Kamiesberge
Encyclopedia
The Kamiesberge is a mountain range of jumbled granite inselbergs or bornhardt
s dotted over sandy plains and centered around Kamieskroon
in Namaqualand
in South Africa
. In appearance the range is very like the Matopos
of Zimbabwe
. It stretches for about 100 km (60 mi) from Garies
in the south to Springbok
in the north and forms a plateau between the Sandveld of the Cape West Coast
and Bushmanland in the east. The region was occupied by Khoikhoi
who were nomadic pastoralists.
The buildings of Kamieskroon were moved from a previous location known as Bowesdorp, named after the village doctor. Steep granite hills and a shortage of water hindered development, so that it was relocated. The foundations of the original village may still be seen in a rocky ravine some 8 km north of Kamieskroon.
The Leliefontein mission station, known for the Leliefontein massacre
in 1902, is located at an elevation of 1 500 m (5 000 ft) on a plateau near the top of the mountains, which attains a height of over 1 700 m (5 600 ft).
The range has a mild climate made moderate by the cold Benguela Current
. Its vegetation is largely Succulent Karoo
with a large number of endemic species. Quiver Trees
and Camelthorn
trees are common with large numbers of Euphorbia shrubs . Also occurring are Ceraria
namaquensis, Euclea
tomentosa, Rhus undulata, Ozoroa
dispar and Tylecodon
paniculatus.
It is unusual among desert areas in that rainfall is relatively predictable, with frost being rare. Rain is usually accompanied by heavy dewfall and fog. Bergwind
s during winter can result in temperatures of 40°C. After a winter of adequate rainfall, springtime brings widespread and spectacular flowering of Asteraceae
and Brassicaceae
species that were dormant, Aizoaceae
and numerous Scrophulariaceae
, Poaceae
, Liliaceae
and Amaryllidaceae
. The region is considered one of 25 global plant biodiversity hotspots and portions were declared protected in 1999 in order to preserve the abundant wildlife and colourful wild flowers. The Goegab Nature Reserve near Springbok is a good place to appreciate the floral wonders of the mountains.
Bornhardt
A bornhardt is a dome-shaped, steep-sided, bald rock outcropping at least in height and several hundred meters in width. A type of inselberg, bornhardts are typically composed of granites or gneisses, though occasionally formed in other rock types such as dacite, norite, limestone, sandstone and...
s dotted over sandy plains and centered around Kamieskroon
Kamieskroon
Kamieskroon is a small town in the Kamiesberg Local Municipality, lying in the foothills of the Kamiesberge at an elevation of approximately 800 m . The town is more or less in the centre of Namaqualand, about 70 km to the south of Springbok, Northern Cape, South Africa...
in Namaqualand
Namaqualand
Namaqualand is an arid region of Namibia and South Africa, extending along the west coast over and covering a total area of 170,000 square miles/440,000 km². It is divided by the lower course of the Orange River into two portions - Little Namaqualand to the south and Great Namaqualand to the...
in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. In appearance the range is very like the Matopos
Matobo National Park
The Matobo National Park forms the core of the Matobo or Matopos Hills, an area of granite kopjes and wooded valleys commencing some 35 kilometres south of Bulawayo, southern Zimbabwe...
of Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
. It stretches for about 100 km (60 mi) from Garies
Garies
Garies is a small agricultural centre situated in South Africa's Northern Cape province about 110 km south of Springbok, the chief town of the Namaqualand district. Current population approximately 1500....
in the south to Springbok
Springbok, Northern Cape
Springbok is the largest town in the Namaqualand area in the Northern Cape province of South Africa. it had a population of 10,294. Springbok is located on the N7 national road which connects the Cape with Namibia, and at the western end of the N14, which connects it with Upington and Pretoria...
in the north and forms a plateau between the Sandveld of the Cape West Coast
West Coast, Western Cape
The West Coast is a region of the Western Cape province in South Africa and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean on the west and the Swartland region on the east....
and Bushmanland in the east. The region was occupied by Khoikhoi
Khoikhoi
The Khoikhoi or Khoi, in standardised Khoekhoe/Nama orthography spelled Khoekhoe, are a historical division of the Khoisan ethnic group, the native people of southwestern Africa, closely related to the Bushmen . They had lived in southern Africa since the 5th century AD...
who were nomadic pastoralists.
The buildings of Kamieskroon were moved from a previous location known as Bowesdorp, named after the village doctor. Steep granite hills and a shortage of water hindered development, so that it was relocated. The foundations of the original village may still be seen in a rocky ravine some 8 km north of Kamieskroon.
The Leliefontein mission station, known for the Leliefontein massacre
Leliefontein massacre
The Leliefontein massacre occurred at the Leliefontein mission station in the Northern Cape, South Africa on 31 January 1902. Boer leader Manie Maritz executed 35 indigenous inhabitants of the settlement as punishment for attacking his party when he went to interview the European missionaries in...
in 1902, is located at an elevation of 1 500 m (5 000 ft) on a plateau near the top of the mountains, which attains a height of over 1 700 m (5 600 ft).
The range has a mild climate made moderate by the cold Benguela Current
Benguela Current
The Benguela Current is the broad, northward flowing ocean current that forms the eastern portion of the South Atlantic Ocean gyre. The current extends from roughly Cape Point in the south, to the position of the Angola-Benguela Front in the north, at around 16°S. The current is driven by the...
. Its vegetation is largely Succulent Karoo
Succulent Karoo
The Succulent Karoo is a desert ecoregion of South Africa and Namibia.-Setting:The Succulent Karoo stretches along the coastal strip of southwestern Namibia and South Africa's Northern Cape Province, where the cold Benguela Current offshore creates frequent fogs. The ecoregion extends inland into...
with a large number of endemic species. Quiver Trees
Aloe dichotoma
Aloe dichotoma, also known as Quiver tree or Kokerboom, is a species of aloe indigenous to Southern Africa, specifically in the Northern Cape region, and Namibia....
and Camelthorn
Acacia erioloba
Acacia erioloba is also commonly known as the Camel Thorn, Kameeldoring , Giraffe Thorn or Mokala . The Mokala National Park in the Northern Cape is named after this tree. The type specimen of Acacia giraffae, proved on closer examination to be a hybrid of A. haematoxylon and the species which...
trees are common with large numbers of Euphorbia shrubs . Also occurring are Ceraria
Ceraria
Ceraria is a genus of succulent shrubs, native to South Africa and Namibia.-Description:They are very slow-growing, semi-deciduous or deciduous, and succulent perennials with a few branches and many small, ovoidal leaves along the stems. Branches are pale-barked smooth with papery cortex. These...
namaquensis, Euclea
Euclea
Euclea is a genus of flowering plants, belonging to family Ebenaceae, the ebony family. The genus includes twenty species of evergreen trees and shrubs, native to Africa, the Comoro Islands, and Arabia. Several species are used for timber, producing a hard, dark heartwood timber similar to...
tomentosa, Rhus undulata, Ozoroa
Ozoroa
Ozoroa is a genus of plant in family Anacardiaceae.Species include:* Ozoroa namaquensis, Von Teichman & A.E.van Wyk...
dispar and Tylecodon
Tylecodon
Tylecodon is a genus of plants in the family Crassulaceae. Until the late 1970s all these plants were included in the genus Cotyledon, but in 1978 Dr Helmut Toelken of the South Australian Herbarium split them off into a genus of their own...
paniculatus.
It is unusual among desert areas in that rainfall is relatively predictable, with frost being rare. Rain is usually accompanied by heavy dewfall and fog. Bergwind
Bergwind
Bergwind is the South African name for a foehn wind, a hot dry wind blowing from the mountainous interior to the coast. It varies from mild to gusts up to 100km/h that cause structural damage...
s during winter can result in temperatures of 40°C. After a winter of adequate rainfall, springtime brings widespread and spectacular flowering of Asteraceae
Asteraceae
The Asteraceae or Compositae , is an exceedingly large and widespread family of vascular plants. The group has more than 22,750 currently accepted species, spread across 1620 genera and 12 subfamilies...
and Brassicaceae
Brassicaceae
Brassicaceae, a medium sized and economically important family of flowering plants , are informally known as the mustards, mustard flowers, the crucifers or the cabbage family....
species that were dormant, Aizoaceae
Aizoaceae
The Family Aizoaceae or Ficoidaceae is a taxon of dicotyledonous flowering plants containing 135 genera and about 1900 species. They are commonly known as stone plants or carpet weeds. Species that resemble stones or pebbles are sometimes called mesembs...
and numerous Scrophulariaceae
Scrophulariaceae
Scrophulariaceae, the figwort family, are a family of flowering plants. The plants are annual or perennial herbs with flowers with bilateral or rarely radial symmetry. Members of the Scrophulariaceae have a cosmopolitan distribution, with the majority found in temperate areas, including...
, Poaceae
Poaceae
The Poaceae is a large and nearly ubiquitous family of flowering plants. Members of this family are commonly called grasses, although the term "grass" is also applied to plants that are not in the Poaceae lineage, including the rushes and sedges...
, Liliaceae
Liliaceae
The Liliaceae, or the lily family, is a family of monocotyledons in the order Liliales. Plants in this family have linear leaves, mostly with parallel veins but with several having net venation , and flower arranged in threes. Several have bulbs, while others have rhizomes...
and Amaryllidaceae
Amaryllidaceae
Amaryllidoideae is the subfamily of flowering plants that takes its name from the genus Amaryllis. It is part of the family Amaryllidaceae, in order Asparagales...
. The region is considered one of 25 global plant biodiversity hotspots and portions were declared protected in 1999 in order to preserve the abundant wildlife and colourful wild flowers. The Goegab Nature Reserve near Springbok is a good place to appreciate the floral wonders of the mountains.