| You are here >> South Africa >> Western Cape - Cape Town >> Karoo |
| Karoo |
| Area Info: Western Cape | Cape Town | Cape Town Atlantic Seaboard | Cape Town City Bowl | Cape Winelands | Northern Suburbs | Breede River Valley | Cape Helderberg | Cape Overberg | Karoo | Swartland :: |
| Accommodation Listing: Western Cape Hotels | Cape Town Hotels | Cape Town Atlantic Seaboard Hotels | Cape Town City Bowl Hotels | Cape Winelands Hotels | Northern Suburbs Hotels | Breede River Valley Hotels | Cape Helderberg Hotels | Cape Overberg Hotels | Karoo Hotels | Swartland Hotels :: |
 |
 |
 |
Welcome
Except for the fynbos vegetation of the Cape, the flora of the central South African high-plateau is dominated by the wide steppe vegetation of the Karoo. The area takes its name from the Bushmen who once roamed through the wide land, which was their hunting and grazing ground. They called the land "kurù", meaning "dry" or "rough".
The infinite openness and still silence are captivating time and again, but unfortunately Western man has left his mark here as well. Sheep from the many farms have overgrazed the land. Consequently, the original vegetation, mainly silvery shimmering grasses that keep the soil from drying out, have disappeared in many places. In the last 100 years, the Karoo has more than doubled its extension, and still today the semi-desert spreads into the bordering savannah.
Due to the average altitude of 1200 m of the central Karoo, temperatures in summer are usually bearable, although the thermometer reading can sometimes go well over 40 degrees Celsius. The Karoo gets as little as 300 - 500 mm of rain annually, which falls mainly in summer. The winter months are almost completely dry. |
|
|
| |