The English usage of the term “map” in its modern technical sense as a two-dimensional graphic representation of the earth’s surface dates at least to 1527, although this primary meaning appears infrequently in poetry and drama throughout the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, despite the fact that, as of 1600, maps, globes, and atlases had become commonplace; geographical knowledge occupied ...

The flows around Madagascar feed into the Agulhas Current, but there have been few hydrographic studies of the flow within the Mozambique Channel. Some cruise and altimetric data point to this being a region of high mesoscale activity, with eddies migrating through the area. Here we show how ocean colour data throw light on the behaviour of eddies in the southern Mozambique Channel.

Contents 1. Introduction 2. Factors determining the development of the hydrographic network and the hydrological regime of rivers during the present period 2.1. Relief 2.2. Climate 2.3. Soils and vegetation 2.4. Economic activity 2.4.1 Water reservoirs 2.4.2 Irrigation 3. Hydrography, hydrological knowledge, river runoff, water use and water availability 3.