The main mountain range of Southern Africa. The Drakensberg rises to more than 11,400 feet (3,475
metres) and extends roughly northeast to southwest for 700 miles (1,125 km) parallel to the southeastern coast of South Africa. Rock and cave art several thousands of years old has been found in the range. There are many game reserves and parks. In 2000 uKhahlamba/Drakensberg Park was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site. The Drakensberg is part of the Great Escarpment and separates the extensive high plateaus of the South African interior from the lower lands along the coast. From its northeastern termination in Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces, the range extends through Lesotho to Eastern Cape province. The range separates Mpumalanga and Free State provinces and Lesotho on the plateau from lower-lying Swaziland and KwaZulu-Natal province near the coast. The Drakensberg is the main watershed of South Africa and is the source of the Orange River.
A time-lapse survey of the Drakensberg mountain range, Southern Africa.
© Martin Harvey (A Britannica Publishing Partner)
Drakensberg mountains, South Africa.
© PG Images/Fotolia
Giant’s Castle Game Reserve, home to Giant’s Castle peak (background), located in the Drakensberg …
© Pat on stock/Fotolia
The most-elevated stretch of the Drakensberg, in eastern and southern Lesotho, is composed of severely eroded basalt capping a sandstone base. Its pinnacles and broken and fractured blocks present a steep eastern scarp (10,000 to more than 11,000 feet [3,000 to 3,300 metres] in elevation) along the length of the border between Lesotho and KwaZulu-Natal; a steep southern scarp (8,000 to 10,000 feet [2,400 to 3,000 metres] in elevation) lies along the length of the Lesotho–Eastern Cape province border. The local Zulu name for the eastern face, Quathlamba, meaning “barrier of pointed spears” or “piled-up rocks,” is an accurate physical description of this part of the Drakensberg. Immediately below the steep scarps to the south and east are sandstone terraces with basalt outcrops and deep valleys running to the sea; this is an area of many game reserves and scenic national parks.
The main mountain range of Southern Africa. The Drakensberg rises to more than 11,400 feet (3,475 
