The KwaZulu-Natal midlands is an inland area of

KwaZulu-Natal KwaZulu-Natal (, also referred to as KZN and known as "the garden province") is a province of South Africa that was created in 1994 when the Zulu bantustan of KwaZulu ("Place of the Zulu" in Zulu) and Natal Province were merged. It is locate ...

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

that starts from

Pietermaritzburg Pietermaritzburg (; Zulu: umGungundlovu) is the capital and second-largest city in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It was founded in 1838 and is currently governed by the Msunduzi Local Municipality. Its Zulu name umGungundlovu ...

and ends before the

Drakensberg The Drakensberg (Afrikaans: Drakensberge, Zulu: uKhahlambha, Sotho: Maluti) is the eastern portion of the Great Escarpment, which encloses the central Southern African plateau. The Great Escarpment reaches its greatest elevation – within th ...

mountain range.

Area

There are several small towns located in the midlands, including:

Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States * Richmond, London, a part of London * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, California, ...

Ixopo Ixopo is a town situated on a tributary of the Mkhomazi River along the R56 highway in the midlands of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Background Ixopo was formerly known as Stuartstown, was laid out in 1878 and named after M Stuart, Resident Magi ...

Kokstad Kokstad is a town in the Harry Gwala District Municipality of KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa. Kokstad is named after the Griqua chief Adam Kok III who settled here in 1863. Kokstad is the capital town of the East Griqualand region, as it i ...

, Howick, Merrivale, Hilton,

Lions River Lions River is a town in uMngeni Local Municipality in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa, situated between Lidgetton and Howick in the center of the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands The KwaZulu-Natal midlands is an inland area of KwaZulu-Natal, ...

Dargle The River Dargle () is a river that flows from the Wicklow Mountains in Ireland to the Irish Sea. It forms Powerscourt Waterfall, receives the Glencree and Glencullen Rivers, and later the Glenmunder Stream / County Brook, and the Swan River ...

Lidgetton Lidgetton is a town in uMngeni Local Municipality in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the sou ...

, Balgowan,

Nottingham Road Nottingham Road is a town 19 km south of Mooi River and 59 km north-west of Pietermaritzburg on the R103 road in South Africa. Founded in 1905 and named after the Nottingham Regiment which was stationed there when trouble was expect ...

Rosetta Rosetta or Rashid (; ar, رشيد ' ; french: Rosette ; cop, ϯⲣⲁϣⲓⲧ ''ti-Rashit'', Ancient Greek: Βολβιτίνη ''Bolbitinē'') is a port city of the Nile Delta, east of Alexandria, in Egypt's Beheira governorate. The Ro ...

and Mooi River. The Midlands Meander is several tourism routes that include accommodation, art and crafts, leisure, activities and restaurant stops. Some of South Africa's top private schools are located in the Midlands, including: Cowan House, Clifton Preparatory School,

Treverton Preparatory School and College Treverton Preparatory School and College, situated in Mooi River (Umgungundlovu District Municipality), South Africa, cater for boys and girls of all faiths from Grades 0 to 12 and Post-Matric.As a member of the Independent Schools Association ...

, Hilton College,

Michaelhouse Michaelhouse is a full boarding senior school for boys founded in 1896. It is located in the Balgowan valley in the Midlands of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. History ''St. Michael's Diocesan College'' was founded in Pietermaritzburg in 18 ...

and St. Anne's Diocesan College. The region is also becoming known as a wine-producing region.

Geography

Many parts of the Midlands Meander resemble the Northern European countryside as there are lush green pastures for cattle to graze on, in order to produce milk and cheese and many species of European trees and bushes planted by the English and Dutch settlers.

Climate

The KwaZulu-Natal midlands can be hot and wet in

summer Summer is the hottest of the four temperate seasons, occurring after spring and before autumn. At or centred on the summer solstice, the earliest sunrise and latest sunset occurs, daylight hours are longest and dark hours are shortest, wit ...

, with average temperatures up to 30 °C, while winters are cool and dry, sometimes with

snow Snow comprises individual ice crystals that grow while suspended in the atmosphere—usually within clouds—and then fall, accumulating on the ground where they undergo further changes. It consists of frozen crystalline water throughout ...

and

frost Frost is a thin layer of ice on a solid surface, which forms from water vapor in an above-freezing atmosphere coming in contact with a solid surface whose temperature is below freezing, and resulting in a phase change from water vapor (a gas) ...

, with average temperatures of 6 °C.

External links

Official tourism siteMidlands Meander official site
{{coord missing, South Africa Geography of KwaZulu-Natal

Area

Geography

Climate

See also

External links