November 27, 2015 - South Africa

South Africa

The Republic of South Africa sits at the southern tip of the continent of Africa with the Indian Ocean on the east and the Atlantic Ocean on the west. With a 3,000 km (1864 mi) coastline and covering 1,219,602 sq. km (470,891 sq. mi), South Africa is very biodiverse with about 300 species of mammals, over 800 bird species and 8,000 species of plants.

The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard NASA’s Terra satellite captured this true-color image of South Africa on November 16, 2015. The primary feature captured in this image are the greens and tans of the Cape Fold Mountains. Just to the north lies the Great Karoo, an arid semi-desert region which offers, among other things, dry air, extreme heat and extreme cold temperatures as well as a rich diversity of fossils.

Image Facts
Satellite: Terra
Date Acquired: 11/16/2015
Resolutions: 1km (119.1 KB),
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit: Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC