The Southern Province has an area of over 5701 km ² and a population of more than  two million five hundred eighty-nine thousand nine hundred seventy-five( 2,589,975 ). The Southern Province is at an altitude of 1500 m to 2800 m. The temperature varies between11°C and 28°C. The 7% part of the Southern Province is made up of forests which occupy an area of more than 404 km ².