(iv) Tropical desert: Tropical deserts of Africa are the driest deserts and the vegetation here is scanty. This climate includes Somali desert of Somalia, Dankali desert of northern Ethiopia, Namibia and Kalahari. The Namibia desert is drier than Kalahari. Bounch grass and scrubs are the only vegetation of this climate.
(v)Highlands. The hot desert climate is located across the tropics and between the tropical areas and the Mediterranean coastlands. Night frost is usual during winter. Interior plateau of S. Africa has the temperate interior climate. S. E. Africa, southern Mozambique, Natal and eastern Cape province enjoy the warm temperate climate. The Mediterranean climate occurs north of the Atlas ranges and in modified from along the coasts of Cyrenaica and Egypt. In south Africa this climate prevails in cape area of the South West.
Soils. Latosols in varying stages of development cover about one-third of the surface area of Africa. In the regions of alternate dry and rainy seasons laterites develop. Along the drier margins, percolation of groundwater permits the salt deposition beneath the surface.
In the grasslands Chernozems are more productive. These Chernozems of tropical and subtropical latitudes are by no means as rich as those of the mid-latitudes and they are otherwise called as chernozomic desertic soils. These soils are mature soils. The desert and mountain soils are immature soils. The alluvial soils of Niger, Nile, and volcanic soils in Ethiopia are other immature soils.
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