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Capital: Kimberley
Principal Languages: Afrikaans (68.0%), Setswana (20.8%)
Population: 1,094,500 (Mid-year Populations Estimates, 2006)
Area (km2): 361,830
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The Northern Cape
lies to the south of its most important asset, the mighty Orange
River, which provides the basis for a healthy agricultural industry.
The landscape is characterized by vast arid plains with outcroppings
of haphazard rock piles. The cold Atlantic Ocean forms the western
boundary.
This region covers
the largest area of all the provinces and has the smallest
population. Its major airports are situated at Kimberley, the
capital, and at Upington. The Northern Cape has an excellent road
network, which makes its interior easily accessible from South
Africa’s major cities, harbors and airports.
Important towns are
Upington, centre of the karakul sheep and dried-fruit industries,
and the most northerly wine-making region of South Africa;
Springbok, in the heart of the Namaqualand spring flower country;
Kuruman, founded by the Scottish missionary Robert Moffat; and De
Aar, second-most important junction of South Africa’s railway
network. Sutherland is host to the southern hemisphere’s largest
astronomical observatory, the multinational sponsored Southern
African Large Telescope.
Other important
Northern Cape towns include the sheep-farming towns of Carnarvon,
Colesberg, Kenhardt and Prieska, which is also renowned for its
semi-precious stones and large variety of succulents.
Apart from a narrow
strip of winter-rainfall area along the coast, the Northern Cape is
a semi-arid region with little rainfall in summer. The weather
conditions are extreme – cold and frosty in winter, with extremely
high temperatures in summer.
The largest part of
the province falls within the Nama-Karoo biome, with a vegetation of
low shrubland and grass, and trees limited to water courses. The
area is known worldwide for its spectacular display of spring
flowers that attracts thousands of tourists every year. This biome
is home to many wonderful plant species, such as the elephant’s
trunk (halfmens), tree aloe (kokerboom) and a variety of succulents.
The province has
several national parks and conservation areas. The Kalahari Gemsbok
National Park, together with the Gemsbok National Park in Botswana,
is Africa’s first transfrontier game park, known as the Kgalagadi
Transfrontier Park. It is one of the largest nature-conservation
areas in southern Africa and one of the largest remaining protected
natural ecosystems in the world. The park provides unfenced access
to a variety of game between South Africa and Botswana.
The
Ai-Ais-Richtersveld Transfrontier Conservation Park spans some of
the most spectacular scenery of the arid and desert environments in
southern Africa. Bisected by the Orange River, which forms the
border between South Africa and Namibia, it comprises the Ai-Ais Hot
Springs Game Park in Namibia and the Richtersveld National Park in
South Africa. Some of the distinctive features in the area include
the Fish River Canyon (often likened to the Grand Canyon in the
United States of America) and the Ai-Ais hot springs. This arid zone
is further characterized by a unique and impressive variety of
succulent plant species.
Nowhere is the Orange
River more impressive than at the Augrabies Falls, which ranks among
the world’s greatest cataracts on a major river. The Augrabies Falls
National Park was established to preserve this natural wonder.
The
People
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The Northern Cape is
sparsely populated and houses some 1,094,500 people on 361,830 km2
of land (Mid-Year Population Estimates, 2006). About 68% of the
population speak Afrikaans. Other languages spoken are Setswana,
isiXhosa and English. The official unemployment rate of the Northern
Cape is 23.5% (Labor Force Survey, March 2006). The last remaining
true San (Bushman) people live in the Kalahari area of the Northern
Cape. The area, especially along the Orange and Vaal rivers, is rich
in San rock engravings. A good collection can be seen at the
McGregor Museum in Kimberley. The province is also rich in
fossils.
Agriculture and Industry
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The Northern Cape is
enjoying tremendous growth in value-added activities, including
game-farming. Food production and processing for the local and
export market is also growing significantly. Underpinning the growth
and development plan of the province are the investment projects
that link up with the existing plans of the Namaqua Development
Corridor, where the focus is on the beneficiation and export of sea
products. The economy of a large part of the Northern Cape, the
interior Karoo, depends on sheepfarming, while the
karakul-pelt industry is one of the most important in the Gordonia
district of Upington. The province has fertile agricultural land. In
the Orange River Valley, especially at Upington, Kakamas and Keimoes,
grapes and fruit are cultivated intensively. Wheat, fruit, peanuts,
maize and cotton are produced at the Vaalharts Irrigation Scheme
near Warrenton.
Mining
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Copyright: South African Tourism
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The Northern Cape is
rich in minerals. The country’s chief diamond pipes are found in the
Kimberley district. In 1888, the diamond industry was formally
established with the creation of De Beers Consolidated Mines.
Alluvial diamonds are also extracted from the beaches and the sea
between Alexander Bay and Port Nolloth. The Sishen Mine near Kathu
is the biggest source of iron ore in South Africa, while the copper
mine at Okiep is one of the oldest mines in the country. Copper is
also mined at Springbok and Aggeneys. The province is rich in
asbestos, manganese, fluorspar, semi-precious stones and marble.
Until recently, the majority of small- to mediumscale alluvial
operations were concentrated along or near the Vaal River system.
With the deposits available for mining declining rapidly, there has
been a gradual shift towards the Orange River system. Two recent
larger-scale investments also show continued prospects in this
sector.
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