Africa is the oldest continent on our planet. No wonder it is called the cradle of civilization. The age of the continent reaches 270 million years. But, despite this, Africa has managed to maintain harmony and unity with nature to this day.
The oldest mountains on the continent are the Cape Mountains. Africa is even younger than them. After all, the age of the mountains is 380 million years! These mountain ranges formed before the continent formed as we know it today.
Where are the Cape Mountains?
As mentioned above, this is the oldest mountain system on the continent and the largest. Finding the Cape Mountains on a map is not difficult. It is worth paying attention to the southern part of the African continent. These mountain ranges are considered the territory of the Republic of South Africa and are located in the extreme south of the country.
The Cape Mountains occupy a vast territory of the continent: from the mouth of the Olifantes River to the African city of Port Elizabeth, capturing the Ethiopian highlands.
The Cape mountain system includes such parallel ranges as Langeberg, Matrusberg,Picketberg, Swartberg and others.
Highest Point
The highest Cape Mountain is the Kompassberg peak. It reaches 2504 meters above sea level. His discovery was made by Colonel Robert Jacob Gordon during his campaign, in which he accompanied the governor to the eastern borders of the Cape Colony. This mountain served as a kind of compass for the German colonel and his team and helped not to get lost while traveling through the intricate mountain system. Hence the name - Compassberg.
The second highest point in the Cape Mountains is the Matrusberg Ridge. Its height reaches 2249 meters. On the territory of this mountain range there are numerous green meadows and pastures for livestock. It has a temperate Mediterranean climate, which makes it easy to engage in animal husbandry.
Svartberg mountain range
This mountain range also makes up the Cape Mountains. It runs along the border of the Western Cape Province in South Africa.
Svartberg was popularly called "Black Mountain". Since the area around the mountains is mostly wild and deserted. However, small settlements also settled here. Somewhere around 200 people, no more. The narrow "dead hell" valley, as the locals call it, is located in the very center of the mountains and serves to grow tobacco, grain, tea, and even vegetables and fruits. Communication with the big world is maintained on horses or cars. Swartberg is also known for the pass of the same name and the spectacular Gret Karoo desert.
Vegetable andanimal world of mountains
The Cape Mountains have a very changeable climate. Since they occupy a significant area of the continent, they are distinguished by a rather large originality of natural conditions. Some of the mountains are located near the coast of the ocean, some are on desert lands, and some are covered with green meadows. And the climate here is subtropical and tropical with dry summers and cold winters.
The most diverse and amazing plants grow in this unique climate. More than seven thousand shrubs, heather and other types of ancient plants adorn the Cape Mountains. Beautiful flowers of a wide variety of shapes and types, colors and smells, as if specially created to tempt pollinators.
Rare breeds of sugar birds live here. They fly only in the Cape Mountains and nowhere else. The slopes are full of mice, which, attracted by the smell of flowers, also act as pollinators.
The most beautiful and "intelligent" flower in the Cape is the Deese orchid. She is not only the most beautiful, but also very cunning. While a butterfly or a bee drinks nectar from its buds, it "glues" its pollen to the insect's abdomen.
Rare animals hiding in the Cape Mountains are mountain gorillas. There are only 700 left in the world. So meeting them is great luck.
Mountain problems
The Cape Mountains are a unique combination of fertile soil, stable climate, rugged rock formations and isolated location. However, this beautiful place has its problems. They start at the end of spring. In this periodcold winds subside, the air in the mountains becomes extremely dry, creating excellent conditions for fires, which occur quite often here.
Fires are also not uncommon in summer. They start from rockfalls, and from lightning strikes, and from specially caused arson.
It seems that the only problem with fires is that this destructive force destroys everything around. However, fires sometimes bring not only harm, but also benefit. Thanks to them, glades are cleared, old unnecessary and rotten shoots of plants are destroyed, and the soil is filled with minerals and nutrients that are important and necessary for the mountains.
In addition, the intense heat and hot smoke are also beneficial for plants growing in the mountains. For example, they contribute to the growth of orchids. During fires, thousands of seeds are carried by the wind, giving birth to new generations of plants.
