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Mpumalanga means east or literally "the place where the sun rises" in Swazi, Xhosa, and Zulu. Mpumalanga lies in eastern South Africa, north of KwaZulu-Natal and bordering Swaziland and Mozambique. In the north it borders on Limpopo, to the west Gauteng, to the southwest the Free State and to the south KwaZulu-Natal. The capital is Nelspruit.
Geography
The Drakensberg Escarpment divides Mpumalanga into a westerly half consisting mainly of high-altitude grassland called the Highveld and an eastern half situated in low altitude subtropical Lowveld/Bushveld, mostly savanna habitat. The southern half of the Kruger National Park is situated in the latter region. The Drakensberg exceeds heights of 2000m in most places with this central region of Mpumalanga being very mountainous.
Climate
The Lowveld is subtropical, due to its proximity to the warm Indian Ocean and latitude. The Highveld is comparatively much cooler, due to its altitude of 2300m to 1700m above sea level. The Drakensberg Escarpment receives the most precipitation, with all other areas being moderately well-watered by mostly summer thunderstorms. The Highveld often experiences severe frost, whilst the Lowveld is mostly frost-free. Winter rainfall is rare, except for some drizzle on the escarpment. The differences in climate are demonstrated below by the capital, Nelspruit, which is in the Lowveld, located just an hour from Belfast on the Highveld.
Nelspruit averages: January maximum: 29°C (min: 19°C), July maximum: 23°C (min: 6°C), annual precipitation: 767 mm
Belfast averages: January maximum: 23°C (min: 12°C), June maximum: 15°C (min: 1°C), annual precipitation: 878 mm
Tourism
Mpumalanga is also a popular tourism destination. Kruger National Park, established in 1898 for the protection of Lowveld wildlife, covering 20,000 square kilometres (7,800 square miles), is a popular destination.The other major tourist attractions include the Sudwala Caves and the Blyde River Canyon. The towns in the Lowveld, comprise of Barberton, Nelspruit, White River, Sabie, Graskop,Hazyview, Malelane, Pilgrim's Rest, Lydenburg and Nkomazi.
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