Question

The grasslands in Africa are known as
A. Prairies
B. Pampas
C. Veld
D. Savannah
E. Steppe

Answer 1

Hint: Grasslands are areas on land where the vegetation is dominated by grasses. They are found in regions where rainfall is very little to support the growth of the forest and just enough to avoid a desert. Grasslands cover approximately 20 - 40 % of the world's land area.

Complete answer:
Grasslands are broadly categorized into two types, tropical and temperate grasslands. Tropical grasslands occur in tropical regions i.e. they lie between the tropics. They have a hot climate. The temperate grasslands lie in temperate regions i.e. from the tropics to the polar region. They have colder winters and warm summers.
Africa has both types of grassland, tropical as well as temperate. The tropical grasslands in Africa are called savannahs whereas temperate grasslands are known as velds.
Savannah grasslands occupy almost half of Africa most particularly, central Africa. They contain scattered individual trees. These grasslands receive an annual rainfall of 20-50 inches every year. They support a wide range of wild animals like giraffe, zebra, elephant, buffalo, leopard, etc.
Velds are rolling plateaus with varying heights. They are found in South Africa and range from 600 m to 1100 m. They are bound by the Drakensberg Mountains on the east and the Kalahari Desert in the west. They have shorter grasses and very few trees. Wildlife found here are aardvark, impala, antelopes, hyraxes, wildebeest, etc.

Hence, the correct answer is option (C and D).

Note: Grasslands are found nearly in every continent except Antarctica. We can find Prairies in North America, Pampas, and Llanos in South America, Steppes in Eurasia, and Downs in Australia. Natural grasslands are home to many species of animals. They are also the most agriculturally useful habitats. However, they are subjected to a constant threat by farming, overgrazing, illegal hunting, and climate change.