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Table Mountain Facts & Worksheets

A flat-topped mountain located in Cape Town, South Africa, Table Mountain was named one of the Seven Wonders of Nature in 2011. It is also a part of the Table Mountain National Park.

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A flat-topped mountain located in Cape Town, South Africa, Table Mountain was named one of the Seven Wonders of Nature in 2011. It is also a part of the Table Mountain National Park. The said mountain has diverse biodiversity, mostly endemic. A lot of tourists frequently visit the landmark by hiking to the peak or through cable car. People can see the beautiful view of the city from the mountain top.

See the fact file below for more information on the Table Mountain or alternatively, you can download our 18-page Table Mountain worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

ETYMOLOGY AND FEATURES OF THE MOUNTAIN

  • The mountain got its name from the “flat-top” figure of the peak. Other names include Huriǂoaxa (Khoikhoi language meaning “Rising from the Top”) and Tafelberg (Afrikaans translation).
  • The flat top of the mountain is measured at about three kilometers long, and it is bounded by beautifully-formed cliffs.
  • The mountain’s highest point is called Maclear’s Beacon, which has a height of 1,086 meters above the sea level. It was named after Sir Thomas Maclear, who built a stone cairn in 1865 for the purpose of trigonometric survey.
  • There are cliffs that bound Table Mountain. These are divided by Platteklip Gorge that serves as an easy route to the peak.
  • Platteklip Gorge (also known as Flat Stone Gorge) was used by Antonio de Saldanha as he climbed the mountain in 1503.
  • There are 350 trails going to the peak of the Table Mountain. The first woman to travel the mountain and reach the top was Anne Barnard. She was able to do this in 1790.
  • Orographic clouds usually cover the mountain’s top. They are formed by a southeasterly wind which is combined with the colder air coming from the slopes of the mountain. This results in condensation, which later forms a cloud that looks like a “tablecloth”.
  • According to legend, this cloud form is a result of a duel between the Devil and a local pirate known as Van Hunks.
  • Table Mountain has a lot of sandstone layers, one of which is Wynberg, which is the largest among them.
  • Table Mountain is older than the Andes, the Alps, the Himalayas, and the Rocky Mountains. Its rocks’ estimated age is about 600 million years old.
  • The base of the mountain has shale rocks, while the western part of the mountain have Cape granite rocks.
  • The flatness of the mountain’s top is due to it being a syncline mountain. It used to be a valley’s bottom.

BIODIVERSITY IN THE TABLE MOUNTAIN

  • Table Mountain also boasts a rich biodiversity, which most are endemic, or exclusively native to a certain area. One example is the Table Mountain Ghost Frog, which is only found in this area.
  • Vegetation is also prevalent in the Table Mountain. In fact, it has various types of Cape fynbos. The Peninsula Sandstone Fynbos, which is the main type, is endangered.
  • The vegetation of the mountain is part of the protected area of the Cape Floral Region.
  • In terms of the animals present, there are porcupines, snakes, lizards, mongooses, and tortoises in the Table Mountain area.
  • Conservation efforts are evident in Table Mountain to ensure that the species of plants and animals will not go extinct. However, the range of the mountain has the highest concentration of endangered species as compared to other areas of equal size in the world. There are many invasive alien plants that prevail on the mountain.

OTHER FACTS ABOUT THE TABLE MOUNTAIN

  • In 1754, French astronomer Nicolas Louis de Lacaille named the constellation, Mensa, after the Table Mountain. Mensa means “table” in Latin. One can see the constellation below Orion during the middle of July from the southern hemisphere.
  • The mountain is part of the Table Mountain National Park. The cable car that brings people to the mountain’s peak was installed in 1929. At present, it can carry 60 people, as compared to its previous car that could only carry 25 people at a time.

Table Mountain Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about the Table Mountain across 18 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Table Mountain worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about the Table Mountain which was named one of the Seven Wonders of Nature in 2011. It is also a part of the Table Mountain National Park. The said mountain has diverse biodiversity, mostly endemic. A lot of tourists frequently visit the landmark by hiking to the peak or through cable car. People can see the beautiful view of the city from the mountain top.

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

  • Table Mountain Facts
  • Fact or Bluff?
  • In Focus: Sir Thomas Maclear
  • Profiling Trekkers
  • The Legend in the Mountain
  • Biodiversity in the Table Mountain
  • Hazards in the Table Mountain?
  • Table Mountain Art
  • The Cape Granite Rock
  • Touring the Mountain’s Park
  • Trekking Blog

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Link will appear as Table Mountain Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, September 11, 2019

Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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