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63-832: The Marico River or Madikwe is a river in Southern Africa . There are a number of dams in its basin. Groot Marico town is named after the Marico River. After it is joined on its right bank by the Crocodile River it is known as the Limpopo River . The river starts off as the Groot Marico River in the Marico Oog ( Eye of Marico in Afrikaans ), near Rustenburg and Swartruggens in

126-645: A UNESCO World Heritage Site due to their pristine wilderness, biodiversity, and enormous bird colonies. The islands were officially recognized by law on 6 August 1956. This overruled the law passed in 1924 that tied the territory with the Government General of France in Madagascar. The French Southern and Antarctic Lands have formed a territoire d'outre-mer (an overseas territory) of France since 1955. Formerly, they were administered from Paris by an administrateur supérieur assisted by

189-599: A district chief, who has powers similar to those of a French mayor (including recording births and deaths and being an officer of judicial police ). Because there is no permanent population, there is no elected assembly, nor does the territory send representatives to the national parliament. The territory includes the Crozet Islands, the Kerguelen Islands, and the Saint Paul and Amsterdam Islands in

252-633: A merging of populations in East and South Africa . Homo naledi likely coexisted with modern humans in Africa about 300,000 years ago. The Kingdom of Mapungubwe (c. 1075–c. 1220) was one of the earliest state in the South African region. It was located at between the Shashe and Limpopo Rivers. The name is derived from either TjiKalanga and Tshivenda . The kingdom is thought to have existed as

315-523: A meteorological station . Iles Crozet contains the Alfred Faure research station that contains about 20-30 people. One of the most populous research stations is the Iles Kerguelen which contains 50-100 researchers at Port-aux-Francais. The Iles Eparses contains a French military garrison and is a spot for meteorology. The Dumont d’Urville station is a vital area for studying wildlife,

378-401: A robust mining sector and comparatively developed secondary and tertiary sectors . Additionally many countries (with the exception of Mozambique and Malawi in particular) have relatively well developed infrastructure. Some of its main exports including platinum , diamonds , gold , copper , cobalt , chromium and uranium , Southern Africa still faces some of the problems that the rest of

441-645: A secretary-general; since December 2004, however, their administrator has been a préfet , currently Florence Jeanblanc-Risler , with headquarters in Saint Pierre on Réunion Island. The TAAF administration, the French Polar Institute Paul-Émile Victor (IPEV) and the French Navy jointly operate the icebreaker Astrolabe which is based out of Reunion. The vessel is used both to bring personnel and supplies to

504-407: A small population of European ( Afrikaner , British , Portuguese Africans , etc.) and Asian descent ( Cape Malays , Indian South Africans , etc.) people in many southern African countries. Further information in the sections of Architecture of Africa : Further information in the sections of History of science and technology in Africa : Some key factors affecting the food security within

567-505: Is a major food producer and exporter in the region. Data on agricultural production trends and food insecurity especially in term of food availability for Southern Africa is readily available through the Famine Early Warning Systems Network ( FEWS NET ) and Southern African Development Community ( SADC ) - Food, Agriculture and Nature Resource Directorate (FARN). However, this data might not fully capture

630-527: Is only limited data on the other Southern African countries. From 2018 to 2021, parts of the region suffered from a period of drought . French Southern and Antarctic Lands in the Indian Ocean  (light blue) The French Southern and Antarctic Lands ( French : Terres australes et antarctiques françaises , TAAF ) is an overseas territory ( French : Territoire d'outre-mer or TOM ) of France . It consists of: The territory

693-550: Is part of the Crocodile (West) and Marico Water Management Area. Dams in the river basin are: Southern Africa Defined by physical geography , Southern Africa is home to a number of river systems; the Zambezi River is the most prominent. The Zambezi flows from the northwest corner of Zambia and western Angola to the Indian Ocean on the coast of Mozambique . Along the way, it flows over Victoria Falls on

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756-644: Is sometimes referred to as the French Southern Lands ( French : Terres australes françaises ) or the French Southern Territories , usually to emphasize non-recognition of French sovereignty over Adélie Land as part of the Antarctic Treaty System . The entire territory has no known permanently settled inhabitants. Approximately 150 (in the winter) to 310 (in the summer) people are usually present in

819-569: Is the dominant economy of the region. Generally, mining, agriculture, the public sector and tourism dominate the economies of Southern African countries, apart from South Africa which has mature and flourishing financial, retail, and construction sectors. Zimbabwe maintains a smaller banking and real estate sector along with what remains of its manufacturing industry, despite a protracted economic crisis . Most global banks have their regional offices for Southern Africa based in Johannesburg . Over

882-602: The Bushveld basin into South Africa. This extends southwest through the Witwatersrand and Northern Cape of South Africa toward the southern coast. Mining activity exists across the eastern region. Diamond mining is found in parts of Botswana and along the Namibian coast. Coal can also be found in central Mozambique, Zimbabwe and northeast South Africa. The climate of the region is broadly divided into subtropical in

945-589: The Comoros , Eswatini , Lesotho , Madagascar , Malawi , Mauritius , Mozambique , Namibia , South Africa , Zambia , and Zimbabwe . In cultural geography , the island country of Madagascar is often not included due to its distinct language and cultural heritage. In physical geography , the geographical delineation for the subregion is the portion of Africa south of the Cunene and Zambezi Rivers: Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa, Zimbabwe, and

1008-686: The Dumont d'Urville Station and for research and patrol duties. The French armed forces also maintain small troop contingents on some of the Scattered Islands in order to protect the French territorial claim. The territory is divided into five districts: According to new law 2007-224 of February 21, 2007, the Scattered Islands constitute the TAAF's fifth district. The TAAF website does not mention their population. The data are not included in

1071-619: The North West Province of South Africa . The source of the river is a large dolomitic hole in the ground with clear water, which is also a spectacular scuba diving spot. It flows northwards as the Great Marico (Groot Marico) and further downstream the smaller Klein Marico River joins forces. For a stretch it is named Madikwene River, but after the Sehubyane River (Sandsloot) joins its left bank, it reverts to

1134-525: The colonial territories led to the independence of new states of Angola and Mozambique as well as Southern Rhodesia , which declared independence as Zimbabwe in 1980. The denouement of South West Africa achieved independence as Namibia in 1990 and the black majority in South Africa took power after the democratic elections in 1994 , therefore ending the Apartheid regime. From the end of

1197-670: The 1820s between Shaka's half-brothers Dingane and Mhlangana due to a succession dispute. Boer settlers began arriving northwards of the Orange River in the 1830s, which led to conflicts between the two peoples and resulted in the Battle of Blood River in 1838. The kingdom fell during the Anglo-Zulu War of the late 19th-century. In the aftermath of World War II , the colonial powers came under international pressure to decolonize. The transfer to an African majority, however,

1260-454: The 1990s these industries have struggled in the face of globalization and cheaper imports from China , leading to job losses particularly in heavy industry , gold mining and textiles . Zimbabwe in particular has seen significant deindustrialization as a result of factors both domestic and foreign. While colonialism has left its mark on the development over the course of history, today poverty , corruption , and HIV / AIDS are some of

1323-459: The Amsterdam and Saint-Paul Islands temperate grasslands ecoregion. The highest point in the territory is Mont Ross on Kerguelen Island, standing at 1,850 m (6,070 ft). Notably, there are very few airstrips on the islands, existing only on islands with weather stations. The 1,232 km (766 mi) of coastline lacks ports or harbors, offering only offshore anchorages. The islands in

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1386-467: The Crozet Islands and Amsterdam Island, respectively. Other threatened bird species with important populations on the islands include Eaton's pintail , MacGillivray's prion , and the Amsterdam albatross , which is one of four bird species endemic to the island group. The French Southern Lands also hold the second largest population of southern elephant seals on Earth, numbering roughly 200,000, and

1449-783: The French Southern and Antarctic Lands at any time, but they are mainly made up of military personnel, officials, scientific researchers and support staff. On 5 July 2019, the Crozet Islands , the Kerguelen Islands , and the Saint Paul and Amsterdam Islands were inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site as the "French Austral Lands and Seas" because of their pristine wilderness, biodiversity, and enormous bird colonies. The French Southern and Antarctic Lands are an overseas territory of France that consist of

1512-409: The French during an expedition led by Jules Dumont d'Urville , who would later have a research station on the island named after him. The entire territory has no known permanently settled inhabitants. It is mainly visited by military personnel, officials, scientific researchers, and support staff. In 2019, the Crozet Islands, Kerguelen Islands, and Saint Paul and Amsterdam Islands were inscribed as

1575-545: The French register, allowing French-owned ships to benefit from more liberal taxation and manning regulations than those permissible under the main French register. However, this register is expected to be replaced by the International French Register (Registre International Français, RIF) in the future. Due to their isolation, the French islands in the southern Indian Ocean comprise one of the last remaining large wilderness areas on Earth. Furthermore,

1638-886: The Indian Ocean receive supplies via the special ship Marion Dufresne, which sails out of Le Port in Réunion Island. Terre Adélie, the Antarctic sector claimed by France, is supplied by L’Astrolabe, which sails out of Hobart in Tasmania. Regarding maritime activity, the territory maintains a merchant marine fleet totaling (as of 1999) 2,892,911 GRT/5,165,713 tonnes deadweight (DWT). This fleet includes seven bulk carriers, five cargo ships, ten chemical tankers, nine container ships, six liquefied gas carriers, 24 petroleum tankers, one refrigerated cargo ship, and ten roll-on/roll-off (RORO) carriers. Notably, this fleet operates under

1701-807: The June–August rainfall maximum in the western cape. Year-to-year variability in rainfall, including drought, is associated with changes in global and regional sea surface temperatures . These include the El Nino Southern Oscillation , the Subtropical Indian Ocean Dipole , and changes in the Benguela Current region in the southeast Atlantic. Future climate projections suggest that much of southern Africa will get hotter and drier in response to global climate change. East and southern Africa are among

1764-882: The SADC region and ensures sustainable energy developments through sound economic, environmental and social practices. The main objective of the power pool is to develop a world class, robust and safe interconnected electrical system across the Southern African Region. According to a report by Southern Africa Power Pool, the three largest producers of electricity in Southern Africa as at 2017, include Eskom in South Africa with an estimated 46,963MW, Zesco in Zambia with 2,877MW and SNL of Angola with 2,442MW. Whilst moderately successful by African standards,

1827-714: The South African border. There are numerous environmental issues in Southern Africa , including air pollution and desertification . Southern Africa is home to many people. It was initially populated by San , Hottentots and Pygmies in widely dispersed concentrations. Due to the Bantu expansion , the majority of African ethnic groups in this region, including the Xhosa , Zulu , Tsonga , Swazi , Northern Ndebele , Southern Ndebele , Tswana , Sotho , Pedi , Mbundu , Ovimbundu , Shona , Chaga and Sukuma , speak Bantu languages . The process of colonization and settling resulted in

1890-818: The UN subregion, these countries and territories are often included in Southern Africa: The Democratic Republic of the Congo is generally included in Central Africa, while Seychelles and Tanzania are more commonly associated with Eastern Africa, but these three countries have occasionally been included in Southern Africa, as they are the SADC members. The terrain of Southern Africa is varied, ranging from forest and grasslands to deserts . The region has both low-lying coastal areas, and mountains. In terms of natural resources,

1953-718: The United Nations geoscheme for Africa, five states constitute Southern Africa: This definition excludes other countries in the region, and instead includes the Comoros, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mayotte, Mozambique, Réunion, the Scattered Islands in the Indian Ocean (as a part of the French Southern Territories ), Zambia, and Zimbabwe in Eastern Africa , Angola in Middle Africa (or Central Africa), and Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha (under

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2016-596: The Western Cape in South Africa, the major rainfall season is during the southern-hemisphere summer, from December to February. In the Western Cape , the rainfall maximum occurs from June through August. There are a number of important rainfall-producing weather systems in southern Africa. These include tropical-extra-tropical cloud bands, tropical lows, and tropical cyclones , cut-off lows , and mesoscale convective systems . Winter midlatitude storms account for

2079-520: The Zambezi and Limpopo river valleys, probably due to the lower altitude. The Western Cape has a Mediterranean vegetation and climate, including the unique fynbos , grading eastward into an oceanic climate along the Garden Route to Gqeberha and East London . The Namib and Kalahari deserts form arid lands in the centre-west, separating the highlands, woodlands, croplands, and pastures of

2142-418: The absence of predators. The territory's natural resources are limited to fish and crustaceans. Economic activity is limited to servicing meteorological and geophysical research stations and French and other fishing fleets. The main fish resources are Patagonian toothfish and spiny lobster . Both are poached by foreign fleets; because of this, the French Navy , and occasionally other services, patrol

2205-491: The biggest factors impeding economic growth. In addition, South Africa and Zimbabwe in particular, face high emigration among their skilled workers leading to a significant brain drain to western economies and billions lost in human capital flight . The pursuit of economic and political stability is an important part of the region's goals, as demonstrated by the SADC, however complete regional integration remains an elusive target. In terms of economic strength, South Africa

2268-481: The border between Zambia and Zimbabwe . Victoria Falls is one of the largest waterfalls in the world and a major tourist attraction for the region. Southern Africa includes both subtropical and temperate climates, with the Tropic of Capricorn running through the middle of the region, dividing it into its subtropical and temperate halves. Countries commonly included in Southern Africa include Angola , Botswana ,

2331-444: The continent does. Despite this, diamond production has fueled the economies of Botswana and Namibia, for example. Over the 20th century, the region developed a robust manufacturing sector, focused on South Africa and Zimbabwe, which allowed greater prosperity and investments into infrastructure, education and healthcare that elevated both nations into middle income economies and captured growing markets across Africa. However, since

2394-414: The earliest regions where modern humans (Homo sapiens) and their predecessors are believed to have lived. In September 2019, scientists reported the computerized determination, based on 260 CT scans , of a virtual skull shape of the last common human ancestor to modern humans , representative of the earliest modern humans, and suggested that modern humans arose between 350,000 and 260,000 years ago through

2457-600: The expansion of supermarkets in the region, which is changing the way people obtain food in the city, rural-to-urban migration, unemployment, and poverty. The issue of food insecurity in general and urban food insecurity in particular in the region is also characterized by an increased consumption of caloric junk food and processed foods leading to potential increase in the co-existence of undernutrition and dietary-related chronic diseases such as obesity and hypertension. In South Africa for example, while over 50% experience hunger, 61% are overweight or morbidly obese. There

2520-487: The first class-based social system within the region. Society was mainly centered around family and farming. The kingdom would culminate to the Kingdom of Zimbabwe in the 13th century. And at its height the capital's population was about 5000 people. There are no written records from the kingdom and what historians and archeologists know of the state is from the remains of buildings. The Kingdom of Zimbabwe (c. 1220–1450)

2583-590: The following: The islands became known in the 16th century, when the Spanish discovered Amsterdam Island on 18 March 1522, which was later claimed and named by the Dutch. Saint Paul Island was discovered in 1559 by the Portuguese. The Crozet islands were discovered on 24 January 1772 by French explorer Marc-Joseph Marion du Fresne during an expedition. Adelie Land was the last to be discovered, in 1840 by

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2646-516: The islands are positioned along the Antarctic Convergence , where upwelling creates nutrient-rich waters. As a result, birds and marine mammals gather on the islands in great abundance. More than 50 million birds of 47 species breed on the islands, including more than half the breeding population of 16 different species. The largest populations of king penguins and the endangered Indian yellow-nosed albatross on Earth are found on

2709-589: The name Marico. It continues flowing northwards, bending northeastwards and forming the border between South Africa and Botswana . Further downstream the Crocodile River joins the Marico River from the right and the name of the stream after the confluence becomes the Limpopo River . About 5 km short of the confluence the Notwane River joins the Limpopo from the southwest. The Marico River

2772-547: The name Saint Helena) in Western Africa , instead. Some atlases include Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe in Central Africa instead of Southern or Eastern Africa. The Southern African Customs Union , created in 1969, also comprises the five states in the UN subregion of Southern Africa. The Southern African Development Community (SADC) was established in 1980 to facilitate co-operation in the region. It includes: Other than

2835-439: The north and temperate in the south, but also includes humid-subtropical , Mediterranean-climate , highland-subtropical , oceanic, desert, and semi-arid regions. Except for lower parts of Zambia and interior areas of Namibia and Botswana, the region rarely suffers from extreme heat. In addition, the winter presents mostly as mild and dry, except in the southwest. Cool southeasterly winds and high humidity bring cool conditions in

2898-573: The other in the south ( Kingdom of Butua from 1450–1683) which was a smaller entity than the former two, the kingdom was governed by the Torwa dynasty and its capital was situated at Khami . Both states would eventually be absorbed by the powerful Shona state, the Rozwi Empire by 1683. The economy was based on cattle herding, farming, and gold mining. The empire lasted until 1866, which came after droughts and instability. The Mthethwa Paramountcy

2961-654: The part of Mozambique that lies south of the Zambezi River. That definition is most often used in South Africa for natural sciences and particularly in guidebooks such as Roberts' Birds of Southern Africa , the Southern African Bird Atlas Project , and Mammals of the Southern African Subregion . It is not used in political, economic, or human geography contexts because the definition cuts Mozambique in two. In

3024-408: The period of colonial rule, imperial interests controlled the economies of the region and South Africa became the dominant economic power in the late 20th century. The 21st century has seen attempts to create unity among nations in Southern Africa. In spite of democracy, violence , inequality and poverty still persist throughout the region. The region is distinct from the rest of Africa, with

3087-782: The reality of a region with large urban populations and where food insecurity goes beyond per-capita availability to issues of access and dietary adequacy. Urban food security has been noted as an emerging area of concern in the region, with recent data showing high levels of food insecurity amongst low-income households. In a study of eleven cities in nine countries: Blantyre , Cape Town , Gaborone , Harare , Johannesburg , Lusaka , Maputo , Manzini , Maseru , Durban , and Windhoek , only 17% of households were categorized as 'food-secure' while more than half (57%) of all households surveyed were found to be 'severely food-insecure'. Some factors affecting urban food insecurity include climate change with potential impact on agricultural productivity,

3150-757: The region has the world's largest resources of platinum and the platinum group elements, chromium , vanadium , and cobalt , as well as uranium , gold , copper , titanium , iron , manganese , silver , beryllium , and diamonds . Southern Africa is set apart from other Sub-Saharan African regions because of its mineral resources, including copper, diamonds, gold, zinc, chromium, platinum, manganese, iron ore, and coal. Countries in Southern Africa are larger in geographic area, except three smaller landlocked states: Lesotho, Swaziland, and Malawi. The larger states- South Africa, Botswana, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Namibia, and Angola—all have extensive mineral deposits. These widespread mineral resources make this one of

3213-679: The region largely lags behind their Asian counterparts in innovation, foreign direct investment, STEM sciences and research and development . Southern Africa has a wide diversity of ecoregions including grassland , bushveld , karoo , savannah and riparian zones . Even though considerable disturbance has occurred in some regions from habitat loss due to human population density or export-focused development, there remain significant numbers of various wildlife species, including white rhino , lion , African leopard , impala , kudu , blue wildebeest , vervet monkey and elephant . It has complex Plateaus that create massive mountain structures along

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3276-875: The regions including political instability, poor governance, droughts, population growth, urbanisation, poverty, low economic growth, inadequate agricultural policies, trade terms and regimes, resource degradation and the recent increase in HIV/AIDS . These factors vary from country to country. For example, the Democratic Republic of the Congo has favourable climatic and physical conditions, but performs far below its capacity in food provision due to political instability and poor governance. In contrast, semi-arid countries such as Botswana and Namibia, produce insufficient food, but successfully achieve food security through food imports due to economic growth, political stability and good governance. The Republic of South Africa

3339-537: The southern Indian Ocean near 43°S, 67°E, along with Adélie Land, the sector of Antarctica claimed by France. Adélie Land, named by the French explorer Jules Dumont d’Urville after his wife, covers about 432,000 km (167,000 sq mi). The islands, totaling 7,781 km (3,004 sq mi), have no indigenous inhabitants, although in 1997 there were approximately 100 researchers whose numbers varied from winter (July) to summer (January). Amsterdam Island and Saint Paul Island are both extinct volcanoes and have been delineated as

3402-576: The third largest population of the Antarctic fur seal . Because of their isolation and subpolar location, the French Southern Lands are relatively depauperate of vegetation, with both Saint-Paul and Crozet having no native tree or shrub species. However, eight of the 36 higher plant species are endemic. Some species of endemic invertebrates have also been recorded on the islands, including moths and flies which have lost their wings in

3465-408: The totals. The Îles Éparses principal station is on Tromelin Island . The headquarters of the district chief lies beyond the TAAF, in Saint Pierre on Réunion Island. The Territory's principal station is Martin-de-Viviès on Amsterdam Island . The capital and headquarters of the territorial administrator lies beyond the TAAF, in Saint Pierre on Réunion Island. Each district is headed by

3528-422: The wealthiest regions of Africa with the greatest potential for economic growth . A chain of mineral resources in Southern Africa stretches from the rich oil fields in northwest Angola, east through the central diamond-mining region in Huambo Province , and into the Copper Belt region of Zambia and Congo. A region of rich mineral deposits continues to the south called the Great Dyke in central Zimbabwe, through

3591-489: The wetter and higher East from the Atlantic Ocean . In addition, the Drakensberg and Eastern Highlands separate the highland areas and coastal plains centred on Mozambique in the north and KwaZulu-Natal in the south, the latter of which are often prone to flooding every few years. In the east, the river systems of the Zambezi and Limpopo basin form natural barriers and sea lanes between Mozambique, South Africa, and Zimbabwe. Across most of southern Africa, apart from

3654-434: The winter. The Namib Desert is the driest area in the region. Altitude plays an outsize role in moderating the temperatures of the South African Highveld , Lesotho , and much of Zambia and Zimbabwe. The prairie region of central and northeast South Africa, the country of Zimbabwe, and parts of Zambia are known as the veldt , divided into the Bushveld and Highveld . There are high temperatures and low rainfall within

3717-424: The years, some the other Southern African nations have invested in economic diversification, and invested public funds into rail, road and air transportation as part of a concerted effort through SADC to boost regional trade and improve communication and transportation. The countries in this region also belong to the Southern Africa Power Pool, which facilitates the development of a competitive electricity market within

3780-489: The zone and arrest poaching vessels. Such arrests can result in heavy fines or the seizure of the ship. France previously sold licenses to foreign fisheries to fish the Patagonian toothfish; because of overfishing, it is now restricted to a small number of fisheries from Réunion Island . The territory takes in revenues of about € 16 million a year. In the territory there is no permanent population but there are some areas that contain research stations. Ile Amsterdam has

3843-466: Was a Shona ( Karanga ) kingdom in what is today Zimbabwe . The capital, which sits near present-day Masvingo , is located at Great Zimbabwe , which are the largest stone structure in precolonial Southern Africa. This kingdom came after the collapse of the Kingdom of Mapungubwe. During the decline of the Kingdom of Zimbabwe, two powers emerged, one in the north ( Kingdom of Mutapa from 1430–1760) which had improved on Zimbabwe's administrative structure; and

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3906-415: Was an African state that emerged in the late 18th-century in the region of present-day KwaZulu-Natal . The state was consolidated and extended under the rule of Dingiswayo who produced a disciplined and highly organised army for the first time in the region. The Zulu Kingdom rose under the leadership of Shaka and covered most of present-day KwaZulu-Natal in the 19th century. Internal conflict arose in

3969-438: Was complicated by the settlement of white peoples . After an initial phase from 1945 to 1958, as a consolidation of white power, decolonization succeeded in its achievement when High Commission territories and overseas departments such as Zambia , Malawi , Botswana , Lesotho , Mauritius , Swaziland , Madagascar and the Comoros became independent states from British and French rule. The brutal struggle for independence in

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