Physical Geography of Southern Africa

Southern Africa consists of 14 countries, 10 of which are on the mainland. The other four are island countries. Imagine a line drawn roughly along the northern borders of Angola, Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique. Everything south of that line is part of Southern Africa. Extend the line out into the Indian Ocean, and it runs just above Comoros and Madagascar. Mauritius is east of Madagascar, while Seychelles is northeast of Madagascar.

If Angola, Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique form the “top row” of Southern Africa, then Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, and the southern half of Mozambique form the “second row.” At the southern tip of the continent is South Africa. The country of Lesotho (luh•SOO•too) lies entirely within South Africa. Swaziland is on the South Africa-Mozambique border.

The mainland of Southern Africa is surrounded on three sides by ocean. Most of the land sits at a high altitude, or height above sea level, of over 2,000 feet (610 m). Along the coasts of Angola, Namibia, and South Africa lies the coastal plain, a narrow strip of land that varies from a few miles wide to a few dozen miles wide. Looming up behind this coastal plain are high steep cliffs known as the Great Escarpment. These cliffs form an almost unbroken U-shape. They run from the west coast south to the Cape of Good Hope and then curve northeast to the South Africa-Mozambique border. The Drakensberg Range is part of the Great Escarpment. The range rises to more than 11,000 feet (3,353 m) and runs along the southern edge of South Africa. As the escarpment reaches Mozambique, it turns north to follow along Mozambique’s western border and on through Malawi. Because most of Mozambique lies outside of the Great Escarpment, its landscape is mainly made up of soft, rolling hills. Only in the northwestern interior of the country does the land rise above 600 feet (183 m).

The land inside the Great Escarpment is mostly hills and plateaus. A plateau, or “tableland,” is a stretch of flat land that is higher than its surroundings. The most striking part of the Southern African landscape is a plateau that is over a mile high. The Highveld, as it is called, sits more than 50 miles (80 km) from the coast. However, given its 6,000 foot (1,829 m) altitude, it is visible from a long distance.

The highest parts of Namibia and Angola are near the coast, along the Great Escarpment. Zimbabwe’s highest terrain is in the center of the country. Zambia’s high points are in the northeast, where they merge with Mozambique’s highlands along the Great Escarpment. In contrast, most of Botswana sits in a great basin. While still much higher than the coastal lands, it is lower than the surrounding landforms.

The landforms surrounding Botswana on the west into Namibia or northwest into Angola are once again hills and plateaus. This undulating terrain continues westward until it rises up over the Great Escarpment. It then drops down onto the narrow Atlantic coastal plain.

In a sense, the terrain of Madagascar is a smaller version of that on the mainland. The middle of the island, like the mainland, is a series of plateaus surrounded by an escarpment. Unlike the mainland, groups and masses of volcanoes are strewn among the Madagascar plateaus. Tsiafajavona, one of these volcanic peaks, is 8,671 feet (2,643 m) high.

In the north, the plateaus give way to volcanoes that slope down to the sea. The southern edges of the plateaus tower above the Indian Ocean. To the east and west are escarpments. The escarpments, some of which are impassable, separate the highlands from the lower areas on either side. The eastern part of the island is a narrow coastal strip, rather like the Atlantic coast of Southern Africa. The western side is more varied, with low plateaus and rolling hills.

The Okavango River runs southeast from central Angola to northern Botswana. It starts on a plateau, and for a while it flows along the border between Angola and Namibia. Then it turns south and heads into Botswana. Most rivers empty into a lake or ocean, but the Okavango ends inland. The river just spreads wider and wider until it forms an inland delta and swamps.

The Orange River flows nearly from one side of Southern Africa to the other. It starts in Lesotho, on the Highveld, just over 100 miles (161 km) from the coast. It flows west across South Africa, then forms part of the border between South Africa and Namibia before it empties into the Atlantic Ocean.

The Zambezi River comes into contact with several countries along its course to the sea. Starting in eastern Angola, it flows south through western Zambia. It forms the border between Zambia and the countries of Namibia, Botswana, and Zimbabwe. Along the southern stretch of the border with Zimbabwe, the river suddenly drops straight down, forming Victoria Falls. Once it has cleared the northern tip of Zimbabwe, the Zambezi heads east through Mozambique, where it flows near the southern tip of Malawi before emptying into the Indian Ocean.

The Limpopo River begins in northern South Africa and flows north for a distance before it turns eastward and forms the border between South Africa and Botswana and the border between South Africa and Zimbabwe. Then it flows across Mozambique to the ocean.

None of these rivers are navigable, except for short stretches across the coastal plain. They originate in highlands and as they flow through the steep terrain, rapids and waterfalls mark their courses. These conditions are not suitable for transportation, but they are useful for generating electricity. Two of the largest hydroelectric dams in Africa—the Kariba Dam and the Cahora Bassa Dam—are located on the Zambezi River.

Aquatic wildlife such as hippopotamuses and crocodiles thrive in and along these rivers. The northeastern part of the Okavango Delta is set aside as the Moremi Game Reserve. Hundreds of species including lions, cheetahs, hippopotamuses, buffalo, wild dogs, and many types of birds and fish live there. Two wildlife areas on either side of the Limpopo, in South Africa and in Mozambique, recently joined with each other and with several sanctuaries in Zimbabwe to form the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park. This extended preserve provides a safe haven for lions, leopards, hippopotamuses, elephants, giraffes, and many other species.

Southern Africa is large with many different landforms. The result is a great variety of climates. These different climates and landforms create a number of different biomes with distinct characteristics.

Climate Regions and Biomes 

The coastal areas of Southern Africa have marine climates, which means they are greatly affected by weather conditions and systems that blow in from the open ocean. The Cape of Good Hope and the area to its immediate northeast have a Mediterranean climate similar to that of Greece and Italy. It is not typical of Southern Africa, however. Moving up the eastern coast to Mozambique, the climate becomes tropical wet/dry. The winters are warm and the summer rainy season stretches from November through March. The western coast up through Namibia and Angola has an arid, or desert, climate.

The interior of the subregion is generally hot, although temperatures can dip below freezing in the higher elevations. The eastern areas experience a fair amount of precipitation, but toward the west the rainfall drops off. The deserts of Botswana and Namibia receive very little rain.

The climate of Madagascar is determined by its central plateau and the warm, wet winds off the open ocean. The eastern coast of the island has a tropical wet climate, while the interior plateau has a highland climate. The western side is in a rain shadow, and much of it is desert.

Given the number of different climates in the subregion, Southern Africa has many different biomes. Much of the coastal plain along the Atlantic coast is a desert biome. On the Indian Ocean side, grassland biomes give way to forest as one moves north. In the interior of the continent, on the highlands inside the Great Escarpment, the vast majority of the land falls into one of two types, savanna or desert.

The north and the east are covered with savanna—vast grasslands dotted with small stands of trees. Many of the most recognized African mammals, such as giraffes, zebra, and jackals, live on the savanna. This biome is also home to animals known as the Big Five: lions, leopards, elephants, Cape buffalo, and rhinoceroses. These animals became known as the Big Five because they were so dangerous and difficult to hunt. However, they are now the five species most tourists want to see while on safari.

The south and the west of the inland area are mostly desert biome. The Kalahari Desert occupies much of the Botswana basin. It stretches southwest to where Botswana meets Namibia and South Africa. Here, it blends into the Namib Desert. The Namib continues down to the coast, then runs north between the ocean and the Great Escarpment through all of Namibia and into southern Angola.

Most of the Namib Desert is quite arid. The southern parts are covered with seemingly endless sand dunes—brick red inland and yellow along the coast—some of which can be 800 feet (244 m) tall and 20 miles (32 km) long. Inland, bushes and tall grasses have adapted to grow in the sand dunes. Antelope and ostriches live here as well. Farther north in the interior desert, rivers can be found, and with them elephants, rhinoceroses, hyenas, and more.

The arm of the Namib Desert that runs along the coast is quite different. It is almost completely arid, with little or no plant life. Some reptiles and insects have adapted to this biome, but no larger animals live here. As in the interior portion, though, the most northern reaches have more water. Succulents grow here, and it is home to various marine birds, such as pelicans, flamingos, and even penguins.

In the southern part of the Kalahari, rain is scarce. Drought-tolerant grasses and scrub are all that can take root. Herds of antelope such as wildebeest and springbok roam the area. The central part of the Kalahari gets some rain, and shrubs can grow there. Acacia trees provide homes for birds, rodents, and insects. The northern Kalahari is hardly desertlike at all because of the rivers that flow through it. Many smaller animals, such as wild dogs, foxes, anteaters, and porcupines, live here. Plants such as pond lilies and reeds thrive here as well.

The most striking tree found in the northern Kalahari is the baobab. The baobab tree is often used as a symbol for all of Africa. Its thick trunk stretches high before splitting into a tangle of skinny branches, making the tree look as if it is upside-down with its roots in the air. Baobabs can live for hundreds of years and reach a diameter of 30 feet (9 m). The trunks can be hollowed out and used to collect rainwater or even as a shelter.

Natural Resources 

Southern Africa’s most important resource is its vast mineral wealth. Gold and copper are mined today, just as they were by ancient peoples. Coal, nickel, iron, cobalt, manganese, and uranium are found in abundance. Deposits of gemstones, especially diamonds, have drawn miners for several centuries. Additionally, Southern Africa’s mineral wealth made it attractive to countries for colonization.

Unfortunately, Southern Africa’s valuable resources are a source of controversy. In most cases, foreign companies own the mines that extract minerals and gemstones. They hire local workers and pay them very little money to work in dangerous conditions. The profits the foreign companies make are taken out of Southern Africa and do little to benefit the subregion. One major exception is found in Botswana. In 1978 the government formed a partnership with a multinational company called De Beers. The partnership, known as Debswana, mines and sells Botswana’s diamonds. The profits are split between the country and the company. This has given Botswana one of the healthiest, fastest-growing economies in all of Southern Africa.

The history of diamond mining can be seen in Kimberley, South Africa, at a site called the Big Hole. It was a hill until diamonds were discovered. From 1871 to 1914, 22.5 million tons (20.4 million t) of dirt and rock were removed, with picks and shovels. Today, the 700-foot-(213-m-) deep hole is a tourist destination.