Topographic maps

South Africa's topography is characterized by a high central plateau, known as the Highveld, which lies at elevations between 1,200 and 1,800 meters (3,937 to 5,906 feet) above sea level. This plateau is encircled by the Great Escarpment, a prominent mountainous feature that includes the Drakensberg Mountains,…

Average elevation: 221 m

Average elevation: 83 m

The province is topographically exceptionally diverse. Most of the province falls within the Cape Fold Belt, a set of nearly parallel ranges of sandstone folded mountains of Cambrian-Ordovician age (the age of the rocks is from 510 to about 330 million years ago; their folding into mountains occurred about 350…

Average elevation: 90 m

Average elevation: 143 m

Johannesburg is located in the eastern plateau area of South Africa known as the Highveld, at an elevation of 1,753 metres (5,751 ft). The former Central Business District is located on the southern side of the prominent ridge called the Witwatersrand (English: White Water's Ridge) and the terrain falls to the…

Average elevation: 1,615 m

Table Mountain is at the northern end of a sandstone mountain range that forms the spine of the Cape Peninsula that terminates approximately 50 kilometres (30 mi) to the south at the Cape of Good Hope and Cape Point. Immediately to the south of Table Mountain is a rugged "plateau" at a somewhat lower elevation…

Average elevation: 583 m

Average elevation: 244 m

Average elevation: 887 m

Gauteng's southern border is the Vaal River, which separates it from the Free State. It also borders on North West to the west, Limpopo to the north, and Mpumalanga to the east. Gauteng is the only landlocked province of South Africa without a foreign border. Most of Gauteng is on the Highveld, a high-altitude…

Average elevation: 1,405 m

Average elevation: 470 m

Average elevation: 502 m

Ekurhuleni lies on the highveld plateau at about 1600 metres in altitude above sea level (asl). The highest elevation is at the Gillooly's Ridge – Bill Stewart Side – Fisher's Hill at 1772 metres asl. The lowest point is at 1552 metres asl. The city is rich in wetlands, pans, streams and rivers. The city…

Average elevation: 1,588 m

Average elevation: 656 m

KwaZulu-Natal has a varied yet verdant climate thanks to diverse, complex topography. Generally, the coast is subtropical with inland regions becoming progressively colder. Durban on the south coast has an annual rainfall of 1009 mm, with daytime maxima peaking from January to March at 28 °C (82 °F) with a…

Average elevation: 777 m

The Cape Peninsula is 52 km long from Mouille Point in the north to Cape Point in the south, with an area of about 470 km2, and it displays more topographical variety than other similar sized areas in southern Africa, and consequently spectacular scenery. There are diverse low-nutrient soils, large rocky…

Average elevation: 53 m

Average elevation: 1,319 m

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Average elevation: 1,605 m

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Average elevation: 854 m

The city lies at an altitude of 1,700 metres (5,600 ft) and this contributes to its cool climate with frosty winters and mild summers. The average annual temperature is around 14 °C (57 °F).

Average elevation: 1,675 m

Average elevation: 1,454 m

Average elevation: 524 m

Topographically, Pinetown is generally hilly with the exception of the central business district which is relatively flatter by comparison to the surrounding suburban areas. The notable high-lying areas in the eastern parts of Pinetown include Cowies Hill and the New Germany Nature Reserve reaching…

Average elevation: 356 m

Situated at an elevation of 1,395 m (4,577 ft) above sea level, the city is home to approximately 520,000 residents and forms part of the Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality which has a population of 747,431. It was one of the host cities for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Average elevation: 1,374 m

Average elevation: 1,158 m

Average elevation: 939 m

Average elevation: 853 m

Average elevation: 37 m

The Free State is situated on a succession of flat grassy plains sprinkled with pastureland, resting on a general elevation of 3,800 feet only broken by the occasional hill or kopje. The rich soil and pleasant climate allow for a thriving agricultural industry. With more than 30,000 farms, which produce over…

Average elevation: 1,499 m

Average elevation: 73 m

Howick is possibly the location of the first crewed flight in the world. Evidence exists that a John Goodman Household flew a self made glider in 1871 and again in 1875 on the outskirts of Howick, close to Karkloof. The actual distance flown and altitude achieved differs from source to source (some sources say…

Average elevation: 1,066 m

Average elevation: 778 m

Average elevation: 180 m

Average elevation: 968 m

The Orange rises in the Drakensberg mountains along the border between South Africa and Lesotho, about 193 km (120 mi) west of the Indian Ocean and at an altitude of over 3,000 m (9,800 ft). The extremity of the Orange River inside Lesotho is known as the Senqu. Parts of the Senqu River freeze in winter…

Average elevation: 966 m

Average elevation: 1,266 m

Average elevation: 1,295 m

The river originates west of Carolina, rising at an elevation of about 1,800 m (5,906 ft) near Breyten in the Ermelo district of the Mpumalanga province. It flows in a general northeasterly direction and reaches the Indian Ocean at Maputo Bay, after a course of some 800 km (497 mi).

Average elevation: 477 m

KwaZulu-Natal has a varied yet verdant climate thanks to diverse, complex topography. Generally, the coast is subtropical with inland regions becoming progressively colder. Durban on the south coast has an annual rainfall of 1009 mm, with daytime maxima peaking from January to March at 28 °C (82 °F) with a…

Average elevation: 950 m

Average elevation: 1,041 m

Average elevation: 853 m

Average elevation: 1,543 m

Average elevation: 7 m

Average elevation: 103 m

Average elevation: 716 m

Average elevation: 1,438 m

Average elevation: 1,493 m

Average elevation: 1,314 m

Pretoria is situated approximately 55 km (34 mi) north-northeast of Johannesburg in the northeast of South Africa, in a transitional belt between the plateau of the Highveld to the south and the lower-lying Bushveld to the north. It lies at an altitude of about 1,339 m (4,393 ft) above sea level, in a warm,…

Average elevation: 1,363 m

Average elevation: 471 m

Average elevation: 95 m

Average elevation: 783 m

The Drakensberg escarpment divides Mpumalanga into a westerly half consisting mainly of high-altitude grassland called the Highveld and an eastern half situated in low-altitude subtropical Lowveld/Bushveld, mostly savanna habitat. The southern half of the Kruger National Park is in the latter region. The…

Average elevation: 1,127 m

Average elevation: 842 m

Average elevation: 969 m

Average elevation: 120 m

Dresden lies on both banks of the Elbe, mostly in the Dresden Basin, with the further reaches of the eastern Ore Mountains to the south, the steep slope of the Lusatian granitic crust to the north, and the Elbe Sandstone Mountains to the east at an altitude of about 113 metres (371 feet). Triebenberg is the…

Average elevation: 204 m

Average elevation: 1,384 m

Average elevation: 395 m

Average elevation: 167 m

Average elevation: 1,536 m

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Average elevation: 1,531 m

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Average elevation: 1,595 m

Umlazi is situated on a series of undulating hills at an average elevation of 101 metres above sea level between the uMlaza River to the north and the uMbokodweni River to the south. Another river running through Umlazi is the Siphingo River which also runs towards the south of the township.

Average elevation: 100 m

Average elevation: 11 m

Average elevation: 1,313 m

Average elevation: 82 m

Average elevation: 614 m

The type of rock of the reef is of some importance, as it influences the range of possibilities for the local topography, which in turn influences the range of habitats provided, and therefore the diversity of inhabitants. Sandstone and other sedimentary rocks erode and weather very differently, and depending…

Average elevation: 2 m

Average elevation: 0 m

Average elevation: 1,286 m

Average elevation: 440 m

Average elevation: 1,319 m