UMary Allen
Ithafa luhlobo lwenkangeleko yomhlaba. Igama livela kwisiRashiya kwaye lithetha into efana "nendawo engaphuhliswanga" okanye "indawo engenamithi". Ingca ikhula kwithafa endaweni yemithi. Amanye amathafa agqunywe yingca ende, amanye agqunywe ngezantsi. Kodwa kukwakho ubulembu, ubulembu, namatyholo aphantsi njengeheather.
Imithi ayikhuli kwi-steppes ngenxa yokuba ayifumani ngokwaneleyo. Imithi idinga amanzi amaninzi. Xa kunetha ngaphezu kwesiqhelo, amatyholo amaninzi ayavela. Kodwa kukho into ebizwa ngokuba yi-steppe yehlathi, kunye "neziqithi" zamahlathi amancinci. Ngamanye amaxesha akubikho mithi kuba umhlaba umbi kakhulu okanye uneentaba.
I-steppes ininzi kwimozulu epholileyo, njengoko siyazi eYurophu. Imozulu imbi, ebusika kwaye kubanda ebusuku. Amanye amathafa akufutshane neetropiki kwaye inetha kakhulu. Kodwa ngenxa yokuba kushushu kakhulu apho, amanzi amaninzi aba ngumphunga kwakhona.
Elona steppe likhulu ehlabathini liseYurophu naseAsia. Ikwabizwa ngokuba "yi-steppe enkulu". Ukusuka kwiBurgenland yaseOstriya, ibaleka ukuya kutsho eRashiya nakumantla eTshayina. Ithafa elikuMntla Merika likwasisithafa.
Yintoni eluncedo ngamathafa?
I-steppes yindawo yokuhlala yezilwanyana ezininzi ezahlukeneyo. Kukho iintlobo ze-antelope, i-pronghorn, kunye neentlobo ezikhethekileyo ze-llamas ezinokuhlala kuphela kwi-steppe. Inyathi, oko kukuthi, inyathi eMelika, ikwazizilwanyana eziqhelekile. Ukongeza, iimpuku ezininzi ezahlukeneyo zihlala phantsi komhlaba, njengezinja ze-prairie eMntla Melika.
Namhlanje, abalimi abaninzi bagcina imihlambi emikhulu yeenkomo kumathafa. Ezi ziquka iinyathi, iinkomo, amahashe, iigusha, iibhokhwe neenkamela. Kwiindawo ezininzi, kukho amanzi aneleyo okulima umbona okanye ingqolowa. Inkoliso yengqolowa evunwa ehlabathini namhlanje iphuma kumathafa akuMntla Merika, eYurophu naseAsia.
Iingca nazo zibaluleke kakhulu. Sele kwi-Stone Age, umntu wayelima iinkozo zanamhlanje kwezinye iintlobo zazo. Ngoko abantu babesoloko bethabatha eyona mbewu inkulu baze bayihlwayele kwakhona. Ngaphandle kwethambeka, besiya kuphulukana nenxalenye enkulu yokutya kwethu namhlanje.