Polokwane
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Polokwane (formally Pietersburg) is a city, municipality and the capital of the Limpopo province in South Africa.
Contents |
[edit] History
In the 1840s, Voortrekkers under the leadership of Andries Potgieter established Zoutpansbergdorp, a town 100 km to the north west. This settlement had to be abandoned because of clashes with the local tribes. They founded a new town in 1886 and named it Pietersburg in honour of Voortrekker leader Petrus Jacobus Joubert. The British built a concentration camp here during the Boer War to house almost 4,000 Boer women and children. The town became a city on 23 April 1992 and on the 11 June 2003 the government of Limpopo changed its name to Polokwane. The town earned city status on 23 April 1992 and is now the major centre and capital city of the province, indeed for the country's entire area north of Gauteng. More recently Pietersburg held the ANC national conference, which saw Jacob Zuma take over as head of the party.[1]
[edit] Demography
According to the 2001 census conducted by Statistics South Africa, the population of the greater Pietersburg municipality, is 302,957, of which 91.2% are black, 7.2% white, 0.9% Coloured and 0.7% Asian. The white population is likely to have been undercounted, a common problem with the 2001 census.
[edit] Climate
Despite its position on the tropic of Capricorn, the climate is tempered by its position on a plateau 1230 meters above sea level. Average temperatures reach around 21-22°C in in January and fall to 11°C in July. As with much of inland South Africa, Pietersburg has experienced notably warmer seasons over the last decade than its long term average.[2] Pietersburg has a dry climate with a summer rainy season and a pronounced dry spell during winter. Average annual rainfall is 495mm, with December, or less often January the wettest month and July is the driest month.[3]
[edit] Polokwane Municipality
The Polokwane Municipality's area accounts for 3% of Limpopo province's total surface area and about 10% of the Limpopo's population resides in the Municipal area. Given the fact that Pietersburg serves as the Limpopo's economic hub, it has the highest population density in the Capricorn district. The majority of Polokwane's population is rural. This simply shows that the largest sector of the community within the municipal resides in rural tribal villages followed by urban settlements.
[edit] Tourism
This area is seen as a place of "myths and legends". There are many game viewing opportunities, making Polokwane a popular ecotourism destination in Southern Africa. Limpopo is divided into four tourism regions, each representing a microcosm of the area's varied and interesting cultures.
TOURIST ATTRACTIONS
Hunting Pietersburg is considered the premier hunting destination in South Africa.
Eersteling Monuments The site of the country's first gold crushing site and its first gold power plant are marked by monuments.
Open-Air Museum This museum depicts the traditional and modern-day culture and lifestyle of the Bakone people
Other attractions include:
- The Bakone Malapa Northern Sotho Open-Air Museum, which depicts the traditional and modern-day lifestyle of this people.
- The Pietersburg Game Reserve, which has more than 21 species and offers scenic walks.
- The Savannah Centre, a modern shopping centre.
Peter Mokaba Stadium will be used for matches for the 2010 World Cup
[edit] References
- ^ South Africa | Zuma comes out on top | Economist.com
- ^ Average monthly and annual temperatures, Pietersburg 1932 – 2007, GISS
- ^ GHCN monthly rainfall Pietersburg , NGDC, 1932-1992
[edit] External links
|
|||||
|
|||||
