Tankwa Karoo

Tankwa Karoo National Park was proclaimed in 1986 in the interior of the Western and Northern Cape, between the Cederberg mountains to the west and the Roggeveld escarpment to the east, and covers some 1,436 km². It is one of the most arid areas in South Africa, with a very low average annual rainfall and extreme summer temperatures.

The park lies at the meeting point of three biomes — Succulent Karoo, Nama Karoo and fynbos — which gives it a greater plant diversity than its desolate appearance suggests, with a high proportion of succulents and ephemeral plants. After the rains, the ground also covers itself in flowers, though less spectacularly and less predictably than in Namaqualand.

Its creation had a restoration component: much of the land the park now takes in was degraded by sheep overgrazing, and the removal of the livestock has made it possible to watch the plant cover recover progressively, a process documented scientifically. The park has been considerably enlarged since 1986 through the purchase of neighbouring farms. The wildlife includes gemsbok, springbok, blesbok, endemic Karoo birds and a notable reptile community. The almost total absence of light pollution and the dryness of the air make Tankwa one of the best places in the country for astronomical observation.