Today, 11 December, marks International Mountain Day. Home to one of the most iconic mountains in the world, Cableway and Geological Society of South Africa have put together an infographic revealing the geological secrets of our ancient Cape Town wonder.
Join in on celebrating South Africa’s New7Wonder of Nature using the hashtag #InternationalMountainDay.
Did you know?
- Table Mountain started eroding about 130-million years ago when the Supercontinent Gondwana started to split up, causing our then-near neighbour, South America to start a slow but sure westward journey, over the western horizon, to form the South Atlantic Ocean, which is now 7000km wide.
- Our mountain is part of the Cape Floristic Region World Heritage Site, with Table Mountain National Park being home to an incredible 8200 plant species – of which 80% are Fynbos.
- At its highest point (Maclear’s Beacon) Table Mountain sits at 1085m above sea level.
- Table Mountain’s eastern neighbour, Devils Peak, reaches 1000m above sea level and Lion’s Head has its summit at 669m above sea level.
- Table Mountain is referred to as Hoerikwaggo by the Khoikhoi people, meaning “Mountain of the Sea”.
Photography Courtesy, Pixabay
