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North West (South African province)
Encyclopedia
- North West Province redirects here. For other similarly named provinces, see Northwestern Province.
North West is a province of South Africa
Provinces of South Africa
South Africa is currently divided into nine provinces. On the eve of the 1994 general election, South Africa's former homelands, also known as Bantustans, were reintegrated and the four existing provinces were divided into nine. The twelfth, thirteenth and sixteenth amendments to the constitution...
. Its capital is Mafikeng
Mafikeng
Mahikeng – formerly legally, but still commonly known as Mafikeng – is the capital city of the North-West Province of South Africa. It is best known internationally for the Siege of Mafeking, the most famous engagement of the Second Boer War.Located on South Africa's border with Botswana, it is ...
. The province is located to the west of the major population centre of Gauteng
Gauteng
Gauteng is one of the nine provinces of South Africa. It was formed from part of the old Transvaal Province after South Africa's first all-race elections on 27 April 1994...
.
History
North West was created after the end of Apartheid in 1994, and includes parts of the former Transvaal ProvinceTransvaal Province
Transvaal Province was a province of the Union of South Africa from 1910 to 1961, and of its successor, the Republic of South Africa, from 1961 until the end of apartheid in 1994 when a new constitution subdivided it.-History:...
and Cape Province
Cape Province
The Province of the Cape of Good Hope was a province in the Union of South Africa and subsequently the Republic of South Africa...
, as well as most of the former Bantustan
Bantustan
A bantustan was a territory set aside for black inhabitants of South Africa and South West Africa , as part of the policy of apartheid...
of Bophuthatswana
Bophuthatswana
Bophuthatswana , officially the Republic of Bophuthatswana was a Bantustan – an area set aside for members of a specific ethnicity – and nominal parliamentary democracy in the northwestern region of South Africa...
. It was recently the scene of political violence in Khutsong
Khutsong
Khutsong is a township on the West Rand of South Africa, and scene of widespread unrest since February 2006. It is situated close to the town of Carletonville , in the Merafong City Local Municipality of the Gauteng province.-Riots:...
, Merafong City Local Municipality
Merafong City Local Municipality
Merafong City Local Municipality is a local municipality in West Rand District Municipality, Gauteng, South Africa. Its boundaries enclose some of the richest gold mines in the world...
. (Merafong has since been transferred to Gauteng
Gauteng
Gauteng is one of the nine provinces of South Africa. It was formed from part of the old Transvaal Province after South Africa's first all-race elections on 27 April 1994...
province.)
Law and government
The provincial government consists of a premier, an executive council of ten ministers, and a legislature. The provincial assembly and premier are elected for five-year terms, or until the next national election. Political parties are awarded assembly seats based on the percentage of votes each party receives in the province during the national elections. The assembly elects a premier, who then appoints the members of the executive council.The premier of North West Province as of 2011 is Thandi Modise of the African National Congress
African National Congress
The African National Congress is South Africa's governing Africanist political party, supported by its tripartite alliance with the Congress of South African Trade Unions and the South African Communist Party , since the establishment of non-racial democracy in April 1994. It defines itself as a...
. In 2010 she replaced Maureen Modiselle
Maureen Modiselle
Maureen Modiselle was the premier of North West Province, South Africa from 2009 until her early removal in 2010.She was born in Vryheid, on 7 February 1941.Modiselle returned to Mafikeng in 1990, after spending many years in North America and Canada....
who had only served one year before being removed from office.
Geography
Magaliesberg
The Magaliesberg is a mountain range extending from Pretoria in the north of the Gauteng Province to a point south of Pilanesberg, in the North West Province, South Africa...
mountain range in the northeast extends about 130 km (about 80 miles) from Pretoria
Pretoria
Pretoria is a city located in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is one of the country's three capital cities, serving as the executive and de facto national capital; the others are Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein, the judicial capital.Pretoria is...
to Rustenburg
Rustenburg, North West
Rustenburg |Dutch]]: Town of Rest) is a city and a local municipality of 395,539 inhabitants situated at the foot of the Magaliesberg mountain range in North West Province of South Africa...
. The Vaal River
Vaal River
The Vaal River is the largest tributary of the Orange River in South Africa. The river has its source in the Drakensberg mountains in Mpumalanga, east of Johannesburg and about 30 km north of Ermelo and only about 240 km from the Indian Ocean. It then flows westwards to its conjunction...
flows along the southern border of the province.
Climate
Temperatures range from 17° to 31 °C (62° to 88 °F) in the summer and from 3° to 21 °C (37° to 70 °F) in the winter. Annual rainfall totals about 360 mm (about 14 in), with almost all of it falling during the summer months, between October and April.Borders
North West borders the following districtsDistricts of Botswana
||Botswana is divided into 16 administrative districts: 10 rural districts and 6 urban districts. These are administered by 16 local authorities...
of Botswana
Botswana
Botswana, officially the Republic of Botswana , is a landlocked country located in Southern Africa. The citizens are referred to as "Batswana" . Formerly the British protectorate of Bechuanaland, Botswana adopted its new name after becoming independent within the Commonwealth on 30 September 1966...
:
- KgatlengKgatleng DistrictKgatleng is one of the districts of Botswana, coterminous with the homeland of the Bakgatla people. Its capital is Mochudi, the hometown of protagonist Precious Ramotswe in Alexander McCall Smith's popular The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series...
– far northeast - South-EastSouth-East District (Botswana)South-East is one of the districts of Botswana.The capital city of Botswana, Gaborone, is surrounded by this district. The administrative capital for the South-East district is the village of Ramotswa....
– northeast - SouthernSouthern District (Botswana)Southern is one of the districts of Botswana. The capital of Southern district is Kanye, home to the Bangwaketse. It is one of the largest growing villages in Botswana. There are also other large villages in the southern district like Mushopa home to the Bakgatla-ba-ga Mmanaana, and Goodhope, home...
– north - KgalagadiKgalagadiKgalagadi is a district in southwest Botswana, lying along the country's border with Namibia and South Africa. The administrative center is Tshabong. Kgalagadi covers a vast area of the Kalahari Desert. It has a total area of 105,200 km², and has a population of only 42,000...
– northwest
Domestically, it borders the following provinces:
- LimpopoLimpopoLimpopo is the northernmost province of South Africa. The capital is Polokwane, formerly named Pietersburg. The province was formed from the northern region of Transvaal Province in 1994, and initially named Northern Transvaal...
– northeast - GautengGautengGauteng is one of the nine provinces of South Africa. It was formed from part of the old Transvaal Province after South Africa's first all-race elections on 27 April 1994...
– east - Free StateFree StateThe Free State is a province of South Africa. Its capital is Bloemfontein, which is also South Africa's judicial capital. Its historical origins lie in the Orange Free State Boer republic and later Orange Free State Province. The current borders of the province date from 1994 when the Bantustans...
– southeast - Northern CapeNorthern CapeThe Northern Cape is the largest and most sparsely populated province of South Africa. It was created in 1994 when the Cape Province was split up. Its capital is Kimberley. It includes the Kalahari Gemsbok National Park, part of an international park shared with Botswana...
– southwest
North West Province is traversed by the northwesterly line of equal latitude and longitude.
Municipalities
The North West province has 4 district municipalities and 20 local municipalities, listed below.
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Cities and towns
Population 50,000+
|
Rustenburg, North West Rustenburg |Dutch]]: Town of Rest) is a city and a local municipality of 395,539 inhabitants situated at the foot of the Magaliesberg mountain range in North West Province of South Africa... |
Mafikeng Mahikeng – formerly legally, but still commonly known as Mafikeng – is the capital city of the North-West Province of South Africa. It is best known internationally for the Siege of Mafeking, the most famous engagement of the Second Boer War.Located on South Africa's border with Botswana, it is ... Schweizer-Reneke, North West Schweizer-Reneke, sometimes referred to as "Schweizer" is a town with a population of 73,300 in the North West Province of South Africa. It is the administrative centre of Mamusa Local Municipality.- History :... |
Lichtenburg, North West Lichtenburg is a town situated in North West Province of South Africa. It is the administrative centre of Ditsobotla Local Municipality.The town was established in 1873 and was named by Transvaal President Thomas François Burgers, Lichtenburg... |
Population 10,000+
|
Christiana, North West Christiana is an agricultural town with 15.322 inhabitants on the banks of the Vaal River in North West Province of South Africa The town is located on the N12 between Bloemhof and Warrenton, on the way to Kimberley... |
Koster, North West Koster is a small farming town situated on the watershed between the Orange and Limpopo Rivers in North West Province of South Africa.The town was proclaimed in 1913 and named after Bastiaan Koster, the original farm owner. Koster means "bellringer".... |
Population < 10,000
|
Economy
Orkney, North West
This article is about the mining town in South Africa. For other places with the same name, see Orkney .Orkney is a gold mining town with 157,324 inhabitants situated in the Klerksdorp district of the North West Province, South Africa....
and Klerksdorp
Klerksdorp, North West
Klerksdorp is a city and administrative district located in the North West Province, South Africa.-History:The city was founded in 1837 when the Voortrekkers settled on the banks of the Schoonspruit , which flows through the town...
; uranium, mined at Klerksdorp; platinum
Platinum
Platinum is a chemical element with the chemical symbol Pt and an atomic number of 78. Its name is derived from the Spanish term platina del Pinto, which is literally translated into "little silver of the Pinto River." It is a dense, malleable, ductile, precious, gray-white transition metal...
, mined at Rustenburg
Rustenburg, North West
Rustenburg |Dutch]]: Town of Rest) is a city and a local municipality of 395,539 inhabitants situated at the foot of the Magaliesberg mountain range in North West Province of South Africa...
and Brits
Brits, North West
Brits is a large town and district situated in a fertile, citrus, vegetable and grain-producing area that is irrigated by the waters of the Hartbeespoort Dam in North West Province of South Africa. It is close to the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality in Gauteng, which includes Pretoria and...
; and diamonds, mined at Lichtenburg
Lichtenburg, North West
Lichtenburg is a town situated in North West Province of South Africa. It is the administrative centre of Ditsobotla Local Municipality.The town was established in 1873 and was named by Transvaal President Thomas François Burgers, Lichtenburg...
, Christiana
Christiana, North West
Christiana is an agricultural town with 15.322 inhabitants on the banks of the Vaal River in North West Province of South Africa The town is located on the N12 between Bloemhof and Warrenton, on the way to Kimberley...
, and Bloemhof
Bloemhof, North West
Bloemhof is an agricultural town with 14,972 inhabitants situated on the banks of the Vaal River in North West Province of South Africa.It was founded in 1864 when diamonds were discovered in the area. The town was established on the farm owned by John Barclay, who survived the HMS Birkenhead...
. The northern and western parts of the province have many sheep farms and cattle and game ranches. The eastern and southern parts are crop-growing regions that produce maize (corn), sunflowers, tobacco, cotton, and citrus fruits. The entertainment and casino complex at Sun City
Sun City, North West
Sun City is a luxury casino and resort, situated in the North West Province of South Africa. It is located about two hours' drive from Johannesburg, near the city of Rustenburg. The complex borders the Pilanesberg Game Reserve.- History :...
and Lost City also contributes to the provincial economy.
Demographics
The majority of the province's residents are the Tswana people who speak Setswana. Smaller groups include AfrikaansAfrikaans
Afrikaans is a West Germanic language, spoken natively in South Africa and Namibia. It is a daughter language of Dutch, originating in its 17th century dialects, collectively referred to as Cape Dutch .Afrikaans is a daughter language of Dutch; see , , , , , .Afrikaans was historically called Cape...
, Sotho, and Xhosa speaking people. English is spoken primarily as a second language. Most of the population belong to Christian denominations. (Figures according to Census 2001 released in July 2003).
The province has the lowest number of people aged 20 years and older (5,9%) who have received higher education. The literacy rate is in the region of 57%.
Education
The province has two universities: the University of North West, which was formerly called the University of Bophuthatswana (founded in 1979), in MmabathoMmabatho
Mmabatho is the former capital of the North-West Province of South Africa. In the apartheid era, it was the capital of the former "Bantustan" of Bophuthatswana. Following the end of apartheid in 1994, Bophuthatswana was integrated into the newly established North-West Province and Mmabatho was...
; and Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education
Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education
The Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education was a medium-sized South African university located in Potchefstroom. Tuition was mainly in Afrikaans...
(founded in 1869; became a constituent college of the University of South Africa in 1921 and an independent university in 1951). These universities have now merged with the University of North West as name.
There is also a private university found in Klerksdorp: Centurion Akademie Klerksdorp, which cater mainly to Afrikaans students. Because it its a private institution classes may be in Afrikaans and the foundation of education gained at Centurion Akademie is based on the Christian faith. It is also the largest institution of its kind in existence.
As part of the Department of Education's proposed plans for higher education, the existing four higher learning institutions will be merged to form two. During 2003, as part of the Year of Further Education and Training project, three mega institutions, Taletso, ORBIT and Vuselela, were established to provide technical and vocational training to the youth. These institutions have been incorporated into many of the former education and technical colleges and manpower centres.
Sports
- Rugby union
- Platinum Leopards (Rustenburg)
- Soccer
- Platinum StarsPlatinum StarsPlatinum Stars are a South African association football club based in Phokeng near Rustenburg, North West Province that plays in the Premier Soccer League...
(Rustenburg)
- Platinum Stars
- Skydiving and Parachuting – Situated at Rustenburg AirfieldRustenburg AirfieldRustenburg Airfield , licensed according to South African Civil Aviation Authority standards, is a municipal airport situated in North West Province of South Africa.-Rustenburg SkyDiving Club:...
is the Rustenburg SkyDiving Club – licensed under the Parachute Association of South AfricaParachute Association of South AfricaThe Parachute Association of South Africa manages the sports of parachuting and skydiving in South Africa on behalf of the South African Civil Aviation Authority.-Mission statement:...
, a facility for sports skydiving and parachutingParachutingParachuting, also known as skydiving, is the action of exiting an aircraft and returning to earth with the aid of a parachute. It may or may not involve a certain amount of free-fall, a time during which the parachute has not been deployed and the body gradually accelerates to terminal...
, tandem skydivingTandem skydivingTandem skydiving or tandem parachuting refers to a type of skydiving where a student skydiver is connected via a harness to a tandem instructor. The instructor guides the student through the whole jump from exit through freefall, piloting the canopy, and landing. The student needs only minimal...
, Accelerated FreefallAccelerated FreefallAccelerated freefall is a method of skydiving training. This method of skydiving training is called "accelerated" because the progression is the fastest way to experience solo freefall, normally from 10,000 to 15,000 feet "Above Ground Level"...
(AFF) and static lineStatic lineA static line is a fixed cord attached to a large, stable object. It is used for safety in construction andto open parachutes automatically for paratroopers and novice parachutists.-Use in parachuting:...
courses.
See also
- List of cities and towns in the North West Province
- List of Speakers of the North West Provincial Legislature
- Provinces of South AfricaProvinces of South AfricaSouth Africa is currently divided into nine provinces. On the eve of the 1994 general election, South Africa's former homelands, also known as Bantustans, were reintegrated and the four existing provinces were divided into nine. The twelfth, thirteenth and sixteenth amendments to the constitution...
- Rustenburg
- Rustenburg AirfieldRustenburg AirfieldRustenburg Airfield , licensed according to South African Civil Aviation Authority standards, is a municipal airport situated in North West Province of South Africa.-Rustenburg SkyDiving Club:...