Drakensberg

High school (ages 12+)
Geography

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/drakensberg

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. How high is Drakensberg?3,482 meters (11,424 feet)
2. What is the geographical extent?Over 1,000 kilometers (600 miles) in length
3. What is the key provinces/nations bordered?Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Free State, Mpumalanga (South Africa), and Lesotho
4. What are the Drakensberg mountains?The Drakensberg is a huge mountain range in Southern Africa that looks like a dragon's back. It is part of the Great Escarpment and stretches over 1,000 kilometers, with many steep cliffs and tall peaks.
5. Why do the Drakensberg mountains look like a dragon's back?The jagged peaks and sharp ridges of the Drakensberg resemble a dragon's spine. The name comes from Afrikaans, meaning "Dragon Mountains."

Great Escarpment: A major geological feature characterized by a steep slope or series of slopes separating a plateau from the lower land on one side.
Altitudinal Gradient: The change in environmental conditions, such as temperature and precipitation, with increasing elevation.
Biogeographical Divisions: Areas defined by distinct patterns of plant and animal life, often influenced by geographical features like mountains.
Endemic Species: A species of plant or animal that is native and found only in a specific geographic area.