Blouberg (range)

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Blouberg
Uitsig op Blouberg, Kellermann, a.jpg
Highest point
Elevation 2,040 m (6,690 ft)
Listing List of mountain ranges of South Africa
Coordinates 23°05′0″S28°51′0″E / 23.08333°S 28.85000°E / -23.08333; 28.85000
Dimensions
Length36 km (22 mi)E/W
Width10 km (6.2 mi)N/S
Geography
South Africa relief location map.svg
Red triangle with thick white border.svg
Blouberg
Country South Africa
Province Limpopo
Parent range Soutpansberg
Geology
Orogeny Kaapvaal craton
Age of rock Neoarchean to early Paleoproterozoic
Type of rock Bushveld igneous complex, sandstone
The Blouberg is known for the high endemism of its invertebrates. Number 7 is a specimen of Calommata transvaalica, a spider from the Blouberg Calommata species.jpg
The Blouberg is known for the high endemism of its invertebrates. Number 7 is a specimen of Calommata transvaalica , a spider from the Blouberg
NASA picture of the Blouberg (dark shape, middle right) and the pale Makgabeng Plateau directly to the south of it ISS005-E-15077blouberg-magkabeng.jpg
NASA picture of the Blouberg (dark shape, middle right) and the pale Makgabeng Plateau directly to the south of it

The Blouberg (formerly "Blaauwberg"), meaning "Blue Mountain" in Dutch, is a range of mountains in the Limpopo Province, at the far north of South Africa. It is located in Blouberg Local Municipality, Capricorn District. [1] The mountain is entrenched in the history of the local Northern Sotho people, and they have different names for its various parts. [2]

Contents

The Blouberg forms part of the 'Vhembe Biosphere Reserve', named a biosphere reserve by UNESCO since 2009. [3] This reserve also includes the neighboring Makgabeng Plateau, the Soutpansberg, the northern part of the Kruger National Park, the Makuleke Wetlands and the Mapungubwe Cultural Landscape. [4] The eastern and part of the central Blouberg prominences are enclosed and protected as part of the Blouberg Nature Reserve. A 4x4 track traverses Rapanyan's Neck, the defile that separates these easterly subranges.

Setting

This rocky mountain range rises over a plateau averaging 900 m to the west of the western end of the Soutpansberg range. The Blouberg is topped by massive rocky outcrops resembling castles or fortifications with sheer walls. Its highest point reaches 2,040 m above sea level and is also the highest point of the entire Soutpansberg/Blouberg system. [5] The Brak River (also known as Hout River), a tributary of the Sand River, flows diagonally along the southeastern edge of the Blouberg, [6] separating it from the Soutpansberg further east. Although these two ranges are clearly destinguishable from a geographical point of view, geologically the Blouberg forms part of the Soutpansberg. [7]

Human population

About 117 settlements in its foothills are home to some 161,000 inhabitants, belonging to the Bahananwa nation. [2] Senwabarwana, the economic centre of these villages, is visited by many to do their shopping. During the 19th century they were incorporated into the South African Republic, and the homeland system was introduced during the Apartheid era of the 20th century. [2] Basic infrastructure and developmental needs were neglected, and in the 21st century it remains one of Limpopo's most underdeveloped regions. Many villages experience high unemployment rates, severe poverty or low levels of income despite the area's natural resources. Their isolation is mitigated by their sense of community and connectivity to each other. [2]

Ecology

The vegetation of the Blouberg ranges from sub-tropical veld or savanna at the base, to a type of Afro-montane vegetation related to the Cape Fynbos near the summits. The rocky cliffs are a haven for birds of prey such as the Cape vultures. [8]

The Blouberg, like its larger neighbor further east, the Soutpansberg, is known for a high level of endemism of its invertebrate fauna, such as the Swanepoel's widow butterfly that is found on the southern slopes of the range. [9] [10] The Waterberg flat lizard and a subspecies of the common flat lizard are found in this range.

Rock climbing

The Blouberg is one of the most spectacular rock climbing areas in South Africa. As a rock climbing destination it is famous for its sheer 350 m "Moonshadow" wall. Most of the climbing spots are on private land but climbers can make arrangements to access them through the Alldays Mountain Club in nearby Alldays, Limpopo. [11]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Limpopo</span> Northernmost province of South Africa

Limpopo is the northernmost province of South Africa. It is named after the Limpopo River, which forms the province's western and northern borders. The capital and largest city in the province is Polokwane, while the provincial legislature is situated in Lebowakgomo.

Alldays is a small town in the Limpopo province of South Africa that serves a large area of private game and hunting farms. It has a population of 2,987.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blouberg Local Municipality</span> Local municipality in Limpopo, South Africa

Blouberg Municipality is a local municipality within the Capricorn District Municipality, in the Limpopo province of South Africa, bordering Botswana. It takes its name from the Blouberg, a mountain range located to the west of the western end of the Soutpansberg mountain range, north west of the town of Vivo. Blouberg is home to some of the most spectacular rock climbing in South Africa. The rock climbing destination is famous for its big wall natural climbing with route lengths up to 350m. The vegetation ranges from sub-tropical savanna at the base, to alpine near the summit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Soutpansberg</span> Mountain range in Limpopo, South Africa

The Soutpansberg, meaning "Salt Pan Mountain" in Afrikaans, is a range of mountains in far northern South Africa. It is located in Vhembe District, Limpopo. It is named for the salt pan located at its western end. The mountain range reaches the opposite extremity in the Matikwa Nature Reserve, some 107 kilometres (66 mi) due east. The range as a whole had no Venda name, as it was instead known by its sub-ranges which include Dzanani, Songozwi and others.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vivo, South Africa</span> Place in Limpopo, South Africa

Vivo is a small farming town in the Blouberg Local Municipality of the Capricorn District Municipality in the northern part of Limpopo province, South Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vhembe District Municipality</span> District municipality in Limpopo, South Africa

The Vhembe District Municipality is one of the 5 districts of the Limpopo province of South Africa. It is the northernmost district of the country and shares its northern border with the Beitbridge District in Zimbabwe and on the east with the Gaza Province in Mozambique. Vhembe consists of all the territories that were part of the former Venda Bantustan; however, two large densely populated districts of the former Tsonga homeland of Gazankulu, in particular, Hlanganani and Malamulele, were also incorporated into the municipality, hence the ethnic diversity of the district. The seat is Thohoyandou, the capital of the former Venda Bantustan. According to 2011 census, the majority of the municipality's 800,000 inhabitants spoke TshiVenda as their mother language, while 400,000 spoke Xitsonga as their home language. However, the Tsonga people form the majority south of the Levubu River, while the Venda are the minority south of Levubu at 15%. The Sepedi speakers number 27,000. The district code is DC34.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Waterberg District Municipality</span> District Municipality in Limpopo, South Africa

The Waterberg District Municipality is one of the 5 districts of the Limpopo province of South Africa. The seat is Modimolle. As of 2016, the majority of its 745,758 residents spoke Sepedi, also known as Northern Sotho. The district code is DC36.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Waterberg Biosphere</span> Biosphere reserve in South Africa

The Waterberg is a mountainous massif of approximately 654,033 hectare in north Limpopo Province, South Africa. The average height of the mountain range is 600 m with a few peaks rising up to 2000 m above sea level. Vaalwater town is located just north of the mountain range. The extensive rock formation was shaped by hundreds of millions of years of riverine erosion to yield diverse bluff and butte landform. The ecosystem can be characterised as a dry deciduous forest or Bushveld. Within the Waterberg there are archaeological finds dating to the Stone Age, and nearby are early evolutionary finds related to the origin of humans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Soutpansberg rock lizard</span> Species of lizard

The Soutpansberg rock lizard is a small (40–50 mm) flattened species of lizard in the family Lacertidae. It has been described as a diurnal, rock-dwelling species inhabiting scree and rocky outcrops at altitudes from 900 to 1600 m. It is endemic to the Limpopo Province in the north of South Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mapungubwe National Park</span> National park in Limpopo, South Africa

Mapungubwe National Park is a national park in the Limpopo Province, South Africa. The park protects the historical site of Mapungubwe Hill, which was the capital of the Kingdom of Mapungubwe, as well as the wildlife and riverine forests along the Limpopo River. The Mapungubwe Hill was the site of a community dating back to the Iron Age. Evidence has shown that it was a prosperous community. Archaeologists also uncovered the famous Golden Rhinoceros of Mapungubwe figurine from the site.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blouberg Nature Reserve</span> South African nature reserve

Blouberg Nature Reserve is a protected area situated close to Vivo, west of Louis Trichardt in the Limpopo Province, of South Africa. It covers an area of 9,360 hectares from the eastern portion of the Blouberg mountain range to the savanna near the Brak River, and is founded by Peter Dix but was sold and now managed and administered by the Limpopo Provincial Government.

Langjan Nature Reserve, is situated in Limpopo province, South Africa, on the R521 to Alldays, west of Makhado, close to the Blouberg Nature Reserve

Soutpansberg Conservancy, also known as Western Soutpansberg Conservancy, is a protected area situated in the northern part of the Limpopo province of South Africa. The reserve has an area of about 90,000 Ha and consists mostly in the mountainous terrain of the western part of the Soutpansberg Range. The Brak River, a tributary of the Sand River, flows beyond the western end of the Soutpansberg Conservancy. The Waterpoort, the deep gorge cut by the Sand River across the range is located in the central part of the protected area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kogelberg Nature Reserve</span> Protected area in the Western Cape province of South Africa

Kogelberg Nature Reserve is a nature reserve of 3,000 ha comprising the Kogelberg Mountain Range, to the east of Cape Town, South Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nwanedi Provincial Park</span> Nature reserve in South Africa

Nwanedi Provincial Park, is a protected area in the northern part of the Limpopo province of South Africa. It is located about 20 km east of Tshipise and 35 km north of Thohoyandou, to the west of Kruger National Park. The Nwanedi park has an area of about 11,170 ha and includes a part of the wooded foothills of the Soutpansberg Range. The twin dams, the Nwanedi Dam and the Luphephe Dam, at the confluence of the Nwanedi River and its main tributary, the Luphephe River, are located in the protected area. One of the secrets of the Game Reserve is their spectacular waterfall, known as Tshihovhohovho Falls. The park is well stocked with game, including a fair number of white rhino in its lowveld zone.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Soutpansberg Military Area</span> Military unit

The Soutpansberg Military Area (SMA) Headquarters was situated in Messina in the Northern Province of South Africa. The size of the area for which the SMA was responsible for was approximately 4,040 square kilometres (1,560 sq mi).

Mapesu Private Game Reserve is a game reserve in Limpopo Province, South Africa. The reserve adjoins the Mapungubwe National Park and World Heritage Site, with which it shares a 12.5 km Northern border. The main entrance gate to the reserve is located approximately 7 km east of Mapungubwe's entrance gate. It was established in 2014 and covers an area of over 7,200 hectares. The reserve protects various bird, mammal and tree species and is slated to become part of the Greater Mapungubwe Transfrontier Conservation Area in phase 2 as part of the proposed Limpopo Valley Game Reserve.

Tomomingi szutsi is a species of jumping spider in the genus Tomomingi that was first described in 2013. It is related to the similar Tomomingi holmi, but lives in the grasslands of the Soutpansberg mountain range in South Africa. The spider is small, brown and hairy.

References

  1. ↑ "Seraki Blouberg Route - South Africa - Open Africa". Archived from the original on 2012-01-05. Retrieved 2012-03-23.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Seraki Blouberg Route". openafrica.org. Open Africa. Archived from the original on 12 February 2019. Retrieved 7 December 2015.
  3. ↑ "Vhembe Region named UNESCO's Biosphere Reserve". Archived from the original on 2017-06-20. Retrieved 2012-04-05.
  4. ↑ UNESCO - Biosphere Reserve Information
  5. ↑ Soutpansberg - Introduction
  6. ↑ "About Blouberg". Archived from the original on 2021-01-16. Retrieved 2012-03-23.
  7. ↑ Ecoport Soutpansberg
  8. ↑ Blouberg Nature Reserve, Limpopo
  9. ↑ Schönhofer, A.L. (2008). "On harvestmen from the Soutpansberg, South Africa, with description of a new species of Monomontia (Arachnida: Opiliones)". African Invertebrates . 49 (2): 109–126. doi: 10.5733/afin.049.0206 . Archived from the original on 2012-02-27.
  10. ↑ Haddad, C.R. (2009). "Vendaphaea, a new dark sac spider genus apparently endemic to the Soutpansberg Mountains, South Africa (Araneae: Corinnidae)". African Invertebrates . 50 (2): 269–278. doi: 10.5733/afin.050.0204 . Archived from the original on 2012-02-27.
  11. ↑ New Blouberg RD by Hector Pringle
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