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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. |
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