Serra da Chela

Serra da Chela
Serra da Chela
	Satellite image of Serra da Chela
Geography
	Serra da Chela Namibe, Angola
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The Serra da Chela is a mountain range in south-central Angola. The mountains, rising to 2,306 meters (7,566 ft) above the coastal plains, are among the highest in the country.^[1] It forms part of the Great Escarpment of southern Africa, separating the Huíla Plateau of the interior from the low-lying coastal Namib Desert.

To its west there are some inselbergs, remnants of the plateau from a time when it was more extensive.^[2] The range is impassable in many places, but the escarpment may be accessed by the road running east from Capangombe to Humpata on the plateau.^[3]

The range was formed approximately 200 million years ago, when the supercontinent Pangaea broke up.^[4] What is now the Serra da Chela range was on the edge of one of the tectonic plates where Africa connected to South America, and rose slowly upward as the Atlantic Ocean formed between the separating plates.^[4]

References

^ "ANGOLA general data of the country". Populstat. Retrieved 2010-12-19.
^ Alvin W. Urquhart (1963). Patterns of settlement and subsistence in southwestern Angola. National Academies. p. 2ff.
^ Earl of Mayo (11 June 1883). "A Journey from Mossamedes to the River Cunene, W.W. Africa" (PDF). Proceedings of the Royal Record of Geography. V. Retrieved 2010-12-19.
^ ^a ^b Scheffel, Richard L.; Wernet, Susan J., eds. (1980). Natural Wonders of the World. United States of America: Reader's Digest Association, Inc. pp. 98. ISBN 0-89577-087-3.

15°29′58″S 13°29′41″E / 15.499341°S 13.494644°E / -15.499341; 13.494644

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[1] "ANGOLA general data of the country". Populstat. Retrieved 2010-12-19.

[2] Alvin W. Urquhart (1963). Patterns of settlement and subsistence in southwestern Angola. National Academies. p. 2ff.

[3] Earl of Mayo (11 June 1883). "A Journey from Mossamedes to the River Cunene, W.W. Africa" (PDF). Proceedings of the Royal Record of Geography. V. Retrieved 2010-12-19.

[readersnatural-4] Scheffel, Richard L.; Wernet, Susan J., eds. (1980). Natural Wonders of the World. United States of America: Reader's Digest Association, Inc. pp. 98. ISBN 0-89577-087-3.

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v t e Major African geological formations
Plates	Major plates: African plate Minor plates: Somali plate Microplates: Lwandle plate Madagascar plate Rovuma plate Seychelles plate Victoria Microplate
Cratons and shields	Arabian-Nubian Shield Congo Craton Kaapvaal Craton Kalahari Craton Saharan Metacraton Tanzania Craton Tuareg Shield West African Craton Zimbabwe Craton
Shear zones	Aswa Dislocation Broodkop Shear Zone Central African Shear Zone Chuan Shear Zones Foumban Shear Zone Kandi Fault Zone Mwembeshi Shear Zone Todi Shear Zone Western Meseta Shear Zone
Orogens	Alpine Orogen Cape Fold Belt Damara Orogen East African Orogen Eburnean Orogen Gondwanide Orogen Kibaran Orogen Kuunga Orogen Mauritanide Belt Pan-African orogens Terra Australis Orogen
Rifts	Afar Triangle Anza trough Bahr el Arab rift Benue Trough Blue Nile rift East African Rift Gulf of Suez Rift Lamu Embayment Melut Basin Muglad Basin Red Sea Rift Sangha Aulacogen Atbara rift Urema Valley West and Central African Rift System White Nile rift
Sedimentary basins	Angola Basin Aoukar Blue Nile Basin Chad Basin Congo Basin Douala Basin El Djouf Karoo Basin Gabon Basin Iullemmeden Basin Kufra Basin Murzuq Basin Niger Delta Basin Ogaden Basin Orange River Basin Ouled Abdoun Basin Owambo Basin Reggane Basin Rio del Rey Basin Sirte Basin Somali Coastal Basin Taoudeni Basin Tanzania Coastal Basin Tindouf Basin Turkana Basin
Mountain ranges	Aïr Mountains Atlas Mountains Aurès Mountains Bambouk Mountains Blue Mountains Cameroon line Central Pangean Mountains Chaillu Mountains Drakensberg Eastern Arc Mountains Eastern Rift mountains Ethiopian Highlands Great Escarpment Great Karas Mountains Guinea Highlands Hoggar Mountains Imatong Mountains Jebel Uweinat Loma Mountains Mandara Mountains Marrah Mountains Mitumba Mountains Nuba Mountains Rif Mountains Rwenzori Mountains Sankwala Mountains Serra da Leba Serra da Chela Teffedest Mountains Tibesti Mountains
Inselbergs (aka koppie)	Anti-Atlas Mount Gorongosa Jugurtha Tableland Mount Mabu Mulanje Massif Mont Niénokoué Wase Rock Zuma Rock List of inselbergs

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Serra da Chela

Serra da Chela

Serra da Chela

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Serra da Chela
Satellite image of Serra da Chela
Geography
Serra da Chela Namibe, Angola