5.7 Southern Africa

The region of the African continent south of the Congo and Tanzania is named Southern Africa. The physical location is part of Africa south of the extensive Congo River basin. Southern Africa has several river systems; the Zambezi River is the most prominent. The Zambezi flows from the northwest corner of Zambia and western Angola to the Indian Ocean on Mozambique’s coast. Along the way, the Zambezi River flows over the mighty Victoria Falls on the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe. Based on the selected criteria, Victoria Falls is the largest waterfall globally and is a significant tourist attraction for the region.

Southern Africa includes both type B and type C climates. The Tropic of Capricorn runs straight through the region’s middle, indicating that the southern portion is outside the tropics. The Kalahari Desert, which lies mainly in Botswana, is a vast desert region with a dry mixture of grasslands and sand. When there is adequate rainfall, the grasslands provide excellent grazing for wildlife. Precipitation in the region varies from three to ten inches per year. The Kalahari has game reserves, national parks, and various species. Large areas of dry salt pans stretch over ancient lake beds. The salt pans fill with water after heavy rainfall but are dry for the year. The Namib Desert, found along the west coast of Namibia, receives slight rainfall. Moderate type C climates are found south of the Kalahari Desert in South Africa, where conditions suit various agricultural activities, including fruit orchards and expanding wine industry.