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average width is 30 M. West of the Zwaarteberg the Little Karroo merges into the Great Karroo. Eastward it is limited by the hills which almost reach the See also:

sea in the direction of St See also:

Francis and Algoa Bays. The Great Karroo is of much larger extent. Bounded south, as stated, by the Zwaarteberg, further east by the Zuurberg (of the coast See also:

CHAIN (through the O. Fr. citable, chcene, &c., from Lat. catena)

chain), its See also:

NORTHERN

northern limit is the See also:

mountain range which, under various names, such as Nieuwveld and Sneeuwberg, forms the See also:

wall of the inner plateau. To the south-west and west it is bounded by the Hex See also:

RIVER

River Mountains and the See also:

COLD (in O. Eng. cald and ceald, a word coming ultimately from a root cognate with the Lat. gelu, gelidus, and common in the Teutonic languages, which usually have two distinct forms for the substantive and the adjective, cf. Ger. Kolte, kalt, Dutch koude

Cold Bokkeveld, eastward by the Great See also:

Fish River. West to east it extends fully 350 M. in a straight line,. varying in breadth from more than 8o to less than 40 M. Whilst the Little Karroo is divided by a chain of hills which run across it from east to west, and varies in See also:

ALTITUDE (Lat. altitudo, from altus, high)

altitude from r000 to 2000 ft., the Great Karroo has more the aspect of a vast See also:

PLAIN (O. Fr. plain, from Lat. plenum)

plain and has a level of from 2000 to 3000 ft.

The See also:

TOTAL

total See also:

AREA

area of the Karroo plateaus is stated to be over roo,000 sq. m. The plains are dotted with See also:

low ranges of kopjes. The See also:

CHIEF (from Fr. chef, head, Lat. caput)

chief characteristics of the Karroo are the See also:

ABSENCE (Lat. absentia)

absence of See also:

RUNNING

running See also:

WATER

water during a great part of the See also:

YEAR

year and the consequent parched aspect of the See also:

COUNTRY (from the Mid. Eng. contre or contrie, and O. Fr. cuntree; Late Lat. contrata, showing the derivation from contra, opposite, over against, thus the tract of land which fronts the sight, cf. Ger. Gegend, neighbourhood)

country. There is little vegetation See also:

SAVE, or SAVA (Ger. Sau; Hungarian Szdva; Lat. Savus)

save stunted shrubs, such as the See also:

MIMOSA (so named from the movements of the leaves in many species which " mimic " animal sensibility)

mimosa (which generally marks the river beds), See also:

WILD, JONATHAN (c. 1682-1725)

wild See also:

POMEGRANATE

pomegranate, and See also:

wax heaths, known collectively as Karroo See also:

BUSH

bush. After the See also:

early rains the bush bursts into gorgeous See also:

PURPLE

purple and yellow blossoms and vivid greens, affording striking See also:

EVIDENCE (Lat. evidentia, evideri, to appear clearly)

evidence of the fertility of the See also:

SOIL

soil. Such parts of the Karroo as are under perennial See also:

IRRIGATION (Lat. in, and rigare, to water or wet)

irrigation are among the most productive lands in South Africa. Even the parched bush provides sufficient nourishment for millions of See also:

sheep and goats. There are also, numerous See also:

OSTRICH

ostrich farms, in particular in the districts of Oudtshoorn and Ladismith in the Little Karroo, where See also:

lucerne grows with extraordinary luxuriance. The Karroo is admirably adapted to sufferers from pulmonary complaints. The dryness of the See also:

air tempers the See also:

HEAT (0. E. haktu, which like " hot," Old Eng. hat, is from the Teutonic type haita, hit, to be hot; cf. Ger. hitze, heiss; Dutch, hitte, heet, &c.)

heat of summer, which reaches in See also:

JANUARY

January a mean maximum of 87° F., whilst See also:

JULY

July, the coldest See also:

month, has a mean minimum of 36° F. A marked feature of the See also:

CLIMATE

climate is the great daily range (nearly 30°) in temperature; the Karroo towns are also subject to violent dust storms. See also:

GAME

Game, formerly plentiful, has been, with the exception of See also:

buck, almost exterminated.

In a looser sense the See also:

TERM

term Karroo is also used of the vast northern plains of the Cape which are part of the inner table-land of the See also:

CONTINENT (from Lat. continere, "to hold together "; hence " connected," " continuous ")

continent.

End of Article: KARROO

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