South Africa’s center, Karoo is mostly flat and unpopulated. It becomes increasingly dry as you further your way along the Namib dessert which is northwest. The eastern coastline is the opposite in that it is lush and extremely tropical in climate. Johannesburg is to the North, Highveld to lower Bushveld where the altitude drops and is comprised mostly of dry forest. There is an abundance of wildlife there. The Lowveld east of the Highveld, which reaches to the Indian Ocean, is sub-tropical and has higher temperatures. South Africa also has a sub-Antarctic region Prince Edward islands, consisting of Prince Edward and Marion Island.
The climate is extremely varied due to the country s location. The climate is usually warm and very dry. The winter months very rarely dip below zero Celsius/32F. The coldest part of South Africa is Sutherland in the Roggeveld Mountains. The hottest months in summer average around 30C/86F to 38C/100.4F. To the far North temperatures are on the higher end of the scale. The hottest recorded temperature up to 2010 has been in the Northern Cape and Mpumalanga where the temperature has reached 48C/118F.
The average rainfall around the Eastern Highveld is between 500mm and 900 mm. Often rainfalls within this region can exceed 2000mm. In the Northwest regions rainfall averages 200mm. There is a rainfall line of 400mm. This measurement is utilized for agricultural purposes. Anything to the west of the rain line is more suitable for livestock or irrigated land and to the east is preferably best for growing crops. The usual average rainfall for most of the world is around 860mm. The east and central provinces experience summer rainfall and the western provinces experience winter rainfall.
The country is surrounded by the Indian and Atlantic oceans. The elevation rises steadily inland toward the north. The result of this mix is extreme dessert near Namib to graciously lush tropic along the east coast all the way to the Indian Ocean and border of Mozambique. From Highveld to the east is extreme mountainous region. The very southwest is similar to the Mediterranean Johannesburg is in the center of Highveld and receives 760 mm or 29.9 inches of rainfall. The south-eastern part of the Highveld is the Drakensberg Mountains. .
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