Southern Africa

This article concerns the region in Africa. For the present-day country in this region, see South Africa; for the former country, see South African Republic.

██ Southern Africa (UN subregion) ██ geographic, including above ██ Southern African Development Community (SADC)

Southern Africa is the southernmost region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. Within the region are numerous territories – including the Republic of South Africa, a successor country to the South African Republic (Transvaal Republic). In the UN scheme of geographic regions, five countries constitute Southern Africa:

• Botswana
• Lesotho
• Namibia
• South Africa
• Swaziland

The region is often reckoned to include other territories:

• Angola – also included in Central Africa
• Mozambique and Madagascar – also included in Eastern Africa
• Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe – sometimes included in Southern Africa and formerly of the Central African Federation
• Comoros, Mauritius, Seychelles, Mayotte, and Réunion – small island territories in the Indian Ocean east of the African mainland

The Democratic Republic of the Congo and Tanzania, though more commonly reckoned in Central and Eastern Africa respectively, are occasionally included in Southern Africa. Apropos, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) was established in 1980 to facilitate co-operation in the region, which includes all of the above except Comoros (totalling 15 members).

The Southern African Customs Union (SACU), created in 1969, comprises the five countries in the UN subregion of Southern Africa.

The term Southern Africa was also used to refer to South Africa and the "independent" Bantustans that were re-incorporated into South Africa following the end of Apartheid in 1994. ^{[citation needed]}

Another geographic delineation for the region is the portion of Africa south of the Cunene and Zambezi rivers – that is, South Africa, Lesotho, Swaziland, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe and the southern half of Mozambique. This definition is most commonly used in South Africa. ^{[citation needed]}

Background

Geographically, South Africa is defined through a series of plateaus that stretch across South Africa, Namibia, and Botswana and the central portion of Angola. Within the plateaus, a wide variety of notable ecoregions exist, ranging from the grasslands in southern Zimbabwe to the vast Kalahari desert. The Kalahari desert is featured in the South African plateau, and eventually rises to become the Great Escarpment. The area is defined by the sharp line of the Great Escarpment, which continues almost unbroken from the Zambezi River to Angola. Another notable mountain range in the region is the Drakensberg range. This range boasts the highest point in South Africa, found at Mount Ntlenyana in Lesthoso.

South Africa hosts a wide variety of wildlife, although the animal population varies depending on the location within the region. In the semiarid plateaus that cover most of the region, Southern Africa exhibits much of the big game wildlife seen in the northeastern portions of the African continent ,in particular antelopes, gazelles, zebras, elephants, and the big cats. Coastal areas of southern Africa do not host the same varieties of big game that can survive on the plateaus.

In terms of natural resources, the region has the world's largest resources of platinum and the platinum group elements, chromium, vanadium, and cobalt, as well as uranium, gold, titanium, iron and diamonds.

The region has a broad diversity of ecoregions including grassland, bushveld, karoo, savanna and riparian zones. Even though considerable disturbance has occurred in some regions from habitat loss due to human overpopulation, there remain significant numbers of various wildlife species, including White Rhino, lion, leopard, impala, kudu, Blue Wildebeest, Vervet monkey and elephant.

Culture and Religion

The region is distinct from the rest of Africa, with some of its main exports including platinum, diamonds, gold, and uranium, but it is similar in that it shares some of the problems of the rest of the continent. While colonialism has left its mark on the development over the course of history, today poverty, corruption, and HIV/AIDS are some of the biggest factors impeding economic growth. The pursuit of economic and political stability is an important part of the region's goals, as demonstrated by the SADC.

Southern Africa is home to many cultures and peoples. African tribes of the area include the Zulu, Xhosa, Ndebele, Tswana, Pedi, Venda, Sotho, San, Tsonga and Shona people (though this list is far from exhaustive). The process of colonization and settling resulted in a significant population of European and Indian descent in many southern African countries.

References

ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

• Davidson, Basil. West Africa Before the Colonial Era: A History to 1850. Essex: Pearson Education Limited, 1998. ISBN 0582318521
• Lewis, Brenda Ralph. Great Civilizations. Bath: Parragon Book Publishing, 1999. ISBN 0752561413
• Costantino, Maria. The Illustrated Flag Handbook. New York: Gramercy Books, 2001. ISBN 0517218100
• Encyclopedia Britannica Retrieved July 13, 2007.

Credits

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