The Republic of South Africa is one of those rare places on our planet that not every tourist gets to. But almost everyone who knows the call of wanderings and the aroma of the earth scorched under the sun dreams of such a journey. Although South Africa, whose climate is very diverse, can give not only sunny days, but also rainy weeks, when everything around for many kilometers is influenced by bad weather.
South Africa: geographical location
South Africa is a fairly young state; today it has not yet turned one hundred years old. But the history of this place is truly unique and belongs to the oldest on the planet.
South Africa is located on the southern part of the African continent and extends over more than one million square kilometers. Nine provinces and three capitals are located on this territory. Few people know that the Republic of South Africa is one of the richest countries in the world. There are deposits of manganese, diamonds and gold, and the recognized leaders in the list of countries recommended for visiting can envy the diversity of flora and fauna.
Such a diversity of plants and animals, many of which are truly unique, was provided by the South African climate. He amazingly preserved rare species of plants that are impossible to find anywhere else on the planet and provided a comfortable life for many species of animals.
Climate of South Africa: briefly about the main thing
If we talk about the climate of the Republic of South Africa briefly, the most important thing to mention is the number of climatic zones. On the territory of the state there are twenty of them; similar is not found in any other country in the world! These amazing features of the climate of South Africa provided the state with an influx of tourists who, several years ago, were able to assess the possibilities of recreation in the Republic of South Africa. Indeed, in one trip you can easily cross several climatic zones and see rare species of animals live.
South Africa: nature and climate
The territory of South Africa is washed by the waters of two oceans, which significantly affects the climate of the state. The Indian Ocean brings warm subtropical air, but the Atlantic contributes to the formation of hot and dry air masses over the greater half of the Republic of South Africa. In general, the climate in the country can be described as temperate, which is very unusual for such a geographical location. But do not forget that South Africa is located quite high above sea level and is often influenced by a fresh ocean breeze. This feature makes it easy to tolerate even summer heat exceeding thirty-five degrees Celsius.
The twenty climatic zones existing in South Africa can be divided into:
- tropics;
- subtropics;
- the Mediterranean.
The east of the country is characterized by high humidity and high average annual temperatures, which is very similar to the subtropical climate of the Asian continent. The north of South Africa can be safely attributed to a tropical climate with a large amount of rainfall, but the south is just a Mediterranean paradise. Tourists from Europe quite often come here, who are surprised by quite pleasant and comfortable climatic conditions.
Climate of South Africa: interesting features
For those who are coming to South Africa for the first time, the climate is able to bring many surprises and surprises. For example, the variation in average annual temperatures in different parts of the country is very surprising. It can reach ten to twelve degrees, which is absolutely impossible in other states.
Winter and summer in South Africa are the opposite of the usual seasons for residents of Europe and Asia. From October to April, the country lasts summer, and from May the winter period begins. Moreover, spring and autumn fly almost unnoticed, they are very short. Usually the off-season does not last more than two to three weeks. The average monthly summer temperature is twenty-five degrees above zero Celsius, in winter, especially in the desert, the thermometer can drop to zero. In the daytime, even in winter, the air warms up quickly, which allows tourists to visit South Africa at any time of the year.
The impact of climate on the flora and fauna of South Africa
A large territory of South Africa is given under national parks and reserves. It is forbidden to hunt in them, and ideal conditions for the active life of animals are created. Tourists coming to the African continent try to go on a safari trip to see the lions, elephants and rhinos in their natural habitat. They feel great in the conditions of a large number of climatic zones and after the ban on their shooting was introduced, they significantly increased their population.
For botanists, South Africa seems like a paradise, because many of the indoor plants we know were exported to Europe from here. To date, the country boasts the largest number of endemic plants in the world. Now more than five thousand species are read here, which are not found anywhere else in nature. This fact makes the climate of South Africa really special.
Of great interest to scientists is the silver flower, which is a symbol of the country. The fact is that it is found only in South Africa. The climate of the country amazingly affects this plant. On the one hand, climatic conditions allow the flower to grow within one habitat, but on the other, it is the climate that does not allow the spread of this plant throughout the territory of the Republic of South Africa.