The Bushveld (from Afrikaans: bosveld, Afrikaans: bos 'bush' and ) is a sub-tropical woodland ecoregion of Southern Africa. The ecoregion straddles the Tropic of Capricorn and constitutes the southern part of the Zambezian region. It encompasses most of Limpopo and a small part of North West in South Africa, the Central and North-East Districts of Botswana and the Matabeleland South and part of Matabeleland North provinces of Zimbabwe. The Kruger National Park has a number of 'Bushveld' camps,
Geography
The elevation of this region varies from 750 to 1,400 m and the annual rainfall ranges from 350 mm in the west to 600 mm in parts of the northeast. There are four significant mountain ranges in this region: the
Magaliesberg which runs from
Rustenburg in the west to
Bronkhorstspruit in the east and forms the southern border of the Bushveld; the
Drakensberg escarpment that forms the eastern border of the Bushveld and runs from
Tzaneen in the north to Belfast in the south; the Waterberg range that is in the middle of the Bushveld and the
Soutpansberg range just north of
Louis Trichardt. The latter is the northernmost mountain range in South Africa.
Flora and fauna
As implied by the region's name, the Bushveld's grassy plains are dotted by dense clusters of trees and tall shrubs. The grasses found here are generally tall and turn brown or pale in
winter (May to August), which is the dry season throughout most of Southern Africa. The undisturbed portions of this habitat, such as much of the Waterberg Biosphere, are home to many large
mammal species including
white rhino,
black rhino,
giraffe,
blue wildebeest,
kudu,
impala and a variety of additional
antelope species and other game.
Geology
The Bushveld is one of the most
mineral-rich regions of the world. This is due to the Bushveld igneous complex, an extremely rich saucer-shaped geological formation that stretches over more than 50,000 square kilometers. This formation contains most of the world's reserves of minerals such as
andalusite,
chromium,
fluorspar,
platinum and
vanadium. The complex includes the
Merensky Reef, which is the world's biggest source of
platinum as well as platinum-group metals.
Farming
As most of the region tends to be dry, the Bushveld is mostly
beef cattle and
game farm country, with only a few drought-resistant crops such as
sorghum and
millet being farmed, usually under
irrigation.
Middleveld
The term
Middleveld is sometimes used to describe land lying between an elevation of
and has been treated as synonymous with the term
Bushveld.
Towns and cities
Towns and cities in the region include:
See also
-
Geography of South Africa
-
Hlane Royal National Park
-
Jock of the Bushveld
External links
