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The Bushveld is a sub-tropical woodland
Tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands

Tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands are a grassland biome located in semi-arid to semi-humid climate regions of subtropical and tropical latitudes....
 ecoregion
Ecoregion

An ecoregion , sometimes called a bioregion, is an ecology and geographically defined area smaller than a "realm" or "ecozone". Ecoregions cover relatively large areas of land or water, and contain characteristic, geographically distinct assemblages of natural community and species....
 of Southern Africa
Southern Africa

Southern Africa is the southernmost region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics, consisting of numerous territories....
 that encompasses most of Limpopo Province and part of the North West Province of South Africa
South Africa

The Republic of South Africa, also known by Official names of South Africa, is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa....
 and extends into western Botswana
Botswana

The Republic of Botswana , is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. Citizens of Botswana are called "Batswana" , regardless of ethnicity. Formerly a British protectorate of Bechuanaland Protectorate, Botswana adopted its new name after becoming independent within the Commonwealth of Nations on 30 September 1966....
 and southern Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe , is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the continent of Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo River rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east....
.

Geography
The elevation of this region varies from 750 to 1,400 m and the annual rainfall from 350 mm in the west to 600 mm in parts of the northeast.






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Waterberg Bushveld
The Bushveld is a sub-tropical woodland
Tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands

Tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands are a grassland biome located in semi-arid to semi-humid climate regions of subtropical and tropical latitudes....
 ecoregion
Ecoregion

An ecoregion , sometimes called a bioregion, is an ecology and geographically defined area smaller than a "realm" or "ecozone". Ecoregions cover relatively large areas of land or water, and contain characteristic, geographically distinct assemblages of natural community and species....
 of Southern Africa
Southern Africa

Southern Africa is the southernmost region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics, consisting of numerous territories....
 that encompasses most of Limpopo Province and part of the North West Province of South Africa
South Africa

The Republic of South Africa, also known by Official names of South Africa, is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa....
 and extends into western Botswana
Botswana

The Republic of Botswana , is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. Citizens of Botswana are called "Batswana" , regardless of ethnicity. Formerly a British protectorate of Bechuanaland Protectorate, Botswana adopted its new name after becoming independent within the Commonwealth of Nations on 30 September 1966....
 and southern Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe , is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the continent of Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo River rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east....
.

Geography


The elevation of this region varies from 750 to 1,400 m and the annual rainfall from 350 mm in the west to 600 mm in parts of the northeast. There are three significant mountain ranges in this region: the Drakensberg
Drakensberg

The Drakensberg is the highest mountain range in Southern Africa, rising to in height. In Zulu language, it is referred to as uKhahlamba , and in Sesotho as Maluti ....
 escarpment
Escarpment

In geomorphology, an escarpment is a transition zone between different physiogeographic provinces that involves a sharp, steep elevation differential, characterized by a cliff or steep slope....
 that forms the eastern border of the Bushveld and runs from Tzaneen
Tzaneen

Tzaneen is a large town situated in the Mopani district of the Limpopo province in South Africa. It is in a fertile region with tropical and subtropical agriculture taking place in a 20,000 km? region....
 in the north to Belfast in the south; the Waterberg range that stretches from Mokopane
Mokopane

Mokopane is a town in the Limpopo province of South Africa. The town was established by the Voortrekkers and named Potgietersrus after the Voortrekker leader Piet Potgieter....
 in the east to Thabazimbi
Thabazimbi

Thabazimbi is an iron mining town in the Limpopo province of South Africa. The town is situated at the feet of the Ysterberg and is surrounded by the Witfonteinrand and Boshofberg with the majestic Kransberg in the background....
 in the west; the Soutpansberg
Soutpansberg

The Soutpansberg meaning "Salt Pan Mountain" in Afrikaans, is a range of mountains in the far north of South Africa. It is named for the Salt pan located at its western end....
 range just north of Louis Trichardt
Louis Trichardt

Louis Trichardt is a town situated at the foot of the Soutpansberg mountain range in the Limpopo province of South Africa. It is in a fertile region where litchis, bananas, mangoes and nut s are produced....
. The latter is the northernmost mountain range in South Africa.

Flora and Fauna


As implied by the region's name, the Bushveld's well-grassed plains are dotted by dense clusters of trees and tall shrubs. The grasses found here are generally tall and turn yellow or brown in winter, which is the dry season throughout most of South Africa. The undisturbed portions of this habitat, such as much of the Waterberg Biosphere
Waterberg Biosphere

The Waterberg Biosphere is a massif of approximately 15,000 square kilometers in north Limpopo Province, South Africa. Waterberg is the first region in the northern part of South Africa to be named as a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO....
, offer many large mammal
Mammal

Mammals are a class of vertebrate animals whose name is derived from their distinctive feature, mammary glands, with which they feed their young....
 species
Species

In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring....
 including white rhino, black rhino, giraffe
Giraffe

The giraffe is an African even-toed ungulate mammal, the tallest of all land-living animal species, and the largest ruminant. It is covered in large, irregular patches of yellow to black fur separated by white, off-white, or dark yellowish brown background....
, Blue Wildebeest
Blue Wildebeest

The Blue Wildebeest is a large ungulate mammal of the Bovid family and one of two species of wildebeest. It grows to 1.7 meters shoulder height and attains a body mass of up to 380 kilograms....
, kudu
Kudu

The kudus are two species of antelope:*Lesser Kudu, Tragelaphus imberbis*Greater kudu, Tragelaphus strepsicerosEtymology ...
, impala
Impala

An impala is a medium-sized African antelope. The name impala comes from the Zulu language. They are found in savannas and thick bushveld in Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, northern Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, southern Angola, northeastern South Africa and Uganda....
 and a variety of further antelope
Antelope

Antelope are ruminant hoofed mammals of the family Bovidae in the order of even-toed ungulates. These animals are spread relatively evenly throughout the various subfamily of Bovidae and many are more closely related to cows or goats than to each other....
 species and other game.

Geology


The Bushveld is one of the most mineral
Mineral

A mineral is a naturally occurring solid formed through Geology processes that has a characteristic chemical composition, a highly ordered atomic structure, and specific physical properties....
-rich regions of the world. This is due to the Bushveld igneous complex
Bushveld igneous complex

The Bushveld Igneous Complex is a large igneous intrusion within the Earth's Crust which has been tilted and erosion and now outcrops around what appears to be the edge of a great Basin ....
, 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
Andalusite

Andalusite is an aluminium Silicate minerals mineral with the chemical formula Al2SiO5.The variety chiastolite commonly contains dark inclusions of carbon or clay which form a checker-board pattern when shown in cross-section....
, chromium
Chromium

Chromium is a chemical element which has the symbol Cr and atomic number 24. It is a steely-gray, Lustre , hard metal that takes a high polish and has a high melting point....
, fluorspar, platinum
Platinum

Platinum is a chemical element with the chemical symbol Pt and an atomic number of 78. Its name is derived from the Spanish term platina del Pinto, which is literally translated into "little silver of the Pinto River." It is in Group 10 of the periodic table of elements....
 and vanadium
Vanadium

Vanadium is the chemical element with the symbol V and atomic number 23. It is a soft, silvery grey, ductile transition metal. The formation of an oxide layer stabilizes the metal against oxidation....
. The complex includes the Merensky Reef
Merensky Reef

The Merensky Reef, is a layer of igneous rock in the Bushveld Igneous Complex in the Transvaal which together with an underlying layer, the Upper Group 2 Reef , contains most of the world's known reserves of platinum group metals or platinum group Chemical element - platinum, palladium, rhodium, ruthenium, iridium and osmium....
, which is the world's biggest source of platinum
Platinum

Platinum is a chemical element with the chemical symbol Pt and an atomic number of 78. Its name is derived from the Spanish term platina del Pinto, which is literally translated into "little silver of the Pinto River." It is in Group 10 of the periodic table of elements....
 as well as platinum-group metals.

Farming


As most of the region tends to be dry, the Bushveld is mostly cattle
Cattle

Cattle, colloquially referred to as cows, are domestication ungulates, a member of the subfamily Bovinae of the family Bovidae. They are raised as livestock for meat , dairy products , leather and as draft animals ....
 and game farming country, with only a few drought-resistant crops such as sorghum
Sorghum

Sorghum is a genus of numerous species of Poaceae, some of which are raised for grain and many of which are used as fodder plants either cultivated or as part of pasture....
 and millet
Millet

The millets are a group of small-seeded species of cereal Crop or grains, widely grown around the world for food and fodder. They do not form a scientific classification group, but rather a functional or agronomic one....
 being farmed, usually under irrigation
Irrigation

Irrigation is an artificial application of water to the soil usually for assisting in growing crops. In crop production it is mainly used in dry areas and in periods of rainfall shortfalls, but also to protect plants against frost....
.

Towns and cities


Towns and cities in the region include:
  • Bela Bela
    Bela Bela

    Bela Bela, previously known as Warmbad is a town situated on geo-thermic hot springs in the Limpopo Province of South Africa. Bela Bela, the Tswana name for the hot springs, produces 22,000 litres per hour at 50?C....
     (formerly Warmbaths)
  • Brits
    Brits, North West

    Brits is a large town and district situated in a fertile, citrus-producing area that is irrigated by the waters of the Hartbeespoort Dam in North West Province of South Africa....
  • De Wildt
  • Haenertsburg
    Haenertsburg

    Haenertsburg is a village situated on the edge of the Great Escarpment in the Limpopo Province of South Africa, on the R71 road between Polokwane and Tzaneen....
  • Hammanskraal
  • Lephalale
    Lephalale

    Lephalale , is a coal mining town in the Limpopo province of South Africa immediately north of the Waterberg Massif. The town was established as Ellisras in 1960 and named after the original farm owners, Patrick Ellis and Piet Erasmus....
     (formerly Ellisras)
  • Louis Trichardt
    Louis Trichardt

    Louis Trichardt is a town situated at the foot of the Soutpansberg mountain range in the Limpopo province of South Africa. It is in a fertile region where litchis, bananas, mangoes and nut s are produced....
  • Mara
  • Modimolle
    Modimolle

    Modimolle, is a town located near the southern edge of the Waterberg in Limpopo province, South Africa. It is a medium sized town that focuses primarily on agriculture and farming as well as wildlife and tourism....
     (formerly Nylstroom)
  • Mokopane
    Mokopane

    Mokopane is a town in the Limpopo province of South Africa. The town was established by the Voortrekkers and named Potgietersrus after the Voortrekker leader Piet Potgieter....
     (formerly Potgietersrus)
  • Mookgophong (formerly Naboomspruit
    Naboomspruit

    Naboomspruit is a town in the Limpopo province of South Africa. It was established in 1910 after tin was discovered here and later platinum. Naboomspruit is named after the profusion of euphorbia trees growing on the banks of a nearby stream ....
    )
  • Musina
    Musina

    Musina is the northernmost town in the Limpopo province of South Africa near the Limpopo River border to Zimbabwe. It has a population of about 20,000....
     (formerly Messina)
  • Northam
  • Pienaarsrivier
  • Polokwane
    Polokwane

    Polokwane is a city, municipality and the capital of the Limpopo province in South Africa....
     (formerly Pietersburg
    Pietersburg

    Pietersburg is one of the larger city and former capital of the Limpopo province, South Africa....
    )
  • Roedtan
    Roedtan

    Roedtan Roedtan is a small town in the Limpopo district, South Africa. The area is known as the Springbok Flats, a reminder of the great herds of Springbok that once populated the plain....
  • Selebi-Phikwe
  • Sun City
  • Thabazimbi
    Thabazimbi

    Thabazimbi is an iron mining town in the Limpopo province of South Africa. The town is situated at the feet of the Ysterberg and is surrounded by the Witfonteinrand and Boshofberg with the majestic Kransberg in the background....
  • Vaalwater
    Vaalwater

    Vaalwater is a small town situated on the Mokolo River in the Limpopo province of South Africa. It lies at the southern edge of the rugged Waterberg Massif, which is a biosphere that contains considerable biodiversity, including numerous large mammals ....
  • Vivo
  • Zion City Moria


See also


  • Geography of South Africa
    Geography of South Africa

    South Africa occupies the southern tip of Africa, its long coastline stretching more than 2,500 kilometers from the desert border with Namibia on the Atlantic Ocean coast southwards around the tip of Africa and then north to the border with subtropics Mozambique on the Indian Ocean....


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