home Audience 3 Cape Mountains: Wonders of South Africa. Cape Mountains on the map

Cape Mountains: Wonders of South Africa. Cape Mountains on the map

Africa is the oldest continent on our planet. No wonder it is called the cradle of civilization. The age of the continent reaches 270 million years. But, despite this, Africa has managed to maintain harmony and unity with nature to this day.

The oldest mountains on the continent are the Cape Mountains. Africa is even younger than them. After all, the mountains are 380 million years old! These mountain ranges were formed before the continent formed as we know it today.

Where are the Cape Mountains?

As mentioned above, this is the oldest mountain system on the continent and the largest. Finding the Cape Mountains on a map will not be difficult. It is worth turning your attention to the southern part of the African continent. These mountain ranges are considered territory and are located in the extreme south of the country.

The Cape Mountains occupy a vast area of the continent: from Olifantes to the African city of Port Elizabeth, capturing the Ethiopian Highlands.

The Cape mountain system includes such parallel ridges as Langeberg, Matrusberg, Piketberg, Swartberg and others.

Highest point

The highest mountain in the Cape is Kompassberg Peak. It reaches 2504 meters above sea level. Its discovery was made by Colonel Robert Jacob Gordon during his campaign, in which he accompanied the governor to the eastern borders of the Cape Colony. This mountain served as a kind of compass for the German colonel and his team and helped them not to get lost while traveling through the intricate mountain system. Hence the name - Kompassberg.

The second highest point in the Cape Mountains is the Matroosberg Range. Its height reaches 2249 meters. On the territory of this mountain range there are numerous green meadows and pastures for livestock. It has a temperate Mediterranean climate, which makes it easy to raise livestock.

Swartberg mountain range

This one also makes up the Cape Mountains. It runs along the border of the Western Cape Province in South Africa.

Swartberg is popularly called "Black Mountain". Since the area around the mountains is mostly wild and deserted. However, small settlements settled here too. Somewhere around 200 people, no more. The narrow valley “dead hell”, as the locals call it, is located in the very center of the mountains and is used for growing tobacco, grain, tea and even vegetables and fruits. Communication with the larger world is maintained by horses or cars. Swartberg is also famous for the similarly named pass and the spectacular Grete Karoo desert.

Flora and fauna of the mountains

The Cape Mountains have a very variable climate. Since they occupy a significant area of the continent, they are distinguished by a rather large variety of natural conditions. Some of the mountains are located near the ocean, some are on desert lands, and some are covered with green meadows. And the climate here is subtropical and tropical with dry summers and cold winters.

This unique climate is home to a wide variety of species and over seven thousand shrubs, heather and other ancient plant species grace the Cape Mountains. Beautiful flowers of a wide variety of shapes and types, colors and scents, as if specially created to seduce pollinators.

Rare breeds of sugar birds live here. They fly only in the Cape Mountains and nowhere else. The slopes are full of mice, which, attracted by the smell of flowers, also play the role of pollinators.

The most beautiful and “smartest” flower in the Cape Mountains is the Disa orchid. She is not only the most beautiful, but also very cunning. While a butterfly or bee drinks nectar from its buds, it “sticks” its pollen to the insect’s abdomen.

Rare animals that hide in the Cape Mountains - there are only 700 left in the world. So to meet them is great luck.

Problems of the mountains

The Cape Mountains are a unique combination of fertile soil, stable climate, rugged rock formations and isolated location. However, this beautiful place also has its problems. They begin with the end of spring. During this period, cold winds subside, the air in the mountains becomes extremely dry, creating excellent conditions for fires, which occur here quite often.

Fires are also not uncommon in summer. They start from rockfalls, from lightning strikes, and from specially caused arson.

It seems that the only misfortune from fires is that this destructive force destroys everything around. However, fires sometimes bring not only harm, but also benefit. Thanks to them, clearings are cleared, old unnecessary and rotten shoots of plants are destroyed, and the soil is filled with important minerals and nutrients necessary for the mountains.

In addition, intense heat and hot smoke also benefit plants growing in the mountains. For example, they promote the growth of orchids. During fires, thousands of seeds are carried by the wind, giving birth to new generations of plants.

The Cape Mountains in South Africa, in South Africa, between Port Elizabeth in the east and the mouth of the Olifants River in the west. Length about 800 km. Consist of several parallel ridges. Average height 1500 meters, largest - 2326 meters. Composed of sandstones and quartzites. From Port Elizabeth to Worcester stretches 600 km from east to west and frame from the north (Svartberg ridge) and south (Langeberg ridge, Outenikvaberge) a longitudinal valley - the Little Karoo. From Mount Worcester they turn northwest (Olifantsrifir ridge, Cedar Mountains).

Geologicalstructure andrelief. The Cape mountain system consists of many short, mid-altitude anticlinal ridges that run parallel to each other along the southwestern and southern coasts of Africa. Composed of hard Lower Paleozoic rocks, undergoing folding in the Upper Paleozoic and rejuvenated by later uplifts, the ridges reach their greatest heights (more than 2100 m) in the north, in the Swartberg (Zwart) mountains. Between the ridges lie synclinal depressions, the most significant of which is called the Little Karoo depression. The wider Great Karoo Depression separates the Cape Mountains from the Great Escarpment of the South African Highlands.

In the southern part, the Cape system breaks up into small isolated ridges and massifs rising among the coastal plain. In the southwest and south, the mountains approach the coast at an angle, indented by convenient bays. In one of them, at the foot of the low Table Mountain, stands the largest and most beautiful city and port of South Africa - Cape Town.

Climaticconditions. The Cape Mountainous Country, especially the southwestern coast of the mainland, is characterized by a subtropical climate with a winter maximum of precipitation and summer dryness (Fig. 121).

Rice. 121 and 122. Annual variation of temperatures, precipitation and relative humidity in the southwest (left, Fig. 121) and southeast (right, Fig. 122) of Africa

The rains begin in April and are especially heavy from June to September, and then stop as moist westerly winds retreat to the south. The end of the wet season in the Cape region roughly coincides with the beginning of it in the rest of South Africa. The amount of precipitation almost nowhere exceeds 750 mm per year, and only the western slopes of the highest ridges receive more than 1000 mm.

The climate is Western Mediterranean type with winter precipitation (on the windward slopes over 600 mm), in the east. Precipitation is more uniform (over 800 mm in year). In winter, snow falls on the peaks. The leeward slopes and interior valleys are semi-desert. On the windward slopes in the west there are mainly secondary thickets of evergreen shrubs (fynbos), and in the east there are mixed coniferous-deciduous forests on brown and mountain-forest brown soils.

Naturalwater. The interior depressions, especially the Little Karoo, are very dry (150-300 mm per year) and unsuitable for agriculture. Even the coastal plain in the east receives no more than 400 mm and requires artificial irrigation (Fig. 122).

Vegetation. The Cape mountainous country differs from the rest of South Africa not only in its precipitation regime, but also in the distribution of the peculiar, so-called Cape flora, which in appearance resembles the Mediterranean. The area is dominated by thickets of shrubs with small grayish and bluish-green foliage from the heather, proteaceae and rutaceae families. Occasionally, especially on slopes facing the ocean, there are small tracts of rare forests of pine trees and wild fruit trees. Vast areas between areas of shrubs and forests are covered with grasses with a predominance of bulbous, tuberous and rhizomatous forms from the families Amaryllis, Iris, Orchids and Lamiaceae. Immortelle, cineraria and other Asteraceae are also characteristic. From here, a variety of ornamental plants spread throughout the world. Many cultivated plants were imported from Europe: cereals, grapevines, olives, figs, apple trees, pears, etc.

Populationand environmental problems. Currently, natural vegetation, especially forest vegetation, has given way to agricultural crops over vast areas.

Basically, the African continent is occupied by plains, and mountains are located in the south and north of the continent. These are the Atlas and Cape Mountains, as well as the Aberdare Range. There are significant mineral reserves here. Kilimanjaro is located in Africa. This is an inactive volcano, which is considered the highest point of the mainland. Its height reaches 5963 meters. Many tourists visit not only African deserts, but also mountains.

Aberdare Mountains

These mountains are located in central Kenya. The height of these mountains reaches 4300 meters. Several rivers originate here. There is a wonderful view from the top of the ridge. To preserve the local flora and fauna, a national park was created here in 1950 by many animal lovers and conservationists. It still operates to this day, so if you are in Africa, it is definitely worth a visit.

Atlas

The Atlas Mountains system skirts the northwestern coast. These mountains were discovered a long time ago, by the ancient Phoenicians. The mountains were described by various travelers and military leaders of Antiquity. Adjacent to the mountain ranges are various inland plateaus, highlands and plains. The highest point of the mountains is the city of Toubkal, which reached 4167 meters.

Cape Mountains

On the southern coast of the mainland are the Cape Mountains, whose length reaches 800 kilometers. This mountain system is formed by several ridges. The average height of the mountains is 1500 meters. Kompasberg is the highest point and reaches 2326 meters. Between the peaks there are valleys and semi-deserts. Some mountains are covered with mixed forests, but many of them are covered with snow in the winter.

Drakensberg Mountains

This mountain range is located in southern Africa. The highest point is Mount Thabana Ntlenyana, whose height is 3482 meters. A rich world of flora and fauna is formed here, and climatic conditions differ on different slopes. In some places it rains, and on other peaks it snows. The Drakensberg Mountains are a World Heritage Site.

Thus, Africa has many mountain ranges and systems. In addition to the largest ones mentioned above, there are also highlands here - Ethiopian, Ahaggar, as well as other elevations. Some objects are among the world's treasures and are protected by various communities. Several national parks and reserves have been formed on the slopes of mountain peaks, and the highest points are places of mountaineering, which complement the world list of tourist ascents.

The Cape Mountains region is characterized by a Mediterranean type of climate. On the southern windward slopes there are thickets of evergreen shrubs and mixed forests, on the leeward slopes and in the internal valleys there are semi-deserts.

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Excerpt describing the Cape Mountains

So far, for some reason, no one showed up anywhere, and no one expressed any great desire to meet us... It was a little strange, since usually the owners of all these wonderful worlds were very hospitable and friendly, with the exception of only those who had just appeared on “ floor” (that is, they had just died) and were not yet ready to communicate with others, or simply preferred to experience something purely personal and difficult alone.
“Who do you think lives in this strange world?” Stella asked in a whisper for some reason.
- Do you want to see? – unexpectedly for myself, I suggested.
I didn’t understand where all my fatigue had gone, and why I suddenly completely forgot the promise I made to myself a moment ago not to interfere in any, even the most incredible, incidents until tomorrow, or at least until I had at least a little rest. But, of course, this again triggered my insatiable curiosity, which I had not yet learned to pacify, even when there was a real need for it...
Therefore, trying, as far as my exhausted heart allowed, to “switch off” and not think about our failed, sad and difficult day, I immediately eagerly plunged into the “new and unknown”, anticipating some unusual and exciting adventure...

CAPE MOUNTAINS, mid-altitude mountains in southern Africa, South Africa. They stretch from the mouth of the Ulifants River in the west to the city of Port Elizabeth in the east, a distance of about 800 km.

Cape Mountains

Consist of several ridges. In the eastern part, for 600 km, the ridges are oriented sublatitudinally; Between the northern (Svartberge, Kouga) and southern (Langeberge, Outeniqua) chains of ridges is the intermountain valley of the Little Karoo. To the west of the city of Worcester, the ridges of the Cape Mountains have a submeridional strike (Ulifantsrifirberge and others). The average height is 1500 m, the maximum is 2152 m (Mount Spitskop in the Swartberg ridge). Tectonically, the Cape Mountains belong to the area of early Mesozoic folding (final deformations in the Triassic). They are composed mainly of terrigenous (sandstones, siltstones) deposits of the Paleozoic (Ordovician - Lower Carboniferous). Intermountain valleys are filled with loose Quaternary sediments. Due to the resistance of the constituent rocks to weathering, the folded structure was preserved.

Located within the subtropical climate zone. The amount of precipitation ranges from 250 mm per year in intermountain valleys and on the leeward slopes of the northern ridges to 1000 mm per year on the windward southwestern slopes. To the west of Cape Agulhas, the winter maximum is clearly expressed in the distribution of precipitation (June - September); to the east, the intra-annual distribution of precipitation is more uniform. In the far west, fogs are often observed in coastal areas under the influence of the Benguela Current. In winter, snow can remain on the peaks for up to several weeks. The rivers are few (Ulifants with its tributary During, Gaurits, Brie, Gamtus); Some of the valleys are laid along tectonic cracks, perpendicular to the strike of the main ridges.

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Natural landscapes are represented by evergreen shrubs and woodlands on brown soils (in the west) and mixed evergreen forests (Widdringtonia, etc.) on mountain brown soils (in the east). The leeward slopes and intermountain valleys are characterized by semi-deserts on gray-brown soils. The territory's belonging to the South African floristic kingdom gives a special character to the flora of the Cape Mountains. The flora contains a high proportion of endemics (up to 70%); in the west the floristic composition is richer than in the east. The predominant fynbos shrub formation is characterized by representatives of the Proteaceae, Ericaceae, and Rutaceae families, and there is a great diversity of geophytes (about 1,400 species). Many fynbos plants are of economic importance (for example, rooibos as a tonic crop), and have spread widely throughout the world as ornamental plants (geraniums, cineraria, gladioli, etc.).

Modern landscapes of the Cape Mountains have been modified by humans to varying degrees; in the foothills, about 40% of the territory is occupied by agricultural land (orchards, vineyards, grain crops) and cities (the largest are Cape Town, or Kapstad, Port Elizabeth); in mountainous areas less affected by economic development and inaccessible, the share of natural landscapes reaches 85%. About 100 protected natural areas have been created, including the Söderberh and Anisberh nature reserves, and the Swartberge National Park. 8 protected natural areas of the Cape Mountains are included in the World Heritage List as part of the Cape Floristic Region nomination.

Lit.: Cowling R., Richardson D. Fynbos: South Africa’s unique floral kingdom. Vlaeberg, 1995; Cowling R., MacDonald I. A. W., Simmons M. T. The Cape Peninsula South Africa: physiographical, biological and historical background to an extraordinary hotspot of biodiversity // Biodiversity and Conservation. 1996. No. 5.

O. A. Klimanova.

CAPE MOUNTAINS, in the extreme south of Africa (South Africa). The length is about 800 km. Height up to 2326 m. Consist of several parallel ridges. The Cape Mountains formed in the Upper Paleozoic.

The Cape Mountains are mountains in South Africa, in the extreme south of Africa, stretching from the Olifants River to the city of Port Elizabeth. Their appearance is associated with the formation of the protocontinent Pangea in the late Carboniferous and Permian periods. The appearance of the mountains is determined by a combination of rock masses of quartzite and sandstone, and valleys formed by clayey shales in the Quaternary period. The Cape Mountains region has a Mediterranean climate.

Beaches in South Africa

The highest point is Mount Kompassberg with a height of 2502 meters. The Atlas Mountains or Atlas Mountains are a huge range that stretches along the entire coast of northwestern Africa. The most beautiful part of them is located in Morocco.

The mountain is called Toubkal. The Atlas Mountains have a very important role in shaping the climate in Europe. On the other hand, they also participate in its formation, since they stop clouds moving in this direction. The weather in the mountains themselves is very varied.

In many places in the mountains you can see real winter with constant snow cover. Moroccans have much more opportunities to play in the snow than other residents of northern Africa. Imagine a person traveling to Africa with skis and poles at the ready.

For tourists, a visit to the Atlas Mountains is also an opportunity to look at rare species of animals and plants. Once upon a time, bears even walked across these mountains. The only species of bears in Africa were Atlas bears, now completely extinct. The very name of the mountains comes from Greece. The place where he holds the sky was far in the west, and it was these mountains that were ideal as a place for his work.

With the help of this head, Perseus turned Atlas into stone, and for a long time it was believed that it was the Atlas Mountains that held up the sky. Also in the myths of ancient Greece, this titan is also called Atlas. According to one version, Atlantis was located in Morocco. It is actually very beautiful here: the landscape, the passes, views from afar, internal features that cannot be ignored during the walk.

The history of the appearance of mountains began about 150-200 million years ago. The Drakensberg Mountains were created according to a slightly different principle than is commonly believed in the case of most other mountain systems. So, initially the mountains were formed due to the leakage of basalt, which covered the soil of South Africa for a long time. As a result, the rocky Drakensberg Mountains of a unique shape were formed. A big role was played by sandstone, which was under the basalt in a very fragile state.

The area that surrounds the Drakensberg Mountains is blessed with gorgeous plants by African nature. To know how to see the mountains in person, you should understand that they are located on the territory of several states, the rules for receiving tourists and guests are different.

Many people travel to Lesotho or the Free State to appreciate the nature and beauty of the area. By the way, in each of the provinces in which the corresponding tourist centers are concentrated, prices are quite favorable. However, it is important to understand that a tourist will not be able to visit all the mountains and must choose. The mountain is also beautiful from afar - in particular, in the Tugela River valley.

As mentioned above, this is the oldest mountain system on the continent and the largest. Finding the Cape Mountains on a map will not be difficult. These mountain ranges are considered the territory of the Republic of South Africa and are located in the far south of the country. The Cape Mountains occupy a vast area of the continent: from the mouth of the Olifantes River to the African city of Port Elizabeth, capturing the Ethiopian Highlands.

This mountain range also makes up the Cape Mountains. It runs along the border of the Western Cape Province in South Africa. Swartberg is popularly called "Black Mountain". Since the area around the mountains is mostly wild and deserted.

The narrow valley “dead hell”, as the locals call it, is located in the very center of the mountains and is used for growing tobacco, grain, tea and even vegetables and fruits. The Cape Mountains have a very variable climate. Some of the mountains are located near the ocean, some are in desert lands, and some are covered with green meadows.

This unique climate is home to a wide variety of amazing plants.

CAPE MOUNTAINS

Rare breeds of sugar birds live here. They fly only in the Cape Mountains and nowhere else. The Cape Mountains are a unique combination of fertile soil, stable climate, rugged rock formations and isolated location. However, this beautiful place also has its problems. Thanks to them, clearings are cleared, old unnecessary and rotten shoots of plants are destroyed, and the soil is filled with important minerals and nutrients necessary for the mountains.

AgroBioFarm "Velegozh" invites you to the Moscow region! Free excursions to the Leech Museum! The Cape mountain system consists of many short, mid-altitude anticlinal ridges that run parallel to each other along the southwestern and southern coasts of Africa.

The Cape Mountains are a mountain system that includes several parallel ridges, including the Cedar Mountains, the Langeberg, Swartberg, Piketberg, Kodelberg and others. Rare animals that hide in the Cape Mountains are mountain gorillas.

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Africa Tur→Reference materials→Africa: encyclopedic reference book. Volume. 1. A-K→ CAPE MOUNTAINS

CAPE MOUNTAINS

CAPE MOUNTAINS, in southern Africa, in South Africa. Dl. OK. 800 km. They consist of two ridge systems. The main one is formed by ridges of a latitudinal direction, stretching from the east to 3, 600 km and framing from the north (Svartberge ridge) and from the south (Langeberge, Autenikvaberge ridges) a longitudinal valley - the Little Karoo (see Karoo). Another system of ridges stretches along the Atlantic approx. in the north-west direction (Cedar Mountains, Ulifantsrifir ridge). Naib. high 2326 m (in the Maly Swartberg ridge). K. g. folded ch. arr. sandstones and quartzites. The climate in the 3rd is Mediterranean type with a winter maximum of precipitation (over 600 mm on the windward slopes), in the east precipitation is more uniform (over 800 mm per year). In winter there is snow on the peaks. Leeward slopes and int. the valleys are semi-desert. In the 3rd, secondary thickets of evergreen shrubs (fynbos) are widespread, in the east - mixed forests on brown and mountain-forest brown soils. CAPE-ARABY SHIELD, the most ancient part of the African Platform, lying south of Cameroon-Aqaba. Kr. the protrusions of Archean and Lower Proterozoic formations make up the Kasai-Angolan, Shayu, Transvaal, and Zimbabwe (Rhodesian) massifs, separated by mobile zones of the Late Precambrian. Among them are geosynclinal folded systems (Western Congo, Damaro-Katanga, Kibar, etc.), as well as zones of ancient basement reworked in the Riphean and Vendian (Namaqualand, Mozambique belts, etc.). In the northeast, the Late Precambrian Nubian-Arabian shield is located. Sedimentary cover from the Early Precambrian to the Cenozoic age is widespread in the syneclises of the Congo, Kalahari Central Transvaal and other depressions. In the south, the shield borders on the Paleozoic folded system of Capid. Contrasted with the Sahara Plate. The shield is associated with the richest deposits of the Bushveld intrusive complex, Witwatersrand, cr. diamond deposits, iron. ore, copper, manganese, polymetals, cobalt, antimony, etc. CAPE KINGDOM, the smallest florist. the land kingdom of the globe in the southwest. Africa. North the border runs along the river. Orange and the Drakensberg Mountains. The flora is unusually rich and numbers approx. 7000 species. Communities of hard-leaved evergreen shrubs (Cape sclerophyllous scrub) and low-growing trees predominate, which are physiognomically and ecologically similar to the Mediterranean maquis and are often called Cape maquis in the literature. The Cape maquis is especially pronounced in the mountains near Cape Town. The upper tier is characterized by Protea species. Leucadendron, Leucospermum, Gymnosporia; for the second tier - numerous. small shrubs from the family. Ericaceae, Fabaceae, Rutaceae, etc. There are departments. areas of evergreen forests with vines and developed grass cover, Ch. arr. in the coastal zone There are 7 endemic families in the flora, including Grubbiaceae, Bruniaceae, Penaeceae, Greyiaceae, etc. Endemic genera St. 200, b. including monotypic or oligotypic. Flora K. c. has genetic connections with Tropich. Africa, the Mediterranean and a number of regions of the South. hemisphere, especially with the Australian kingdom. According to the number of species in K. c. fam. predominate. Asteraceae, legumes, cereals, lilies, heathers, iris, geraniums, proteaceae. Naib, rich genera in species: Erica (Erica) - 480 species, Protea (Proteu) - 130 species, Leacadendron - St., 70 species, Pelargonium (Pelargonium) - bred in indoor culture under nasa. geranium, source of geranium oil; Helichrysum, Mesembryanthenum - up to 300 species, aloe, cactus-like euphorbia, Grassula - up to 100 species, etc.

African mountains

K, c. - an inexhaustible source of decorative, preferably. monocotyledonous bulbous and tuberous plants - fam. iris, lily and amaryllis, as well as poppies, pelargoniums, etc. Apparently, K. c. - the birthplace of watermelon, found here in the wild.