Landmarks of the Rainbow Nation Quiz

Answer:

As its name suggests, the Republic of South Africa occupies the southern tip of the African continent. It covers an area of 1,221,037 km2 with a coastline of close on 3000 kilometres along both the Atlantic and the Indian Oceans. From the northern borders with Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe to the southernmost point of the African continent at Cape Agulhas, the country contains many natural wonders.

1. Table Mountain is the iconic flat-topped sandstone mountain that rises 1 085 metres above the country's 'Mother City', Cape Town. With its famous tablecloth of cloud, it is one of the most recognized symbols of the country.

2. Robben Island is a flat low lying 5 kilometre square island lying 6.9 kilometres off the coast of Cape Town in Table Bay. It is best known as the place where Nelson Mandela spent 27 years in captivity. The island is a South African National Heritage Site and serves as a museum.

3. Tugela Falls, which is found near Mont-aux-Souces in the Royal Natal National Park in the Drakensberg Mountains, is the highest waterfall in Africa and the second highest in the world. It falls some 950m in five consecutive cascades.

4. Lying some 55 kilometres further south than the famed Cape of Good Hope, the rocky headland that is Cape Agulhas is the southernmost tip of the African continent. As recognized by the International Hydrographic Organization, it is also the dividing line between the Atlantic and Indian Oceans.

5. The Orange River is the longest river in South Africa, flowing westwards from its source in the mountains of Lesotho for 2432 kilometres before it empties into the Atlantic Ocean in Namibia. It forms a large part of South Africa's international boundaries with both Lesotho and Namibia.

6. The Blyde River Canyon in Mpumalanga Province is one of the most visited sites in South Africa. The 26 kilometre long canyon, which has an average depth of 800m, is one of the world's few 'green' canyons as it is filled with lush sub-tropical vegetation. It includes such sites as God's Window, The Pinnacle and the incredible Bourke's Luck Potholes, a natural phenomenon created by the swirling river water.

7. One of the jewels of South Africa, the Kruger National Park is the country's largest game reserve, covering nearly 2 million hectares or 20 000 km2 and is spread across the north eastern provinces of Mpumalanga and Limpopo. It was established in 1898 by the then president, Paul Kruger, and is home to six different ecosystems. The park supports more than 160 mammal and 500 bird species.

8. The Drakensberg Amphitheatre is one of the most dramatic geological features in South Africa. This brooding cliff face, situated in the Royal Natal National Park in the northern Drakensberg range of mountains, extends for over 5 kilometres with cliff faces of 1.2km high along its entire length. This forms a natural amphitheatre with the valley floor nestling some 1.8km below the highest point.

9. The Cango Caves are Africa's largest show cave system and the South Africa's oldest tourist attraction. Situated outside the town of Oudtshoorn in the Western Cape province in the Swartberg Mountains, they comprise a series of hidden chambers carved into Pre-Cambrian limestone by faulting and are estimated to be over 20 million years old.

10. The Cradle of Humankind is the archeological site that houses the densest collection of human ancestral remains in the world. Known as Maropeng, which means 'return to the place of our origins' in Setswana, the site covers some 47 000 square hectares and consists of a series of limestone caves. It is located 30 kilometres northwest of Johannesburg and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999.

The incorrect choices are all natural wonders of Africa in their own right. Mount Kilimanjaro, the continent's highest mountain, and the Ngorongoro Crater are both situated in Tanzania. Victoria Falls is the spectacular waterfall on the Zambezi River on the border between Zimbabwe and Zambia. The unique Okavango Delta is located in the Kalahari Desert of Botswana.