Izintaba—Ubunyoninco Bendalo
I-ANDES, iCascade, iHimalaya, iRocky, i-Alps, ne-Ural—zimane nje zingezinye zezintaba ezikuleplanethi ewuMhlaba. Ubukhulu obuxaka ukwenza balezizintaba bungakwenza ubambe ongezansi.
Ake uzicabange nje umi phansi kwe-Mount Everest. Ivelele emhlabeni wonke ngokuphakama, ingamamitha angu-8 848—umdondoshiya ocishe ube ngamakhilomitha angu-9! Kanti lesisiqongo esisodwa simane nje siyingxenye encane yaseHimalaya emangalisayo. Njengoba luneziqongo ezingaphezu kuka-70 ngasinye esifinyelela emamitheni angu-6 400, lolukhahlamba luyiphinda kabili i-Alps yaseYurophu ngobukhulu!
Izinto Eziphila Khona Ezimangalisayo
Izintaba eziningi zinezinto ezihlukahlukene eziphila khona, ikakhulu ngenxa yokuthi izinga lokubanda lehla cishe ngo-1,8° C. njalo kulawo nalawo mamitha angu-300 okuphakama. Ukuhlukahluka kwemvula, inhlabathi, nomoya nakho kwenza umkhakha ngamunye wehluke.
Isibonelo sokuhlukahluka okunjalo kwemikhakha iziQongo ZaseSan Francisco e-Arizona, e-U.S.A. Ziyizintaba eziphakeme kunazo zonke kulelozwe. Uma usuka phansi nazo lezizintaba emaThafeni aseCoconino ucace njalo uze uyofika esiqongweni sesinye seziQongo ZaseSan Francisco, uzoqale uphawule izinto eziphilayo ezihlala ndawonye ezihlanganisa izibankwa nama-cactus esimweni esisagwadule. Uma uqhubeka ufika emazingeni apholapholile, okuyindawo yezimbuzi zasentabeni nezihlahla ze-spruce. Ekugcineni ufika esimweni esinjengesase-arctic nesase-alpine esiqongweni. Kulokhu kucaca kwakho okukodwa nje, uzobe usuhlangabezane nezinto eziphilayo kanye namazinga afana nobungase uwathole kuphela uma ubuhamba maphakathi nezwe usuka eMexico uya eCanada!
Wake wabuzwa yini lobobumnandi bokuhogela umoya ohlanzekile, opholile wasentabeni? Izinga lokubanda elithe ukwehla lalomoya lingokunye okwenza ube nalomuzwa. Kodwa lapho kungekho khona madolobha eduze, nomoya wasentabeni ungacweba futhi uhlanzeke kakhudlwana. Kulelo nalelo cubic centimeter lomoya phezulu emamitheni angu-2 000, kungase kube nezinhlayiyana ezingu-2 500 zothuli, impova, nokunye. Qhathanisa lokho nomoya wasemadolobheni amakhulu, ongase ube nezinhlayiya ezingu-150 000 kulowomthamo ofanayo womoya! Lokhu kubonisa ukuthi kungani izindawo zesimanje zokuhlola izinkanyezi ngokuvamile zakhiwa ezintabeni lapho kunomoya ocwebile, ongaswakeme onikeza izimo ezikahle zokuhlola izinkanyezi.
Kuyavunywa, izintaba azithokomele kangako ezindaweni eziphakeme lapho amazinga omoya nawomoya-mpilo ehlile khona, ukuhlaba kwemisebe yelanga kwenyukile, nezivunguvungu zibangela ukuba izinga lokubanda lehle kakhulu. Ngokumangalisayo, ngisho nangaphansi kwalezozimo, zikhona izinto eziphilayo. Ngokwesibonelo, ake ucabangele i-salticid, noma isicabucabu esigxumayo. Lesisilokazane sasezintabeni sihlala phezulu eHimalaya endaweni engamamitha angu-6 000! Ukuthi lesilwanyana siphila kanjani kuseyimpicabadala ezazini zesayensi.
Ithonya Lazo Kubantu
Izintaba zinethonya kuso sonke isintu. Ngokwesibonelo, bheka ibalazwe lomhlaba. Phawula indlela iPyrenees, eneziqongo ezingamamitha afinyelela ku-3 000 ukuphakama, ehlukanisa ngayo iSpain neFrance kanye nalo lonke elaseYurophu. Uzophawula futhi ukuthi neminye imingcele eminingi yezombangazwe idatshulwe ngokhahlamba lwezintaba ezinkulu. Lemingcele engasuki iye yavimbela ukuhamba nokuhwebelana phakathi kwabantu bezilimi namasiko ahlukahlukene. Ngakho, ukuba khona kwezintaba kungenzeka ukuthi kuye kwaba nethonya elithinta isimo nobungako bezwe ohlala kulo, ulimi olukhulumayo, namasiko ezwe lakini.
Izintaba eziphakeme ziphinde zithikameze ukuhamba komoya. Lokhu kungaba nomphumela othile emjikelezweni wemvula, iqhwa, umoya, nezinga lokushisa. Lokhu nakho kuthonya izinhlobo zokudla okudlayo, uhlobo lwezingubo ozigqokayo, mhlawumbe ngisho nomklamo wendlu yakho.
Ngokwesibonelo, iKunlun, iTien Shan, iHindu Kush, iHimalaya, nezinye izintaba zase-Asia Ephakathi ziqala empumalanga ziye ziyoshaya entshonalanga. Lolukhahlamba luphebeza imimoya ebandayo, engenamswakama eheleza ivela ngaseSiberia futhi luvimbe imimoya efudumele, enomswakama evela e-Indian Ocean. Ngakho, enyakatho kunesimo sezulu esihluke ngokuphelele kuleso esiseningizimu yalezizintaba, okuthinta ukuphila kwezigidi.
Indawo Ezungezile Iyasongelwa?
Ngokumangalisayo, isintu sibucekela phansi ubuhle nokukhanga kwezintaba. Ama-lynx namabhere ake azichanasela e-Alps asaqothulwa ukuzingelwa okungalawuliwe. Inhlabathi engaphezulu eyigugu iyaguguleka emaqeleni amaningi ngenxa yokugawulwa kwamahlathi. Ukungcola okuvela ezimbonini nezivakashi eziningi kakhulu nakho kuba nomphumela omubi kakhulu ezintweni eziphila ndawonye ezisebucayini kwezinye izindawo ezisezintabeni.
Okujabulisayo ukuthi, izintaba ziyingxenye eyohlala njalo yesimo sokwakheka komhlaba. (Qhathanisa noGenesise 49:26.) Okuphawulekayo iqiniso lokuthi iBhayibheli lifanisa uhulumeni ozayo wezwe nentaba. Lohulumeni onjengentaba ogcwalisa umhlaba, uyolungisa wonke umonakalo owenziwe kuleplanethi. (Daniyeli 2:35, 44, 45) Ngakho-ke singaqiniseka ngokubujabulela phakade lobubunyoninco bendalo.
[Isithombe ekhasini 16, 17]
I-Mont Blanc, eFrance, engamamitha angu-4 807
[Umthombo]
M. Thonig/H. Armstrong Roberts
[Isithombe ekhasini 18]
IMount Fuji, eJapane, engamamitha angu-3 776
[Umthombo]
M. Thonig/H. Armstrong Roberts