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Location |
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The Little Karoo is situated in the Western Cape province of South Africa. The Karoo is a semi-desert region of South Africa. It has two main sub-regions - the Great Karoo in the north and the Little Karoo in the south. |
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About |
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The Little Karoo is the smaller (and more southerly) of the two Karoo sub-regions. Locally it is usually called the Klein Karoo, which is Afrikaans for Little Karoo. Geographically it is a fertile valley (bounded on the north by the Swartberg, and on the south by the Langeberg and Outeniqua mountains). Although the boundaries of the region are not strictly defined, most people consider the western limit of the Little Karoo to be in the region of Barrydale and the eastern extremity around Uniondale. The main town of the region is Oudtshoorn. Other towns/settlements in the region include Ladismith, Calitzdorp, De Rust,and well-known mission stations such as Zoar, Amalienstein, Barrydale and Dysselsdorp. |
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History |
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This area was first explored by European settlers in the late 17th century, who encountered only Khoisan people living in this rather dry area. Modern farming methods have brought productivity and wealth to this district. |
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Climate |
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The Klein Karoo normally receives about 172 mm of rain per year, with rainfall occurring throughout the year. It receives the lowest rainfall of 10mm in January and the highest of 22mm in March. The average midday temperatures for the Klein Karoo range from 18.9°C in July to 32°C in January. The region is the coldest during July when the mercury drops to 4.9°C on average during the night. |
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