Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
The Drakensberg (Zulu: uKhahlamba, Sotho: Maloti, Afrikaans: Drakensberge) is the eastern portion of the Great Escarpment, which encloses the central Southern African plateau. The Great Escarpment reaches its greatest elevation – 2,000 to 3,482 metres (6,562 to 11,424 feet) within the border region of South Africa and Lesotho.
The eastern portion of the Great Escarpment within the borders of South Africa (see the accompanying map, above) is referred to as the Drakensberg (meaning "Dragon Mountains"). [ 1 ] [ 14 ] The Limpopo , Mpumalanga and Lesotho Drakensberg have hard erosion-resistant upper surfaces and therefore have a very high and rugged appearance, combining ...
Njesuthi or Injesuthi Dome is one of the highest mountains in the Drakensberg mountain range at 3,408 metres (11,181 ft). [1] It is located on the border between Lesotho and the South African province KwaZulu-Natal. [2] Also, less than 1.5 km away on the border is the taller Mafadi peak at 3,450 metres (11,319 ft). [3]
The high-elevation treeless areas in the Drakensberg like Thabana Ntlenyana are categorized by the World Wide Fund for Nature as part of the Drakensberg alti-montane grasslands and woodlands ecoregion. [10] This ecoregion is characterized by high elevation and high rainfall, but also by cooler temperatures than more equatorial montane areas.
The average annual rainfall is nearly 1,000 mm (40 inches) in some parts of the high ranges. Temperature is closely related to elevation in the Lesotho Highlands. In general, the mean July (winter) temperatures stay around 7 °C (45 °F). The Lesotho Highlands form a localized high spot on the Central Plateau of the Great Escarpment.
A map of South Africa showing the central plateau edged by the Great Escarpment and its relationship to the Highveld and Lesotho Highlands: The portion of the Great Escarpment shown in red is officially known as the Drakensberg, although most South Africans think of the Drakensberg as only that portion of the escarpment which forms the border between KwaZulu-Natal and Lesotho.
The uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park is also in the List of Wetlands of International Importance (under the Ramsar Convention). Adjacent to the park is the Cathkin Estates Conservation and Wildlife Sanctuary, which spans 1,044 ha (10 km 2 ) of virgin grassland and represents the largest privately-owned game park in the KwaZulu-Natal Drakensberg region.
Cathedral Peak (Afrikaans: Cathedralpiek) is a mountain in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.It is a 3,004 m (9,856 ft) high free standing mountain in the Drakensberg.The mountain is also known as Mponjwana (Little Horn) by the local Amangwane people.