Eye of the Sahara, Kilimanjaro volcano, Victoria Falls, Emerald City, Giza, Egyptian pyramids - how many natural and man-made wonders the most mysterious continent of the planet - Africa hides!
Dragon Mountains - the pearl of South Africa
Dragon Mountains are one of the most beautiful places on the continent. They have a unique origin. These are massive mountains with steep slopes and weak dissection, formed as a result of the uplift of the earth's crust and the discharge of bas alt.
There are several versions of the origin of the name of the mountains. The stories of the Dragon Mountain tell of the presence of a dragon on its territory, which was seen in the 19th century. Another version of the origin of the name is the presence of haze over the mountains, similar to the flame of a dragon. The most common version is that the name is Dutch, and the Boers gave it, comparing the tops of the mountains with the backbone of the dragon.
Dragon Mountain: a place on the map
Dragon Mountains pass through South Africa from east to west, from the Indian Ocean to the Great Weld plateau. Dragon Mountain is located on the territory of three states: South Africa, the Lesotho enclave, the Kingdom of Swaziland. The length of the mountain range is over 1100 km, the average height is 2000 m. The highest peaks are the mountains Katkin Peak with a height of 3660 m and Thabana-Ntlenyana with a height of 3482 m. The Dragon Mountains, where the most diverse relief is presented, are divided into two parts: hilly, lively (Royal Natal National Park), and high-mountainous, lifeless (Basotho Plateau).
Drakensberg - the territory of nature reserves
Drakensberg is a variant of the name Dragon Mountain. The charm of the Dragon Mountains amazes with landscapes. Here you can see waterfalls and canyons, valleys and cliffs. Dragon Mountain is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Reserves, sanctuaries, national parks occupy a significant part of the mountain range.
Royal Natal National Park is located in the unique landscape of Dragon Mountain. Incredibly beautiful is the southern border of the park - the Amphitheater mountain range, which received its name because of its flat top. This is a natural rock step 8 km long. Near it is the Tugela Falls, 948 m high, which consists of five cascades and is considered the second highest in the world after the Angel Falls.
In Royal Natal Park there is the Santa Lucia Nature Reserve from the World Heritage List - this is an area of 275 thousand hectares adjacent to the oldest lake of the same name on the planet.
The Golden Gate Highlands Nature Reserve - Golden Gate - is also located where the Dragon Mountains are located, closer to the Maluti mountain range. This is a park that got its name for the unusually beautiful golden glow of the Brandwag rock at sunset. The park was created in 1963 in order to protect against destructionsandstones that once served as a refuge for the Bushmen.
Ukhahlamba Drakensberg National Park is another special place on the UNESCO list. The park, located in the Great Ledge zone, is considered the largest in the Dragon Mountains. Rare representatives of flora and fauna have been preserved here, the total number of which is more than 250 species.
Dragon Mountain fauna
The territory of the Drakensberg Mountains is characterized by exceptional nature. This is due primarily to the fact that the mountains serve as a natural barrier to the migration of animals living here and on the inland plateau. The pristine nature has been preserved in the national parks. Ukhahlamba Drakensberg has a pristine belt of alpine and subalpine vegetation, a special region that has the status of a World Center for Endemism and Plant Diversity. The endemic birds of the Drakensberg Mountains are the bald ibis and the bearded vulture, nesting only near the Cathedral Cave (a natural arch that was formed by the action of water on the sand during temperature fluctuations). The yellow-breasted pipit is also a rare endangered species. Cape vulture lives only on the rocks of Ukhahlamba Park. Due to the presence of a large number of rare birds, UNESCO has designated part of the Drakensberg Mountains as an Important Bird Area.
Only in Ukhahlamba Park live such mammals as oribi antelope, Burchell's zebra, black wildebeest. Animals typical of southern Africa also live in the mountains: antelopes (mountain redunk, bush duiker, bushbuck, roe deerantelope), caracal, jackal, serval, leopard, otter, geneta, mongoose.
Flora of the Dragon Mountains
Dragon Mountain is located in the south of the Afromontan botanical-geographical region. Steppes, forests and light forests are widespread here, where the only populations of white-tailed wildebeest and white rhinoceros live. Botanists refer to the high-mountain vegetation as analogues of the Alpine tundra. The east of the mountains is humid, its slopes (up to a height of 1200 m) are covered with tropical rainforests with lianas, evergreen trees, and epiphytes. Prickly shrubs, xerophytes and succulents grow from a height of 1200–1500 m. Above 2000 m there are mountain steppes, green meadows, stone placers. The west of the mountains is covered with savannas and shrubs.
Dragon Mountain Tourism
The unique nature, the unique landscape, the original culture of the locals make the Dragon Mountains attractive for tourists. Drakensberg is interesting for the presence of three national parks and many nature reserves, where rare species of flora and fauna are found. In the mountains there are ancient lakes, beautiful waterfalls, varied relief. History buffs visit the cliffs at Ukhahlamba Park, where paintings by the San people of the Stone Age have been preserved.
There are about 600 such places in the Dragon Mountains. The drawings tell about the way of life of people of that time. Fans of active and extreme recreation have the opportunity to ride the slopes of the Dragon Mountains on a Land Rover or on a horse. The mountains can be viewed from a helicopter window. To hard-to-reach placeswalking tours are organised. Dragon Mountains attract tourists from all over the world, those who are a true connoisseur of true beauty.
