Length 150 km (93 mi) NW/SE Region Southern Africa Elevation 3,482 m Country Lesotho Easiest route Phuthaditjhaba | Width 90 km (56 mi) NE/SW Parent range Drakensberg Peak Thabana Ntlenyana Orogeny Kaapvaal Craton | |
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Listing Mountain ranges of South Africa Countries Lesotho and South Africa Types of rock Bushveld Igneous Complex, Sandstone Similar Drakensberg, Katse Dam, Afriski, Sehlabathebe National Park, uKhahlamba‑Drakensberg Park | ||
The Maloti Mountains, also spelled Maluti (Afrikaans: Malutiberge), are a mountain range of the highlands of the Kingdom of Lesotho. They extend for about 100 km into the Free State. The Maloti Range is part of the Drakensberg system that includes ranges across large areas of South Africa.
Contents
Map of Maluti Mountains, Lesotho
Physiography
The range forms a high alpine basalt plateau up to 3,400 m (11,200 ft) in height. It is located between Butha-Buthe District in Lesotho and the Free State Province of South Africa. The highest point, 3,482 m (11,424 ft) high Thabana Ntlenyana, is located in the north-east of the range. It is the highest peak of Southern Africa, and the highest in Africa south of the Kilimanjaro. The 3,291 m (10,797 ft) high Namahadipiek, the highest mountain in the Free State, is also part of the Maloti Range. The mountains form a continuous upland area of rounded peaks with incised deep valleys on the flanks which drain into the Senqu River. Snow and frost may be found even in summer on the highest peaks.
The sources of two of the principal rivers in South Africa, the Orange River, known as Senqu in Lesotho, and the Tugela River, are in these mountains. Tributaries of the Caledon River, known as Mohokare in Lesotho, which forms the country's western border, also rise here, and the Makhaleng River rises on the flanks of Machache (2,886 m (9,469 ft)).
Protected areas
The Golden Gate Highlands National Park includes parts of the northeastern end of the Maloti Range. Other parks in this high mountain area are the Sehlabathebe National Park in Lesotho and the uKhahlamba / Drakensberg Park spanning parts of both KwaZulu-Natal province and Lesotho. These parks are part of the Maloti-Drakensberg Transfrontier Conservation Area.