Features of South Africa Flashcards
(32 cards)
What is the low flat land called?
Coastal plain
Describe what a plateau is.
High flat land
What is very high land called?
High mountains
What is steeply sloping land that separating high land from low land called?
Escarpment
Definition of a physical feature.
Something that naturally occurs such as: mountains, rivers, lakes etc.
Definition of a cape.
Juts out of the main part of the land into the sea in a point.
Definition of a bay.
Where a coastline curves into the land.
What are mountains that are close to each other called?
A mountain range
What is a coastline?
Where the sea meets the land
Where does a river begin?
The source
(High ground - often a mountain- where rain collects)
Other rivers that join a river are called what?
Tributaries
Where does a river end?
The river mouth (where the river meets the sea/ocean)
What are many rivers that link together called?
A river system
Describe the two main river systems in South Africa?
- Orange River system
Starts in Drakensberg mountains in Lesotho and flows to the dry west coast - Limpopo River system
In the north east
Starts in a dry area
Flows east
Mouth is at the Indian Ocean
What is a seasonal river? How are they marked on a map? Give example
- A Seasonal River is a river that flows only after heavy rain and is soon soaked into the ground.
- Marked on map with dotted blue lines
- Eg. Rivers of the Kalahari
List the rivers of the Limpopo River system and what direction does it flow
Limpopo River and Olifants and Crocodile
North and Eastwards
List rivers of the Orange River system.
What direction does it flow?
Gariep-Orange River
Caledon
Vaal
Westwards
List rivers on rising the Drakensberg escarpment
Maputo River
Tugela River
List western, southern and eastern River
Great Fish
Breë
Olifants
Practice labeling a river
Get print out
A small river is called what?
A stream
Why are rivers important?
They carry water for farms, towns and factories.
Can be used for transport (goods & people)
What is a spring?
A spring is a place where water from underground bubbles up to the surface
List the possible sources of a river
- High up in a mountain where it rains a lot
- lake on high ground
- where an underground spring bubbles to the surface
