It is part of the Great Escarpment and forms the southernmost stretch of the Central Plateau of Angola.

[8][5][9] The Huíla Plateau sits atop a layer of dolomitic bedrock called the Leba-Tchamalindi Formation, which formed during the Paleoproterozoic.

Today, this presents as a vast network of steep ridges, valleys, and cliffs, and subterranean caves, sinkholes, and tunnels.

The monsoon lasts from October to April, followed by a dry season during the off months, with an average annual precipitation between 800 to 900 mm (31 to 35 in).

Inside the Tchivinguiro Depression, a valley in the Humpata Plateau, exists a Mediterranean microclimate, which receives markedly more rainfall: approximately 926 mm (36.5 in) per year.