Tag Archives: geography

Angola can only be described as a land of Divinity, in light of all of its complexities. It is a melting pot of differing landscapes that allows its visitors to experience many worlds in a single country.  In Angola, there lies rainforest in the north, montainous forests in the highlands, and grasslands across plateau areas in the south. This landscape that makes up the country of Angola is twice the size of France and Great Britain, allotting an expansive landscape for the artwork that is Angola.

The country is located in the western region of Southern Africa and is made up of a part of the largest river in West Africa, the Zaire or Congo, which measures at 4,000 kilometers. The country is also comprised of a part of the largest river in East Africa, the Zambeze, which measures at 2,680 kilometers. Bording countries include: the Democratic Republic of Congo in the north, Zambia in the East, Namibia in the South, and by the Atlantic Ocean in the West.

As numerous bodies of water surround the country, Angola is also home to many exotic animal species. Animals include: elephants, giraffes, zebras, wildebeests, antelopes, lions, leopards and hyenas. Ultimately, it is an ideal destination for travelers seeking to experience the diverse wildlife that Africa has to offer. The country is also known for an abundance of dolphins, including the rare “humpback dolphin”.

The weather in Angola is determined by two seasons, which are the rainy season and the dry season (also known ascacimbo). The rainy season, which is normally accompanied by elevated temperatures creating a tropical environment, usually occurs from August to May. Rainfall and annual variation of temperatures are two climatic characteristics common to Angola. These characteristics are created by the country’s geographical makeup. It is placed in both the intertropical, and subtropical zones of Africa, and also lies in close proximity to the sea. Additionally, the cold current of Benguela affects the country’s weather conditions.

Weather conditions in Angola are not in the least bit troublesome, however, as the country is highly conducive to agriculture. The most fertile soils are by surrounding waters, where there are extensive pastures and tropical forests. These tropical forests include rare species of trees including: ebony, sandalwood, rosewood, eucalyptus, and pines. In agriculture, the country is known for having adequate success in growing cotton, coffee, sisal, peanut, sweet potato, beans, sugar, rubber, corn, greens, fruits, etc. The country is also known for maintaining cattle, goats, sheep and pigs, and is known for being the single-most popular country in regards to the fishing industry. The Angolan coastline is one of the richest in fish on the continent and until recently, was the number one producer of fish for consumption.

For an overall, diverse cultural and enlightening experience, Angola is an ideal destination. Its expansive and diverse landscape provides a veritable plethora of animals, foliage, foods, and much more. One trip to Angola may even substitute several trips to many other countries that may not be quite as diversified.

To a nation that has a great history and tradition we explore one continent if not the world’s most beautiful countries South Africa. I would like to inform you about South Africa’s geology, topography, rivers, lakes, and mountains. The land mass of South Africa is very old and particularly rich in mineral resources.

The Mountain socle in South Africa was already part of the supercontinent Gondwanaland which, 300 to 100 million years ago broke into many parts that built whole new continents, Africa being one of the nations included. Through the following, millions of years lasting geological shifts, tectonic arching, breaking and the formation of crevasses, the resulting outbreak of volcanoes, depressions, the deposition of gravel and wind and water erosion the geological profile of the land has formed. Since South Africa is located in the west, south, and east surrounded by single mountain ranges is known as the Great Escarpment. In front of the escarpment, there is a partially very narrow coastal strip, which is called the Lowveld. At the Indian Ocean, these coastal plains have high precipitations and are fertile. The western part, however, is, due to the cold Benguela current of the Atlantic, a coastal desert, reaching up to Namibia and Angola. When one crosses the escarpment they come across to central high plateau called the Highveld. The reason why the surrounding mountain chain forms a catchment area for the clouds from the sea, the precipitation on the Highveld is low which can result in arid, semi-desert conditions.

South Africa’s topography has a mean altitude of about 1,200 m (3,900 ft), and at least 40% of the surface is at a higher elevation. Parts of Johannesburg are more than 1,800 m (6,000 ft) above sea level. There are three major zones: the marginal regions, which range in width from 80 to 240 km (50–150 mi) in the east to 60–80 km (35–50 mi) in the west, and including the eastern plateau slopes, Cape folded belt, and western plateau slopes; a vast saucershaped interior plateau, separated from the marginal zone by the Great Escarpment; and the Kalahari Basin, only the southern part of which projects into north-central South Africa.

In South Africa there are only two major rivers in South Africa the Limpopo, a stretch of which is shared with Zimbabwe; and the Orange with its tributary, the Vaal, which runs with a variable flow across the central landscape from east to west, emptying into the Atlantic Ocean at the Namibian border. There are several small rivers run into the sea along the coastline, but none of them are navigable and none provide useful natural harbors. The coastline itself, being fairly smooth, provides only one good natural harbor, at Saldanha Bay north of Cape Town. A lack of fresh water in this country prevented major development here.

South Africa is home to the world’s largest natural lakes and human constructed lakes. Southern Africa’s natural lakes have very diverse origins. Those along the East African Rift Valley  also known as Lakes Malawi, Albert, Tanganyika and Turkana are deep tectonic lakes; some lakes were formed by volcanic action, such as Lake Kivu in Rwanda/Democratic Republic of the Congo. There are also shallow floodplain lakes such as those in the Okavango Swamps. There are deflation basins or pans such as those found in the Kalahari and Panlands of South Africa. Africa’s lakes support important fisheries that sustain millions of livelihoods and contribute to food security.

While exploring the rest of the country you come across South Africa’s Mountain Ranges. These mountain ranges of South Africa are some of the oldest and most beautiful in the world. They include Cape Town’s Table Mountain and KwaZulu-Natal’s uKhahlamba-Drakensberg ranges, plus other wonders like the ancient Magaliesberg and the majestic Cederberg range. The uKhahlamba-Drakensberg is South Africa’s highest mountain range which goes up to 3,000m and spans more than 150km.

As we come to end to our South African tour. This glorious country has so much rich pride to not to be wasted. Come to a country which welcomes newcomers to explore special features we have unlike many countries before us. I learned so much traits about this country that i didn’t know before and if i was anyone who loves adventure South Africa is a place to discover.

Planning a family vacation anytime soon? Already narrowed your options down to the beaches of Florida or Disney World? You should probably reopen your potential options and listen to the opportunities you can experience here in our lovely little Sierra Leone situated on Africa’s western coastline.  Our country offers very diverse attractions ranging from beaches to our famous chimpanzee sanctuary just outside of our capital city, Freetown.

Upon your flights arrival to the Freetown International Airport you can simply head several miles west to our beautiful coast lines and experience the wonderful beaches.  You could choose to stay at our eco-community at John Obey Beach, about 20 miles south of Freetown.  John Obey is a small eco-tourism community situated on about 6 acres of beach and lagoon-front land adjacent to the John Obey fishing village on the Freetown peninsula. Their mission is to build a model sustainable community, provide an unforgettable West African beach holiday and help change the perception of Sierra Leone into one that reflects the reality – a beautiful, safe and captivating country.  If this option is too separated from the rest of civilization then one can simply stay in Freetown and enjoy our Aberdeen and Lumley beach area.  Here is the main beach area of Freetown. The beach stretches about 4km between the Aberdeen and Lumley sections of the city, a ways outside of downtown.  Guest houses are a plenty in both areas, Aberdeen on the East end of the beach, Lumley on the West.  There are many beach-side bars and restaurants along the entire beach with several small places to reside at for your trip.

If you want to adventure to other attractions Sierra Leone has to offer you can visit our Western Area Peninsula Forest Reserve. The forest is part of the Upper Guinean Moist Forest and is the only place in West Africa where its mountains descend directly into the sea. This results in a diverse and rich biodiversity. The forest hosts approximately 85% of the national biodiversity, with several endangered species of mammals and birds.  Also located on the reserve is the Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary. The sanctuary was established in 1995 with initial seed funding from European Union to enforce the wildlife laws and re-home and rehabilitate captured, abandoned and orphaned chimpanzees. They continue to grow in size and currently have over 100 chimpanzees under our care. Thanks to the tireless work of the staff and with the aid of local communities they have essentially eradicated the chimpanzee pet trade in Freetown.  Today a large population of chimps live in the semi wild environment of the rain forest sanctuary and, having given up his career as an accountant, founder Bala Amarasekeran still runs things with the invaluable help of several staff and volunteers. Having survived the rigours of civil war throughout the last decade, during which, though attacked twice, neither staff nor chimps came to harm, the BBC described the sanctuary as “one of the most successful projects of Sierra Leone”.

Eastern Sierra Leone consists of plateaus and the stunning Loma mountain range. This area is globally famous for the vast abundance of diamonds, gold, bauxite, titanium, iron and chromite. Here vast valleys are cut into the mountains by rivers creating these large mineral deposits. Sierra Leone’s highest peak, Mount Bintumani is located in this region and if you are one that enjoys hiking and beautiful scenery, it is definitely worth your time to make the trip to this area.

Why not change that vacation to our lovely little country? You’re time will not be wasted and you surely won’t be disappointed in your experiences here!