Eight killed in Durban storm
- Thread starter Erna
- Start date
[quote author=anart]
is that sort of thing common in that area, Erna?
[/quote]
Not at all! Destructive weather is something fairly unknown to us. South Africa has a fantastic climate, hence the term "sunshine country". There has been occasional flooding in the past, but it's rare and a big deal when it happens. The flooding has increased though (Cape Province and KwaZulu Natal Province). We don't know tornadoes, hurricanes and cyclones. Just an interesting tit-bit; South Africa is often referred to as all the countries within one country, because of our variety of landscapes and climates. We have a dessert (Karoo, Northern Cape), tropical forests (Mpumalanga Province), dry savannah (Free State Province), the Highveld where I live has a dryish climate with Summer rainfall and lots of thunderstorms, compared to the Western Cape with it's Winter rainfall (no thunderstorms and a continuous drizzle that carries on for days), and then Winter snow in the Drakensberg (KwaZulu Natal Province). This can of course be said about the US as well, but if you consider the fact that SA is about the size of Texas, it makes it quite noteworthy.
is that sort of thing common in that area, Erna?
[/quote]
Not at all! Destructive weather is something fairly unknown to us. South Africa has a fantastic climate, hence the term "sunshine country". There has been occasional flooding in the past, but it's rare and a big deal when it happens. The flooding has increased though (Cape Province and KwaZulu Natal Province). We don't know tornadoes, hurricanes and cyclones. Just an interesting tit-bit; South Africa is often referred to as all the countries within one country, because of our variety of landscapes and climates. We have a dessert (Karoo, Northern Cape), tropical forests (Mpumalanga Province), dry savannah (Free State Province), the Highveld where I live has a dryish climate with Summer rainfall and lots of thunderstorms, compared to the Western Cape with it's Winter rainfall (no thunderstorms and a continuous drizzle that carries on for days), and then Winter snow in the Drakensberg (KwaZulu Natal Province). This can of course be said about the US as well, but if you consider the fact that SA is about the size of Texas, it makes it quite noteworthy.
You joke! 
This was really done in the distant past, but for a change the Americans weren't the culprits ;) On ancient maps Africa was depicted much smaller in relation to Europe for political reasons. I can't remember where I read it now, but I'll try and find it.
It would appear as though size does count ;)
_http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DODkBWJFt74
This was really done in the distant past, but for a change the Americans weren't the culprits ;) On ancient maps Africa was depicted much smaller in relation to Europe for political reasons. I can't remember where I read it now, but I'll try and find it.It would appear as though size does count ;)
_http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DODkBWJFt74
Found it! (small print at the bottom of the world map on the wall).
It says:
Then there's a little map with a really tiny South America and underneath it says:
Then there's one map with a gigantic North America which says underneath:
On the 3rd map there's a really tiny little India which says underneath:
The last one has a really tiny China and says:
Wish I could include the pictures, but it's in a glass frame. It's a Peters World Map which claims to be superior in it's portrayal of proportions and sizes. All the continents look thinner than other maps we are used to. You can see here on their website what I mean: _www.petersmap.com
The other info I gave on top has a website address next to it, where I suppose you might find those pics of the disproportionate world maps: _www.newint.org
EDIT: Nope, all the info is on the petersmap website. Very interesting. But I'm going to keep the other link as well. Very good info on there.
The Peters Map and The Mercator Map:
_http://www.petersmap.com/page2.html
It says:
Then there's a little map with a really tiny South America and underneath it says:
Then there's one map with a gigantic North America which says underneath:
On the 3rd map there's a really tiny little India which says underneath:
The last one has a really tiny China and says:
Wish I could include the pictures, but it's in a glass frame. It's a Peters World Map which claims to be superior in it's portrayal of proportions and sizes. All the continents look thinner than other maps we are used to. You can see here on their website what I mean: _www.petersmap.com
The other info I gave on top has a website address next to it, where I suppose you might find those pics of the disproportionate world maps: _www.newint.org
EDIT: Nope, all the info is on the petersmap website. Very interesting. But I'm going to keep the other link as well. Very good info on there.
The Peters Map and The Mercator Map:
_http://www.petersmap.com/page2.html
Miss Isness
Jedi Master
Wow! Africa is huge!! Thanks for sharing that. Just another reminder of how we've barely scratched the surface of all the ways our minds have been controlled for centuries. :O