An introduction to South Africa
South Africa really is a whole world in one country. European city life, western culture, modern health care, a well maintained network of roads and a functioning economy are combined with the ancient beauty of the nature and traditional culture of the African continent, which never fails to enchant us with its unique wealth of plants and animals.
South Africa has an essentially dual agricultural economy, comprising a well-developed commercial sector and a predominantly subsistence-oriented sector in the rural areas. Only about 13% of South Africas surface area can be used for crop production, of which just 22% can be classified as high-potential land. Some 1,3 million hectares (ha) are under irrigation.
The most important factor limiting agricultural production is the availability of water. Rainfall is distributed unevenly across the country, with almost 50% of water being used for agricultural purposes.
Primary agriculture contributes about 2,6% to the gross domestic product (GDP) of South Africa and almost 9% of formal employment. However, there are strong backward and forward linkages into the economy, so that the agro-industrial sector is estimated to comprise 15% of GDP. For the past five years, agricultural exports have contributed on average approximately 8% (7% in 2001) of total South African exports.
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Introduction : Morocco
Morocco is situated on the northwestern corner of Africa. Morocco is bordered with Algeria to the east and southeast, Mauritania to the south and to the west by the Atlantic Ocean.
The country is divided into three natural regions;
(1) The fertile northern coastal plaint along the Mediterranean which contains Er Rif, mountains varying in elevation up to about 8,000 ft;
(2) The rich plateaus and lowlands lying between the rugged Atlas mountains, which extend in three parallel ranges from the Atlantic coast in the southwest to Algeria and the Mediterranean in the northeast;
(3) The semiarid area
Sous valley
The semi-tropical Sous valley and the Anti-Atlas mountains are two of the most unique regions of Morocco. The stunning physical beauty of the country, the welcoming Berber people and the availability of cheap flights to Agadir make it an excellent introduction to Morocco.
The people of these regions have a tradition of independence from the central government, as well as an independent culture and language. The regions are dominated by the Chleuh group of tribes who speak the Tachelait Berber dialect. The Chleuh are famous for their industry and business skill, as well as for their very unique music.
The New Democratic South Africa
Only months after taking up office, Frederik Willem de Klerk rang in the end of Apartheid in an historic speech in Parliament in February 1990, and declared himself in favour of a democratic South Africa. The ANC was unbanned. Some days later, Nelson Mandela, the President of the ANC, was released from prison on Robben Island, after 27 years behind bars. Earlier, in secret negotiations the ANC and the government had agreed to refrain from violence and work for a peaceful transition and a new constitution. The process of rapprochement was slow in the beginning, particularly
The Battle of Blood River : South African History
After the Voortrekkers had failed to negotiate with the Zulus the secession of land for settling and grazing, and had endured a number of catastrophic assaults, they assembled at the Ncome River for a decisive battle. On December 16, 1838, 464 Boers under the command of Andries Pretorius defeated more than 10,000 Zulu warriors. The deeply religious Boers did not ascribe the military victory to their technically superior armaments, but interpreted it primarily as a sign of God. Before the battle, they had prayed and made a vow that if
Climatic Conditions in South Africa
South Africa stretches between the 22nd and 34th degrees of southern latitude and hence is part of the subtropical zone. Compared to other regions at that latitude, temperatures in many areas of South Africa are rather lower. The cold Benguela current causes moderate temperatures on the West Coast, and on the central plateau the altitude (Jo'burg lies at 1753m) keeps the average temperatures below 30 degrees Celsius. In winter, also due to altitude, temperatures drop to the freezing point, and in places even lower. Then it is warmest in the coastal regions. Precipitation is to be
