Velds
Topic: World Physical Features and Natural Regions · NCERT: Class 12, Ch 4 "Primary Activities"
Meaning
The Velds are the temperate grasslands of the South African plateau. South Africa lies fairly close to the tropics, but the high land keeps the climate cool, so the grassland here is temperate. The high veld lies at about 1,200-1,800 m, around Johannesburg and Pretoria. Farmers grow maize and wheat on large farms and rear merino sheep for wool. The region is also rich in minerals.
Example
The high veld around Johannesburg sits on the Witwatersrand, one of the world's most famous gold-mining areas. Maize fields and sheep farms surround it.
Don't confuse with
- African savanna (for example, the Serengeti): this is a tropical grassland with a wet and a dry season. The Velds are temperate because they are high above sea level.
- Downs: these are temperate grasslands in south-eastern Australia, not Africa.