Knowra Drakensberg Drakensberg The Drakensberg is a mountain range in southern Africa, forming part of the Great Escarpment across South Africa and Lesotho. Its high basalt escarpment rises above sandstone foothills.
Great Escarpment : A vast escarpment system marking the edge of the Southern African plateau. The Drakensberg forms the highest and most prominent section of this continental landform.
Flood basalt : A thick sequence of basaltic lava flows erupted across a broad region over a geologically short interval. Extensive basalt flows built the hard cap that now crowns much of the Drakensberg.
uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park : A protected mountain region in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, adjoining Lesotho and recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its alpine scenery and rock-art shelters represent central features of the range.
ǀXam : A San language once spoken in parts of southern Africa and documented in nineteenth-century records. Accounts and paintings associated with ǀXam-speaking communities inform interpretations of Drakensberg rock art.
Orange River : The longest river in South Africa, flowing westward from the Lesotho highlands to the Atlantic Ocean. Headwaters in the Drakensberg region feed this major southern African river system.
Lesotho : A landlocked country entirely surrounded by South Africa, with highlands covering much of its territory. The range’s highest elevations extend across Lesotho’s mountainous interior.
Basalt : A fine-grained volcanic rock formed when low-silica lava cools at or near Earth’s surface. The basalt cap resists erosion and helps preserve the range’s steep escarpment.
Royal Natal National Park : A protected area in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, encompassing dramatic cliffs and valleys of the northern Drakensberg. The park contains the Amphitheatre, one of the range’s best-known escarpment formations.
San people : Indigenous peoples of southern Africa with diverse languages, histories, and cultural traditions. San communities created the paintings preserved in Drakensberg rock shelters.
Tugela River : A river in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, flowing from the Drakensberg to the Indian Ocean. Its catchment carries water from the range’s eastern slopes toward the coast.
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