Mountain Ranges, Deserts and Landforms of Angola

Geology

The Congo Basin is a large depression within the Congo Craton, making it a patch of relatively recent (Phanerozoic-aged, and mostly Mesozoic and onwards) sedimentary rock within a large, otherwise ancient (Archean-aged) piece of exposed continental crust. The deformation of the craton began as early as the late Cambrian or early Ordovician and continued over the Paleozoic, but the deformation over this period led to rapid erosion of much of the Paleozoic rock, creating a large unconformity. Sediment started to rapidly accumulate in the basin from the Mesozoic (Triassic) up to the present day.

Deposits throughout the Jurassic suggest the presence of a freshwater, lacustrine habitat in the basin, and this continued into the Early Cretaceous.

Climate

The Congo Basin is a globally important climatic region with annual rainfall of between 1,500 to 2,000 millimetres (59 to 79 in). It is one of three hotspots of deep convection (thunderstorms) in the tropics, the other two being over the Maritime continent and the Amazon. These three regions together drive the climate circulation of the tropics and beyond. The Congo Basin has the highest lightning strike frequency of anywhere on the planet. The high rainfall supports the second-largest rainforest on Earth, which is a globally significant carbon sink and an important component of the global carbon cycle.

Averaged across the basin, there are two major rainfall seasons in March to May and September to November.

Ecology and protection

At a global level, Congo's forests act as the planet's second lung, counterpart to the rapidly dwindling Amazon. They are a huge "carbon sink", trapping carbon that could otherwise remain carbon dioxide. The Congo Basin holds roughly 8% of the world's forest-based carbon. Despite this importance, it gets far less scientific attention than the Amazon or the tropical forests of South East Asia. If these woodlands are deforested, the carbon they trap will be released into the atmosphere. Predictions for future unabated deforestation estimate that by 2050 activities in the DRC will release roughly the same amount of carbon dioxide as the United Kingdom has emitted over the last 60 years. A 2013 study by British scientists shows that deforestation in the Congo Basin rainforest is slowing.

History

The first inhabitants of the Congo Basin area were believed to be pygmies, and at that time, the dense forests and wet climate kept the population of the region low, with the prevention of hunter-gatherer society, whose remnants of their culture survive to the present day. Eventually Bantu peoples migrated there and founded the Kingdom of Kongo.Belgium, France, and Portugal later established colonial control over the entire region by the late 19th century.

Geography

Drainage of the desert is by dry black valleys, seasonally inundated pans, and the large salt pans of the Makgadikgadi Pan in Botswana and Etosha Pan in Namibia. The only permanent river, the Okavango, flows into a delta in the northwest, forming marshes that are rich in wildlife. Ancient dry riverbeds—called Ouramba—traverse the central northern reaches of the Kalahari and provide standing pools of water during the rainy season.

A semi-desert, with huge tracts of excellent grazing after good rains, the Kalahari supports more animals and plants than a true desert, such as the Namib Desert to the west. There is little rainfall, and the summer temperature is very high.

Climate

The climate is sub-humid rather than semi-arid in the north and east, where the dry forests, savannahs, and salt lakes prevail. South and west, where the vegetation is predominantly xeric savanna or even a semi-desert, the climate is "Kalaharian" semi-arid. The Kalaharian climate is subtropical: average annual temperature greater than or equal to 18 °C (64 °F), at peaks reaching 40 °C (104 °F) and above, with mean monthly temperature of the coldest month strictly below 18 °C (64 °F), and is semi-arid with the dry season from April to September, the coldest six months of the year. It is the southern tropical equivalent of the Sahelian climate with the wet season during summer.

History

The Kalahari Desert was not always an arid environment. Geological and paleoclimatic evidence suggests that during parts of the late Pleistocene, the region experienced significantly wetter and cooler conditions. Fossil flora and fauna from Gcwihaba Cave in northwestern Botswana indicate that the area supported more abundant vegetation and permanent water sources between roughly 30,000 and 11,000 Before Present (BP), with the most humid period occurring after 17,500 BP. Sediment cores, pollen records, and fossilized animal remains from other parts of the Kalahari, including the Makgadikgadi Pans and Okavango Basin, corroborate these findings, showing evidence of large paleolakes and river systems that once covered much of what is now desert.

Geography

The Huíla Plateau is located in south-central Angola, on the southern extremity of the Bié Plateau. Its southern edge skirts the Namib Desert, and its southeastern edge runs along the Cunene Basin.

Its western edge forms the natural boundary between the Huíla and Namibe Provinces, roughly extending from Chongorói, Benguela Province, in the north, to Onkokwa, Cunene Province, in the south. This edge is characterized by deep escarpments, such as the Tundavala Gap, and is part of the Great Escarpment. Along this edge are the Serra da Leba and Serra de Chela mountain ranges. Beyond this is a desert/beach region along the Atlantic Coast.

The plateau is subdivided into two main plateaus: the Humpata and the Bimbe Plateaus. Lubango, the capital of Huíla Province, sits atop Humpata Plateau.

Geology

The Huíla Plateau sits atop a layer of dolomitic bedrock called the Leba-Tchamalindi Formation, which formed during the Paleoproterozoic. The plateau was once on the shoreline, supported by the presence of reef knolls inside its limestone outcroppings. Over time, heavy erosion and tectonic activity created a karstic landscape. Today, this presents as a vast network of steep ridges, valleys, and cliffs, and subterranean caves, sinkholes, and tunnels.

Climate

The climate of the Huíla Plateau is highly variable. The monsoon lasts from October to April, followed by a dry season during the off months, with an average annual precipitation from 800 to 900 mm (31 to 35 in). Temperatures typically average 17–18°C, with extreme highs of 35–37°C in summer and extreme lows of –2°C in winter. Inside the Tchivinguiro Depression, a valley in the Humpata Plateau, exists a Mediterranean microclimate, which receives markedly more rainfall: approximately 926 mm (36.5 in) per year.

Geography

The Kaokoland area extends south-north from the Hoanib river to the Kunene river (that also marks the border between Namibia and Angola). It is largely mountainous, with the northern Baynes Mountains reaching their maximum elevation at 2039 m. Other notable mountain ranges of Kaokoland include the Otjihipa Mountains (to the north) and the Hartmann Mountains (to the east). The land is generally dry and rocky, especially to the south, where it borders on the Namib Desert; nevertheless, it has several rivers as well as falls. The most notable falls in Kaokoland are the Ruacana Falls (120 m high, 700 m wide) and the Epupa Falls, both formed by the Kunene river. The northern part of Kaokoland is greener, with vegetation thriving valleys such as the Marienfluss and Hartmann Valley.

History

Before colonialism, Kaokoland was mostly inhabited by the Ovambo, Nama, and Herero people. In the second half of the 19th century, a group of Herero crossed the Kunene River, migrating north to what is now Angola, joining with the Bushmen in Southern Angola; the modern day Himba people originated from this Angolan Herero group. In 1884, Kaokoland became part of German South West Africa, and the Namibian Herero people changed much of their habits and costumes as a consequence of German rule. After World War I, South Africa received the mandate from the League of Nations to administer the territory of Namibia, which became, for all practical purposes, a province of South Africa.

Tourism and transportation

After the end of the bush war, Kaokoland has become a common tourist destination in Namibia, due to its proximity to the Etosha National Park (to the south), the unspoiled nature (with several spots suitable for activities such as rafting and trekking), and the opportunity to visit traditional Himba villages. Notable landmarks in the area include the Epupa Falls, Sesfontein, Himba villages, and the Ondurusa Rapids.

Kaokoland is one of the wildest regions of Southern Africa, with very few roads and structures. The only road that is accessible to non-4WD vehicles is the one connecting Sesfontein and Opuwo. Many roads in Kaokoland are often in very bad condition and may even be challenging for 4WDs, especially during the rainy season.