Fraserburg

Fraserburg
Top: skyline of Fraserburg at dusk. Left: the Dutch Reformed Church on the main street. Middle right: town's post office. Bottom right: a Corbelled House built by Trekboers before the town was established.
Fraserburg  Fraserburg shown within South Africa
Coordinates: 31°54′52″S 21°30′43″E / 31.91444°S 21.51194°E / -31.91444; 21.51194Coordinates: 31°54′52″S 21°30′43″E / 31.91444°S 21.51194°E / -31.91444; 21.51194
Country	South Africa
Province	Northern Cape
District	Namakwa
Municipality	Karoo Hoogland
Area[1]
• Total	98.88 km2 (38.18 sq mi)
Population (2011)[1]
• Total	3,029
• Density	31/km2 (79/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2011)[1]
• Black African	4.8%
• Coloured	84.8%
• Indian/Asian	0.6%
• White	9.5%
• Other	0.3%
First languages (2011)[1]
• Afrikaans	95.8%
• Xhosa	1.3%
• Other	3.0%
Postal code (street)	6960
PO box	6960
Area code	023

Fraserburg is a town in the Karoo region of South Africa's Northern Cape province. It is situated at an altitude of 1,260m on a high Karoo plateau, north of the Nuweveld Mountains. It is currently included in the southern Namakwa DM. The town has some of the coldest winters in South Africa.

The nearest towns are Williston, Sutherland, Loxton and Leeu-Gamka, all of which are more than 100 km distant.

A particularly good example of a Corbelled house can be found in the town, there are others in the district. Fraserburg is also well known for the large number of unique and well preserved fossil finds that litter the surrounding area.

History

It was established in 1851 on the farm Rietfontein, and named after the Scottish immigrant Reverend Colin Fraser.^[2] Prior to the town establishment the earliest known inhabitants of the area were the San people and their artifacts can still be found in the area. The first Europeans to arrive in the region were Trekboers who arrived in 1759. The first settler to be recorded in these parts was Willem Steenkamp, after whom the Steenkampsberg is named.^[3] There are many Victorian era houses in the town dating to the era of the Wool boom in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

A view of the Fraserburg skyline at dusk. The windmills that the Karoo is famous for are clearly visible in the foreground and background.

Notes

External links

• Tourism website

	Calvinia	Williston	Carnarvon
			Loxton
	Fraserburg
	Sutherland	Leeu Gamka	Beaufort West

v t e Municipalities and communities of Namakwa District Municipality, Northern Cape District seat: Springbok Hantam Brandvlei Calvinia Loeriesfontein Nieuwoudtville Kamiesberg Garies Hondeklip Bay Kamieskroon Karkams Koingnaas Leliefontein Soebatsfontein Spoegrivier Karoo Hoogland Fraserburg Sutherland Williston Khâi-Ma Aggeneys Onseepkans Pella Pofadder Nama Khoi Buffelsrivier Concordia Goodhouse Grootmis Henkries Kleinzee Komaggas Nababeep Okiep Springbok Steinkopf Vioolsdrif Richtersveld Alexander Bay Eksteenfontein Kuboes Lekkersing Port Nolloth