Veld
As Veld [ fɛld ] ( Afrikaans or Dutch ; German: Corridor ) is called in South Africa mainly the plateau-like regions within the country, on the coast opposite side of the Great Escarpment (Great Escarpment). In a broader sense, the term can be compared with the Australian outback , the Argentine pampas or the New Zealand high country .
Depending on geomorphological features, local climatic conditions, vegetation and altitude, several regions are called Veld.
In Namibia , Veld is used synonymously for the field , that is, bush and savanna land, especially on farms. A bush fire is accordingly referred to as a Veldbrand or Veldfeuer . ( See also German language in Namibia )
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Lowveld
The Lowveld or Low Country is a striped region in northeastern South Africa near the borders with Mozambique , Zimbabwe, and Botswana . The area is about 150 to a maximum of 900 m above sea level and extends in an arc from the Waterberg plains near Lephalale over the Limpopotal to the Lebombo Mountains . Foothills of the Lowveld are also found in eastern parts of Swaziland and in the extreme eastern part of Mpumalanga Province . The town of Barberton and the Murchison Range are also located here . The island-like mountains of the Murchison Range are striking .
It is quite rainy in the southern summer and the only malaria region in South Africa in midsummer .
Middleveld
The Middleveld is a region north of the middle reaches of the Vaal , roughly between Vryburg and Johannesburg . It is bounded to the west by the Kaap plateau and northeast by the Bushveld . The landscape in the west and in its center is mostly flat land with arid valleys . In the eastern part on the Gatsrand and Magaliesberg there are hills. The altitude is between 900 and 1800 meters, they rise eastward. The annual rainfall increases in the same direction.
Highveld
The highlands of South Africa sloping to the north are called highveld . It is located in the southern Transvaal, today mainly the provinces of Northwest , Gauteng and Mpumalanga , and extends over a large part of the province of Free State . The altitudes vary between 1340 and 1830 meters above sea level. Its southwestern edge begins around the place Welkom and the northeasternmost point is at eMalahleni . Its eastern border forms the great marginal step between Mbombela and Harrismith . The mountain ranges around Mashishing and Waterval Boven , which border the highveld in the extreme northeast , are also called the Transvaal Drakensberg , the northern extension of the Drakensberg in Lesotho and KwaZulu-Natal .
The term is also common to denote the highlands of Zimbabwe.
The vegetation of the highveld consists mainly of grassland, only in the hills and the river terraces there is bushland.
Bushveld
The Bushveld is a region north of Pretoria and the Witwatersrand . In the north it is bounded by the Limpopo Highlands and the Lowveld and in the south by the Middleveld . The region is named for the Bushveld complex . The landscape is mostly flat and undulating and north of Pretoria with a few chains of hills of island-like characteristics and conspicuous pyramid mountains. Much of the area is called the Springbok Plains.
It is a region that is significantly more species-rich than its surroundings, with moderate annual rainfall (375 to 625 mm).
Sand and Hardveld
Most of Botswana's landscape is known as the Sandveld . It is characterized by a high proportion of sand. Large parts belong to the Kalahari . The Sandveld extends into the South African Northwest Province. The eastern part of Botswana belongs to the Hardveld, which has a rather rocky character.
literature
- G. Steinmann, O. Wilckens (Ed.): Handbook of Regional Geology . VII. Volume. 7a. Department. The Union of South Africa . Heidelberg 1929.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Botswana at britannica.com (English), accessed on January 4, 2016