The mountains cover an area roughly 64km wide by 145km long (40 by 90 miles), and are 450 to 900 meters (1,500 to 3,000 feet) higher in elevation than the surrounding plain. The mountains stretch for some 48,000 square kilometers (19,000 square miles).[3] The climate is tropical, hot semi-arid with 300 to 800 mm of rain per year on average, but lush and green compared with most nearby areas. There are almost no roads in the Nuba Mountains; most villages there are connected by ancient paths that cannot be reached by motor vehicle. The rainy season extends from mid-May to mid-October, and annual rainfall ranges from 300 to 800 millimeters, allowing grazing animals and seasonal rain-fed agriculture. During the dry season that last from February to May there is often a shortage of water.[4]
