how are Drakensberg mountains related to dragon's teeth
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Drakensberg
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Drakensberg
South Africa - Drakensberg (16261357780).jpg
Highest point
Peak Thabana Ntlenyana
Elevation 3,482 m (11,424 ft)
Coordinates 29°23′S 29°27′ECoordinates: 29°23′S 29°27′E
Dimensions
Length 1,000 km (620 mi) SW to NE
Naming
Etymology Dragon's mountain
Native name
Maluti (Sotho)
uKhahlamba (Zulu)
Geography
Countries South Africa and Lesotho
Geology
Type of rock Basalt and Quartzite
The Drakensberg (Afrikaans: Drakensberge, Zulu: uKhahlamba, Sotho: Maluti) is the name given to the eastern portion of the Great Escarpment, which encloses the central Southern African plateau. The Great Escarpment reaches its greatest elevation in this region – 2,000 to 3,482 metres (6,562 to 11,424 feet). It is located within the borders of South Africa and Lesotho.
A map of South Africa showing the central plateau edged by the Great Escarpment and its relationship to the Cape Fold Mountains to the south. The portion of the Great Escarpment shown in red is known as the Drakensberg.
The Drakensberg escarpment stretches for over 1,000 kilometres (600 miles) from the Eastern Cape Province in the South, then successively forms, in order from south to north, the border between Lesotho and the Eastern Cape and the border between Lesotho and KwaZulu-Natal Province. Thereafter it forms the border between KwaZulu-Natal and the Free State, and next as the border between KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga Province. It winds north, through Mpumalanga, where it includes features such as the Blyde River Canyon, Three Rondavels and God's Window. It moves north again to Hoedspruit in South eastern Limpopo where it is known as 'Klein Drankensberg' by the Afrikaner, from Hoedspruit it moves west to Tzaneen also in Limpopo Province, where it is known as the Wolkberg Mountains and Iron Crown Mountain, at 2,200 m (7,200 ft) above sea level, the Wolkberg being the highest mountain range in Limpopo. It veers west again and at Mokopane it is known as the Strydpoort Mountains.[1][2]
Contents
1 Etymology
2 Geological origins
3 Geomorphology
3.1 Appearance
3.2 Composition of rocks
4 Highest peaks
5 Mountain passes
6 Ecology
6.1 Flora
6.2 Fauna
6.2.1 Fauna of the high peaks
6.2.2 Fauna of the lower slopes
6.3 Conservation
7 Urban areas
8 San cave paintings
9 In popular culture
10 See also
11 References
12 Further reading
13 External links
Etymology
The Afrikaans name Drakensberge comes from the name the earliest Dutch settlers to the region gave it. They called them the Drakensbergen, or "Mountains of Dragons". Several possible reasons for this name include the pointy tops giving an appearance similar to that of the back of the mythical European dragon, old local myths of dragons roaming the mountains, and possible findings of dinosaur fossils (which would have been confused with the remains of dragons).[3]
When most South Africans and visitors speak of the Drakensberg, they refer to the Great Escarpment that forms the border between Lesotho and KwaZulu-Natal, believing it to be a range of mountains extending into Lesotho, more correctly known as the Lesotho Highlands. This highest portion of the Great Escarpment is known as uKhahlamba ("Barrier of up-pointed spears")[4] in Zulu and Maluti in Sotho
Drakensberg is a beautiful mountain range cut by numerous rivers. You can also see Tugela Falls that drops in five free-leaping falls from the eastern cliff.