Kimberley, Northern Cape
city in the Northern Cape, South Africa
Kimberley is the capital and largest city of the Northern Cape province in South Africa. It is about 110 km east of the meeting point of the Vaal and Orange Rivers. It is important because of its diamond mining past and the siege during the Second Anglo-Boer war. British businessmen Cecil Rhodes and Barney Barnato made their fortunes in Kimberley, and Rhodes set up the De Beers diamond company in the early days of the mining town.
Kimberley | |
|---|---|
.jpg) City centre seen over the Big Hole | |
| Country | South Africa |
| Province | Northern Cape |
| District | Frances Baard |
| Municipality | Sol Plaatje |
| Established | 5 July 1873 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Kagisho Dante Sonyoni[1] (ANC) |
| Area | |
| • Total | 212.64 km2 (82.10 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 1,184 m (3,885 ft) |
| Population (2011)[2] | |
| • Total | 225,160 |
| • Density | 1,100/km2 (2,700/sq mi) |
| Racial makeup (2011) | |
| • Black African | 63.1% |
| • Coloured | 26.8% |
| • Indian/Asian | 1.2% |
| • White | 8.0% |
| • Other | 0.9% |
| First languages (2011) | |
| • Afrikaans | 43.2% |
| • Tswana | 35.8% |
| • English | 8.7% |
| • Xhosa | 6.0% |
| • Other | 6.3% |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (SAST) |
| Postal code (street) | 8301 |
| PO box | 8300 |
| Area code | 053 |
On 2 September 1882, Kimberley was the first city in the Southern Hemisphere and the second in the world after Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the United States to set up electric street lights. The first stock exchange in Africa was built in Kimberley in 1881.[3]
References
change- ↑ Hoo, Sandi Kwon. "PICS: Sol Plaatje Municipality's youngest mayor sworn in". www.iol.co.za. Retrieved 2021-11-30.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Sum of the Main Places Roodepan, Galeshewe and Kimberley from Census 2011.
- ↑ Mikva, Keren (2017-02-09). "17 Things You Didn't Know Were Invented By South Africans". Moguldom. Retrieved 2023-09-22.