Calitzdorp, Western Cape
Encyclopedia
Calitzdorp is a town on the Western side of the Little or Klein Karoo
in the Western Cape Province of South Africa
and lies at 33°32′14.59"S 21°41′6.59"E on South Africa's Route 62
.
The farm, on which Calitzdorp stands, was granted to JJ and MC Calitz in 1831. In 1924 a railway line was opened, in 1937 electrification and a new cement road to Oudtshoorn was completed.
The Swartberg (in the North), Rooiberge (to the South) and the Mountains of the Huisrivier Pass (to the West) surrounds Calitzdorp’s challenging landscape with floods, droughts and extreme weather, from very hot to snow clad mountaintops in the winter.
Summers are very hot during day, mainly a dry heat, up to 40 C, wind from the sea every afternoon allows for moderate, cool evenings. Winters have sunny days, very cold nights with occasional frost and snow often falling on the surrounding Swartberg Mountain Range. Rainfall is approximately 200 mm per year, often with the changing of seasons. Prevailing winds are mainly from the south in summer and hot wind from the North in August.
Calitzdorp is a haven for enthusiasts of fishing, bird-watching, 4x4 and other scenic routes, horse-riding and wine-tasting.
Karoo
The Karoo is a semi-desert region of South Africa. It has two main sub-regions - the Great Karoo in the north and the Little Karoo in the south. The 'High' Karoo is one of the distinct physiographic provinces of the larger South African Platform division.-Great Karoo:The Great Karoo has an area of...
in the Western Cape Province of South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
and lies at 33°32′14.59"S 21°41′6.59"E on South Africa's Route 62
Route 62 (South Africa)
Route 62 is a tourist route in South Africa that meanders between Cape Town, Oudtshoorn, the Garden Route, and Port Elizabeth, offering the scenic alternative to the N2 highway...
.
The farm, on which Calitzdorp stands, was granted to JJ and MC Calitz in 1831. In 1924 a railway line was opened, in 1937 electrification and a new cement road to Oudtshoorn was completed.
The Swartberg (in the North), Rooiberge (to the South) and the Mountains of the Huisrivier Pass (to the West) surrounds Calitzdorp’s challenging landscape with floods, droughts and extreme weather, from very hot to snow clad mountaintops in the winter.
Summers are very hot during day, mainly a dry heat, up to 40 C, wind from the sea every afternoon allows for moderate, cool evenings. Winters have sunny days, very cold nights with occasional frost and snow often falling on the surrounding Swartberg Mountain Range. Rainfall is approximately 200 mm per year, often with the changing of seasons. Prevailing winds are mainly from the south in summer and hot wind from the North in August.
Calitzdorp is a haven for enthusiasts of fishing, bird-watching, 4x4 and other scenic routes, horse-riding and wine-tasting.
- Elevation : 233 m
- Population : 8400