Karoo

The Karoo is a semi-desert region of South Africa. It has two main sub-regions - the Great Karoo and the Little Karoo.

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The Great Karoo has an area of more than 400,000 square kilometers. A vast inland sea covered this region approximately 250 million years ago, but as the world's climate gradually changed from cold to hot the water evaporated leaving a swamp where reptiles and amphibians prospered.

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In recent history - less than two hundred years ago - large herds of antelope and zebras still roamed the Karoo's grass flats. The Hottentots and Bushmen, last of the Southern African Stone Age peoples, shared what they called the "Place of Great Dryness" (from which the name "Karoo" is derived). The two groups differed substantially in their cultures and lifestyles; the Hottentots were sheep and cattle farmers while the Bushmen were classic hunter-gatherers. With the occupation of the region by European settler stock farmers the sheep gradually replaced the game, while the grass receded due to the changed grazing and weather patterns.

Desert: In geography, a desert is a landscape form or region that receives little precipitation, less than 250 mm per year.. Deserts have a reputation for supporting very little life. Compared to wetter regions this may be true, although upon closer examination, deserts often harbor a wealth of life that us...

South Africa: :This article is about the country called South Africa. For the region, see southern Africa....

Reptiles: REDIRECT Reptile...