Winter mountains
| Winter mountains | ||
|---|---|---|
| Highest peak | Great Winterberg Peak ( 2371 m ) | |
| location | Eastern Cape Province ( South Africa ) | |
|
||
| Coordinates | 32 ° 22 ′ S , 26 ° 24 ′ E | |
| rock | Sandstone , shale | |
| Age of the rock | approx. 237–255 million years | |
The Winter Mountains are a mountain range in the South African province of Eastern Cape . It rises up to 2371 meters above sea level.
geography
The winter mountains are in the interior of the Eastern Cape Province. They extend in a west-east direction over about 70 kilometers and in a north-south direction over 30 kilometers. The highest point is the Great Winterberg Peak ( Groot Winterberg ) with 2371 meters. The name is based on the occasional snowfall in the mountains. A foothill in the southwest bears the name Baviaansrivierberge . The only closed settlement in the Winter Mountains is Spring Valley.
The Kat River (Katrivier) and Koonap River (Koonaprivier), which are tributaries of the Great Fish River (Groot-Visrivier), have their source in the winter mountains . To the northwest of them is the Great Fish River Basin , a large depression with a high rate of evapotranspiration , which is important for the climate of the winter mountains and some landscapes further to the east. The Tarka River (Tarkarivier) has its source tributaries in the western and northern flank area of Great Winterberg Peak and, as the main course with its tributaries, drains the mountains in a northerly direction to the Great Fish River Basin . In the eastern edge of the mountains the Black Kei River (Swart-Keirivier) has its river bed, the water of which is collected in the upper reaches by a dam ( Thrift Dam ) for irrigation and then drains further north.
On the south side facing the Indian Ocean , the amount of precipitation is relatively high, so that there is lush vegetation.
To the south of the Winter Mountains lie the cities of Bedford , Adelaide and Fort Beaufort . To the east of the winter mountains are the massive Elandsberg and the Amathole mountains . In the north of the city are Tarkastad and the Tarka River, to the west flows the Great Fish River.
The Katberg Pass, established between 1860 and 1864, crosses the Winter Mountains in an eastern branch of the mountain range with the regional road R351. It connects the cities of Fort Beaufort in the south and Queenstown in the north. The R344 runs right through the winter mountains, coming from Adelaide via Spring Valley north towards Tarkastad.
geology
The mountain range consists of sandstone and shales of the Beaufort group with frequent dolerite - intrusions .
literature
- 3226 King William's Town, 1: 250,000, topo-cadastral, Mowbray (Chief Director of Surveys and Mapping Privat Bag Mowbray) 1985
Individual evidence
- ^ A b c Philips' College Atlas for Southern Africa. George Philip & Son, London 1976, ISBN 0-540-05320-1 , p. 26.