South Africa is the southernmost part of the continent of Africa.
It is one of the earth's oldest and stable landmasses. This is why there are no
folded mountain ranges. The only mountain ranges that are similar to that kind
of range, would be those in the southern tip. This is where the north-south
ranges meet an east-west range in the Paarl area. The rest of the country has
been slightly pitted so that interior lakes like the Okovango Delta have no
outlet to the sea. Most of the country is at an elevation of 3,000 to 6,500 feet
above sea level. South Africa lies north of 35 S latitude and is surrounded on
three sides by the Indian and Atlantic oceans. Two large high-pressure areas
control the weather in South Africa brought over by both of the oceans, in the
winter a belt of depressions moves northward to bring rains to the south.
During the summer moist tropical air masses migrate southward, bringing
frequent thunderstorms. There are not many rivers in South Africa, and those
few are not navigable. The unpredictable rainfall makes drought in the areas a
very common problem. The towns and cities cannot depend on a consistent
source of water for the year. Water supplies for both the town and the
country must be very well planned, so there is no drought. Wells are usually
the source for irrigation and general water supply in the countryside, however
the urban and industrialized areas need the use of dams. On the major rivers
of South Africa it is easy to see many of the plus 360 dams that have been
built. These are easily found on the Orange, Vaal, Limpopo, and the Tugela
rivers. Many of the dams provide hydroelectric power to the national
electricity grid. Located on the upper Orange River are two of the largest
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