane vales of Little Karoo and Great Karoo in the lesser-elevated areas of Western Cape and Eastern Cape provinces and the main Karoo (or Upper Karoo) spanning the vast highland plateau of Northern Cape province to the north and east of the Great Escarpment .

Altogether the Karoo occupies about 153,000 square miles (395,000 square km), about one-third of the total area of South Africa. Tree aloes and other succulents growing in the Karoo-Namib shrubland in Namaqualand, S.Af. Carol Hughes/Bruce Coleman Ltd. Different varieties of sheep raised for mutton, wool, or pelts commonly graze the Karoo, and citrus crops, in particular, are cultivated within the region’s irrigated schemes. Learn More in these related articles: Eastern Cape province, south-central South Africa. It is bordered by Western Cape province to the west, Northern Cape province to the northwest, Free State province and Lesotho to the north, KwaZulu-Natal province to the northeast, and the Indian Ocean to the southeast and south. The eastern portion of the... Western Cape province, South Africa, situated in the southern extremity of the African continent. The provincial capital, Cape Town, is also the country’s legislative capital. Western Cape province was part of former Cape of Good Hope province until 1994. Coastline fronting the Atlantic and Indian oceans...

Northern Cape province, western South Africa. It is bordered to the north by Namibia and Botswana; to the east by North West, Free State, and Eastern Cape provinces; to the south and southwest by Western Cape province; and to the west by the Atlantic Ocean. Northern Cape was administratively created out of... 1 Reference found in Britannica Articles Assorted Reference Karoo - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up) A large semidesert plateau in central South Africa is known as the Karoo. The Karoo covers about 153,000 square miles (395,000 square kilometers), or about a third of the area of South Africa. The name Karoo may have come from an ancient Khoekhoe word that means "harsh land of thirst." Article History Corrections? Updates? Help us improve this article! Contact our editors with your feedback. MEDIA FOR: You have successfully emailed this. Error when sending the email. Try again later. Edit Mode Submit Tips For Editing We welcome suggested improvements to any of our articles. You can make it easier for us to review and, hopefully, publish your contribution by keeping a few points in mind.

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Close Date Published: June 13, 2007 URL: Access Date: January 15, 2017 Share Karroo - The Full Wiki The Full Wiki Karroo: Wikis Advertisements Note: Many of our articles have direct quotes from sources you can cite, within the Wikipedia article! This article doesn't yet, but we're working on it! See more info or our list of citable articles . (Redirected to Karoo article) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Map of the two Karoo ecoregions as delineated by the WWF . Satellite image from NASA . The yellow line encloses the two ecoregions. The green line separates the Succulent Karoo , to the west, from the Nama Karoo, to the east. National boundaries are shown in black. Note that the ecoregions given the name "Karoo" do not coincide exactly with the geographical boundaries of what is traditionally recognized as The Karoo sensu stricto. For example, nobody in southern Africa would hold that 'The Karoo' proper extends into Namibia. This article is about the Great Karoo. For Karoo, the British ISP, see Karoo (company) .

For the glaciation, see Karoo Ice Age The Karoo (a Khoisan word of uncertain etymology [1] ) is a semi- desert region of South Africa . It has two main sub-regions - the Great Karoo in the north and the Little Karoo in the south. The 'High' Karoo is one of the distinct physiographic provinces of the larger South African Platform division. Contents 6 External links Great Karoo The Great Karoo has an area of more than 400,000 square kilometers. From a geological point of view it has been a vast inland basin for most of the past 250 million years. At one stage the area was glaciated and the evidence for this is found in the widely-distributed Dwyka tillite. Later, at various times, there were great inland deltas, seas, lakes or swamps. Enormous deposits of coal formed and these are one of the pillars of the economy of South Africa today. Volcanic activity took place on a titanic scale. Despite this baptism of fire, ancient reptiles and amphibians prospered in the wet forests and their remains have made the Karoo famous amongst palaeontologists.

Western people first settled in the Cape in 1652 but made almost no inroads into the Karoo prior to about 1800. Before that time, large herds of antelope , zebra and other large game roamed the grassy flats of the region. The Khoi and Bushmen , last of the southern African Stone Age peoples, wandered far and wide. There were no Europeans and no Africans of Bantu extraction. (The area was never wet enough for cattle and this is probably the main reason why it was never occupied by the Bantu). The two ethnic groups mentioned above differed substantially in their cultures and lifestyles; the Hottentots were described as graziers of sheep and cattle , while the Bushmen were hunter-gatherers . (These were the original names given to these tribes by the Dutch. The terms may not be regarded as politically correct today). With the occupation of the region by European settlers, sheep gradually replaced the game and the cover of grass degenerated, owing to changes in the pattern of grazing and in the climate. Starting in the middle years of the 19th century, a railway track was extended into the Karoo from Worcester in the south.

This eventually extended its tendrils to Bechuanaland, South West Africa, Johannesburg, Rhodesia and far beyond. The impact of this railroad on the history of southern Africa is difficult to exaggerate. During the Second Anglo-Boer War of 1899-1902, three Republican Commandos, reinforced by the rebels from the Cape Colony , conducted widespread operations throughout the Karoo. Countless skirmishes took place in the region, with the Calvinia magisterial district, in particular, contributing a significant number of fighters to the Republican cause. Fought both conventionally and as a guerrilla struggle over the Karoo's vast expanses, it was a bloody war of attrition wherein both sides used newly developed technologies to their advantage. Numerous abandoned blockhouses can still be seen at strategic locations throughout the Great Karoo; a prime example is located next to the Geelbeks River, 12 kilometres outside the town of Laingsburg . Currently sheep farming is still the economic backbone of the Karoo, with other forms of agriculture established in areas where irrigation is possible. Lately game farms and tourism have also started to make an economic impact.

Karoo Gallery Karoo in spring near Laingsburg Karoo in spring near Laingsburg Karoo in spring near Laingsburg Karoo in spring near Laingsburg Karoo in spring near Willowmore Karoo in spring near Willowmore A Karoo landscape An abandoned car in the Karoo Karoo snow above Hex River Pass on the N1 highway Little Karoo As the name implies, the Little Karoo is the smaller (and more southerly) of the two Karoo sub-regions. Locally it is usually called the Klein Karoo, which is Afrikaans for Little Karoo. Geographically it is a fertile valley (bounded on the north by the Swartberg , and on the south by the Langeberg and Outeniqua mountains). Although the boundaries of the region are not strictly defined, most people consider the western limit of the Little Karoo to be in the region of Barrydale and the eastern extremity around Uniondale. The main town of the region is Oudtshoorn . Other towns/settlements in the region include Ladismith , Calitzdorp , De Rust ,and well-known mission stations such as Zoar, Amalienstein, Barrydale and Dysselsdorp.

This area was first explored by European settlers in the late 17th century, who encountered only Khoisan people living in this rather dry area. Modern farming methods have brought productivity and wealth to this district. Karoo in literature The great English poet Thomas Hardy wrote in his poem The Dead Drummer: [2] Young Hodge the Drummer never knew - Fresh from his Wessex home - The meaning of the broad Karoo, The Bush, the dusty loam, And why uprose to nightly view Strange stars amid the gloam. See also Cartography · Geographic Information Systems (GIS) · Geostatistics · Global Positioning System (GPS) · Remote sensing · Spatial analysis · Qualitative research Societies Up to date as of January 14, 2010 From LoveToKnow 1911 KARROO, two extensive plateaus in the Cape province, South Africa , known respectively as the Great and Little Karroo. Karroo is a corruption of Karusa, a Hottentot word meaning dry, barren, and its use as a place-name indicates the character of the plateaus so designated.

They form the two intermediate "steps" between the coast-lands and the inner plateau which constitutes the largest part of South Africa . The Little (also called Southern) Karroo is the table-land nearest the southern coast-line of the Cape, and is bounded north by the Zwaarteberg, which separates it from the Great Karroo. From west to east the Little Karroo has a length of some 200 m., whilst its average width is 30 m. West of the Zwaarteberg the Little Karroo merges into the Great Karroo. Eastward it is limited by the hills which almost reach the sea in the direction of St Francis and Algoa Bays. The Great Karroo is of much larger extent. Bounded south, as stated, by the Zwaarteberg, further east by the Zuurberg (of the coast chain), its northern limit is the mountain range which, under various names, such as Nieuwveld and Sneeuwberg, forms the wall of the inner plateau. To the south-west and west it is bounded by the Hex River Moun tains and the Cold Bokkeveld, eastward by the Great Fish River.

West to east it extends fully 350 m. in a straight line, varying in breadth from more than 80 to less than 40 m. Whilst the Little Karroo is divided by a chain of hills which run across it from east to west, and varies in altitude from 1000 to 2000 ft., the Great Karroo has more the aspect of a vast plain and has a level of from 2000 to 3000 ft. The total area of the Karroo plateaus is stated to be over ioo,000 sq. m. The plains are dotted with low ranges of kopjes. The chief characteristics of the Karroo are the absence of running water during a great part of the year and the consequent parched aspect of the country. There is little vegetation save stunted shrubs, such as the mimosa (which generally marks the river beds), wild pomegranate , and wax heaths, known collectively as Karroo bush . After the early rains the bush bursts into gorgeous purple and yellow blossoms and vivid greens, affording striking evidence of the fertility of the soil.

Such parts of the Karroo as are under perennial irrigation are among the most productive lands in South Africa. Even the parched bush provides sufficient nourishment for millions of sheep and goats. There are also numerous ostrich farms, in particular in the districts of Oudtshoorn and Ladismith in the Little Karroo, where lucerne grows with extraordinary luxuriance. The Karroo is admirably adapted to sufferers from pulmonary complaints. The dryness of the air tempers the heat of summer, which reaches in January a mean maximum of 87° F., whilst July, the coldest month, has a mean minimum of 36° F. A marked feature of the climate is the great daily range (nearly 30°) in temperature; the Karroo towns are also subject to violent dust storms. Game, formerly plentiful, has been, with the exception of buck , almost exterminated. In a looser sense the term Karroo is also used of the vast northern plains of the Cape which are part of the inner table-land of the continent.

(See CAPE COLONY .) African Geography – Plateau Region AFRICAN GEOGRAPHY – PLATEAU REGION Next A plateau is a section of land that is relatively flat, due to various reasons. Some plateaus have been formed by erosion and others by volcanic activity. In ancient Africa, these areas would, for the most part, have been ideal settling options for colonialists as well as the native hunter-gatherers as they would present few challenges in the way of travelling across them or establishing homes and farms. Mountainous regions or those pitted with deep valleys, on the other hand, present many more challenges. Africa boasts many such plateaus, making it one of the most ideal lands to travel and cultivate. Even in the times of earliest human civilisations, it is believed to have been the Cradle of Humankind, albeit in different areas of the continent. These plateaus would have provided ample room for the establishment of villages, the farming of plants and animals as well as the moving around of the more nomadic of ancient Africans. Africa has high plateaus in the east and south. These are elevated approximately 3 300 feet above sea level, and have a minimum elevation of 2000 feet.

The whole of the country of South Africa is a plateau, with high ground on all but its northern border. This high land drops steeply towards the coast. It was these mountainous areas with which the first settlers had to contend in order to colonise a land that was so familiar to the local inhabitants. These mountains and the caves they house are also the sites of many of the rock paintings, tools and implements once used by prehistoric man. As the South African plateau heads south, three parallel steps form the rim, each separated by a strip of level ground between them. The Great Karoo makes up the largest of these gaps between steps. The Karoo and the Kalahari Desert (perched on the plateau) are dry and arid. The East African plateau is higher than that of South Africa. The eastern axis has widened and split into several zones that run in northerly and southerly directions. This split has meant mountains ranges, flat land and deep depressions in this region. There are two significant depressions in the earth’s surface and these have become the sites of huge lakes. Where they converge, Lake Nyasa lies.

In the north, the depressions in the plateaus have formed the Great Rift Valley and its many impressive lakes (Great Lakes of Tanganyika, Kivu, Lake Edward and Lake Albert). This plateau is also peppered with volcanic peaks. The East African Trough contains far fewer depressions and, therefore, lakes. These sources of water would have sustained ancient man and their crops and animals. To the east, Mount Kilimanjaro towers over the plateau. This mountain peaks at almost 20 000 feet, and has always proved to be one of man’s greatest challenges to conquer. In this region of Africa, there remain active volcanoes, some of which actually lie on the floor of valleys and depressions, rather than on the plateau itself. Simien Mountains National Park, Ethiopia Another significant plateau region is the Ethiopian Highlands. This is Africa’s largest continuous plateau. This may account for its popularity in times past, testified to by the abundance of remains and fossils found here. In the centre of this plateau is a round dent, where Lake Tsana resides. The African continent is flanked on both sides by plateaus that run in strips along the coastline.

In some places, these are higher and broader and in others narrow and low, but still part of the continuous plateau. Evidently, this aspect of Africa’s geography has impacted significantly on settlements and travel routes. They had an integral part to play in the movements and developments of ancient African civilisations and, therefore, are still a key part in the research being undertaken to establish certain parts of Africa as the Cradle of Mankind.

Question: In which country is the Plateau of the Great Karroo?
Answer: South Africa