Welcome to You Ask Andy

Margaret Snellings age 12. of Sioux a SD

 What kind of climate has South Africa?

Natal Province is in eastern South Africa. Lets drop by one day in March. Chances are. rain and hail are deluging down. The temperature will read 75 degrees. the humidity 65 percent: Summer and the rainy season are coming to an end with a bang. For we are south of the equator. Midsummer is in January and Decembers The winter months are June. July and August. On a return visit in July we should find a dry sunny day. about 65 degrees. Though the night may bring a severe frost.

Natal is envied by other parts of South Africa for its heavy winter rainfall. Other places are dry enough to be deserts. Only narrow coastal areas have enough rainfall to grow crops. South Africa is indeed rich in diamonds. But for every $100 worth of diamonds exported. $150 worth of textiles and foodstuffs are imported.

Africa divides the Indian and Atlantic Oceans The Union of South Africa occupies the southern tip of the great continent. Sailors. hugging the coast. round the Cape of Good Hope between the two oceans. South Africa is a land of stubborn conflicts and stormy history. You may be surprised to learn how small it is. Its land area is less than twice the size of Texas. Its population is only half that of Texas.

Look at the map of South Africa in your gift books. You will see that it lies in tropical and semi‑tropical latitudes. You can figure out its prevailing winds. The trade winds blow in from the Indian Ocean down to latitude 30 degrees south of the equator. The southern tip is swept by prevailing westerlies from the Atlantic.

The westerlies bring winter rains to the south and southwest. The trades bring summer rains to the rest of the land. The heavy rainfall of Natal decreases sadly towards the west. Here we find scrub areas and large tracts of desert.

The main feature of South Africa is the flat land. This high plateau fills most of the country. The low  narrow coastal plains rise in turret s cliffs and steps. The ground levels off in a plain which is from 2 000 feet to 11 feet above the level of the oceans.

In the highest areas. the climate may be cool. damp and foggy. But in the main the climate of the velt is warm. dry and very sunny. Pasture is better in the east where rainfall is greater. At one time zebras. antelopes. ostriches. giraffes and elephants once roamed wild over this pleasant area. Their place is now taken by cattle and domestic sheep.

Extreme weather conditions visit only a few small areas of South Africa. There are frosty nights and sweltering days. There are regions of palms and tropical foliage. Forests climb up some of the damp eastern slopes. But in the main. the climate of that southern land is warm dry, breezy and very pleasant indeed.

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