Physical Features Of South africa Flashcards
What are the high and low places you would see travelling from the west side of South Africa to the east side?
Coastal plain, the escarpment and the plateau.
What is the height of sea level?
0 metres
What is the low lying, gently sloping land rising from the coast called?
The coastal plain
What is the steep slope which you climb to get to a flat topped high area called?
The escarpment
What is the flat topped high area called?
The plateau
What is the plateau on the Western side of SA?
Namaqualand
What is the plateau in the east of SA?
The Highveld
What is the escarpment in the East of SA?
The uKhahlamba-Drakensberg
What are physical features of countries?
Natural features we see in our surroundings, such as hills and rivers.
What is a natural feature in Cape Town?
Table Mountain
What is a long line of mountains called?
A mountain range
What is the name of a mountain range in SA?
The Cape Fold mountains
What is the name of a range of hills in Limpopo ?
The Waterberg
How are valleys made?
Rivers cut into mountain ranges and make valleys over time.
What is the largest river in SA?
The Gariep-Orange
What is the name of the waterfall found on the Gariep-Orange?
The Augrabies Falls
What physical features do we find on a coastline?
We find curves called bays and pointed parts called capes.
What is the coastline?
Where the land meets the sea
Where can ships stop safely on a coastline?
In a Harbour
Name 7 of SA’s biggest harbours ?
Richards Bay Durban bay East London Algoa Bay Mosselbaai Table Bay Saldanha Bay
What is a river mouth?
It is the place where a river meets the sea.
What colour is the coastal plain on a physical map?
Green
Is the coastal plain in SA wide or narrow?
Narrow
Which neighboring country to SA has a wide coastal plain?
Mozambique
Why are many crops grown in the coastal plain?
It is mostly flat and has a temperate climate.
Why do most of SA’s rivers have their source on the escarpment?
Because most of the rain falls on the escarpment .
Why is the Highveld a good farming area?
Because it has a good rainfall
What is an important crop in the Highveld ?
Maize
What do they farm on the western plateau ?
Sheep
What is mined on the plateau in SA?
Gold
Diamonds
Platinum
Coal
What do we call the place where the river starts?
The source
