Karoo 1312499 225597796 2008-07-14T14:08:36Z Sardanaphalus 427947 updating link using [[Project:AutoWikiBrowser|AWB]] {{Onesource|date=December 2007}} [[Image:Karoo ecoregion.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Map of the two Karoo ecoregions as delineated by the [[World Wide Fund for Nature|WWF]]. Satellite image from [[NASA]]. The yellow line encloses the two ecoregions. The green line separates the [[Succulent Karoo]], to the west, from the [[Nama Karoo]], to the east. National boundaries are shown in black. Note that the ecoregions given the name "Karoo" do not coincide exactly with the geographical boundaries of what is traditionally recognized as The Karoo sensu stricto. For example, nobody in southern Africa would hold that 'The Karoo' proper extends into Namibia. ]] {{dablink|This article is about the Great Karoo. For Karoo, the British ISP, see [[Karoo ISP]]. For the glaciation, see [[Karoo Ice Age]]}} The '''Karoo''' (a [[Khoisan]] word of uncertain etymology <ref>''Oxford English Dictionary'', Second Edition, 1989, OED Online</ref>) is a semi-[[desert]] region of [[South Africa]]. It has two main sub-regions - the ''Great Karoo'' in the north and the ''Little Karoo'' in the south. The 'High' Karoo is one of the distinct physiographic provinces of the larger South African Platform division. ==Great Karoo- Extent and History== The Great Karoo has an area of more than 400,000 square kilometers. From a geogical point of view it has been a vast inland basin for most of the past 250 million years. At one stage the area was glaciated and the evidence for this is found in the widely-distributed Dwyka tillite. Later, at various times, there were great inland deltas, seas, lakes or swamps. Enormous deposits of coal formed and these are one of the pillars of the economy of South Africa today. Volcanic activity took place on a titanic scale. Despite this baptism of fire, ancient [[reptile]]s and [[amphibian]]s prospered in the wet forests and their remains have made the Karoo famous amongst palaeontologists. Western people first settled in the Cape in 1652 but made almost no inroads into the Karoo prior to about 1800. Before that time, large herds of [[antelope]], [[zebra]] and other large game roamed the grassy flats of the region. The [[Khoi]] and [[Bushmen]], last of the southern African [[Stone Age]] peoples, wandered far and wide. There were no Europeans and no Africans of Bantu extraction. (The area was never wet enough for cattle and this is probably the main reason why it was never occupied by the Bantu). The two ethnic groups mentioned above differed substantially in their cultures and lifestyles; the Hottentots were described as graziers of [[sheep]] and [[cattle]], while the Bushmen were [[hunter-gatherer]]s. (These were the original names given to these tribes by the Dutch. The terms may not be regarded as politically correct today). With the occupation of the region by European settlers, sheep gradually replaced the game and the cover of grass degenerated, owing to changes in the pattern of grazing and in the climate. Starting in the middle years of the 19th century, a railway track was extended into the Karoo from Worcester in the south. This eventually extended its tendrils to Bechuanaland, South West Africa, Johannesburg, Rhodesia and far beyond. The impact of this railroad on the history of southern Africa is difficult to exaggerate. During the Second [[Second Boer War|Anglo-Boer War]] of 1899-1902, three Republican Commandos, reinforced by the rebels from the [[Cape Colony]], conducted widespread operations throughout the Karoo. Countless skirmishes took place in the region, with the [[Calvinia]] magisterial district, in particular, contributing a significant number of fighters to the Republican cause. Fought both conventionally and as a [[guerrilla warfare|guerrilla]] struggle over the Karoo's vast expanses, it was a bloody war of attrition wherein both sides used newly developed technologies to their advantage. Numerous abandoned [[blockhouse]]s can still be seen at strategic locations throughout the Great Karoo; a prime example is located next to the [[Geelbeks River]], 12 kilometres outside the town of [[Laingsburg, Western Cape|Laingsburg]]. Currently sheep farming is still the economic backbone of the Karoo, with other forms of agriculture established in areas where [[irrigation]] is possible. Lately [[game farm]]s and [[tourism]] have also started to make an economic impact. <gallery> Image:Karoo_P1030660.JPG|Karoo in spring near Laingsburg Image:Karoo_P1030683.JPG|Karoo in spring near Laingsburg Image:Karoo_P1030684.JPG|Karoo in spring near Laingsburg Image:Karoo_P1030687.JPG|Karoo in spring near Laingsburg Image:Karoo_P1030698.JPG|Karoo in spring near Laingsburg Image:Karoo_P1030721.JPG|Karoo in spring near Willowmore Image:Karoo_P1030723.JPG|Karoo in spring near Willowmore Image:Karoo.jpg|A Karoo landscape Image:KarooAbondonedCar.jpg|An abandoned car in the Karoo Image:MatroosbergN1.jpg|Karoo snow above Hex River Pass on the [[N1 (South Africa)|N1]] highway </gallery> ==Little Karoo== As the name implies, the Little Karoo is the smaller (and more southerly) of the two Karoo sub-regions. Locally it is usually called the Klein Karoo, which is [[Afrikaans]] for Little Karoo. Geographically it is a fertile valley (bounded on the north by the [[Swartberg]], and on the south by the [[Langeberg]] and [[Outeniqua]] mountains). Although the boundaries of the region are not strictly defined, most people consider the western limit of the Little Karoo to be in the region of Barrydale and the eastern extremity around Uniondale. The main town of the region is [[Oudtshoorn]]. Other towns/settlements in the region include [[Ladismith]], [[Calitzdorp]], [[De Rust]],and well-known mission stations such as [[Zoar, South Africa|Zoar]], [[Amalienstein]], [[Barrydale]] and [[Dysselsdorp]]. This area was first explored by European settlers in the late 17th century, who encountered only [[Khoisan]] people living in this rather dry area. Modern farming methods have brought productivity and wealth to this district. == See also == * [[Karoo National Park]] * [[Karoo Supergroup]] * [[Karoo District Municipality]] * [[Central Karoo District Municipality]] * [[Karoo Ice Age]] ==References== {{reflist}} ==External links== * http://www.karooinfo.com * http://www.karoospace.co.za {{Geography topics}} {{Physical geography topics}} [[Category:Geography of South Africa]] [[Category:Western Cape Province]] [[Category:Physiographic provinces]] [[af:Karoo]] [[da:Karoo]] [[de:Karoo]] [[es:Karoo]] [[fr:Désert du Karoo]] [[it:Karoo]] [[nl:Karoo]] [[no:Karoo]] [[pl:Karru]] [[pt:Karoo]] [[fi:Karoo]]