Karoo, also spelled Karroo, is a semidesert area in the upland regions of southwestern South Africa. The Karoo lies mainly in the province of Western Cape, but parts of it lie in the provinces of Northern Cape and Eastern Cape. The name Karoo comes from a Khoikhoi expression that means “hard and dry; land of thirst and small bushes.”
The Karoo can be divided into two parts. They are the Little or Small Karoo and the Great Karoo. The Little Karoo is about 37 miles (60 kilometers) wide and 155 miles (250 kilometers) long. It lies between two mountain ranges called the Swartberg and the Langeberg. It is drained by several tributaries of the Gouritz River. The area has warm temperatures with little rain. More than 60,000 ostriches are kept there for commercial purposes.
The Great Karoo is the larger area north of the Swartberg. It is generally dry. A great variety of plants grow in the area. Farmers raise cattle and sheep. In some places overgrazing has caused soil erosion and flooding to become worse. Windmills and isolated farms are characteristic of the region.
Geologically, the Karoo system of rocks consists of shales, sandstone, and mudstone. It is South Africa’s largest geological system, and was deposited 150 to 250 million years ago. Both Karoos were traditionally inhabited by San and Khoikhoi peoples.
