Books

We have found the following books helpful while traveling through South Africa: A family from South Africa, by Jen Green; Artisans around the World: Africa South of the Sahara, Understanding Geography and History through Art, by Susan Rich, et al.; and South Africa, by Tamara L. Britton.

If you would like to recommend books on South Africa, please do so in the comments.

South Africa's Climate

The eastern part of South Africa receives under 10 inches of rainfall each year. The middle part of South Africa receives 10 to 30 inches of rainfall each year. The western part of South Africa receives over 30 inches of rainfall each year.

South Africa's summer temperatures vary from 60 degrees to over 80 degrees, depending where you live. The winter temperatures vary from below 50 degrees to 70 degrees, depending where you live. The temperatures in Durban, where my mom was born, were usually between 70 and 80 degrees in the summer and 60 to 70 degrees in the winter.

My mom has told us that in South Africa Christmas is celebrated in the summer. December is a summer month in South Africa.

Flowers

South Africa's national flower is the protea.
Another flower that is found in South Africa is the bird-of-paradise.

The South African Flag

Animals

South Africa has a lot of different native animals. Many of these animals are found at game reserves, like Kruger National Park. Some of the animals we have seen while traveling around South Africa are:

Lions
Elephants
Giraffes
Ostriches
Springboks
Baboons
Steenboks
Vervet Monkeys
Zebras
The animal photos are courtesy of Pictures of Animals

The Capitals of South Africa

South Africa has three capitals. They are Cape Town, Pretoria, and Bloemfontein. Cape Town is the legislative capital. Pretoria is the administrative capital. Bloemfontein is the judicial capital of South Africa.

The Drakensberg Mountains

The largest mountain range in South Africa is the Drakensberg Mountains (Dragon Mountains). They are 200 kilometers long. The Drakensberg Mountains are a World Heritage Site. The second highest waterfall in the world is located in the Drakensberg Mountains. Searching for the Drakensberg Mountains in Google Images, brings up a lot of pictures of this mountain range.

Wire Toys

Today, we visited Soweto, a township in South Africa. Some of the children in the townships are credited with making the first wire toys. They make wire bicycles, wire people, and other moving wire toys.

I want to learn how to make wire toys.

Where is South Africa?

South Africa is located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa. The Atlantic Ocean is located to the west of South Africa. The Indian Ocean is located to the east of South Africa. Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique are to the north of South Africa.

First Stop: South Africa

We decided to start our journey around the world in South Africa.



The Assumption of the Virgin by Murillo

South Africa is under the patronage of Our Lady of the Assumption.

Please join us tomorrow as we continue to travel through and learn about this beautiful country.