Oranjemund
Encyclopedia
Oranjemund is a town of 4,000 inhabitants situated in the extreme southwest of Namibia
, on the northern bank of the Orange River
mouth. It exists to service the diamond industry.
The town is run by Namdeb (formerly Consolidated Diamond Mines), now a subsidiary of De Beers
. Access to, and settlement in Oranjemund is restricted to employees and their relatives. Its infrastructure is superior to that of other towns in Namibia's South, due to it not being dependent on cost recovery from its inhabitants. In the second half of the 20th century, Oranjemund featured a large recreational complex with swimming pool, cinema, restaurants and bars. Water is still provided free of charge, and until 2009 so was electricity. There is a border post to South Africa, only persons with pre-application of 1 month are allowed to cross the border.
First established in 1936, following Hans Merensky
's discovery of significant alluvial diamond deposits on the north bank of the Orange River
and the adjacent northern coastline. Production of mainly gem-quality diamonds has remained in the region of 2 million carats (400 kg) per year since inception of the mine, mainly through improvements in technology.
(BWn, according to the Köppen climate classification
), with pleasant temperatures throughout the year. The average annual precipitation is 50 mm (2 in).
has services operated by Air Namibia
going to Cape Town
, Lüderitz
, Walvis Bay
and Windhoek
.
Namibia
Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia , is a country in southern Africa whose western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and east. It gained independence from South Africa on 21 March...
, on the northern bank of the Orange River
Orange River
The Orange River , Gariep River, Groote River or Senqu River is the longest river in South Africa. It rises in the Drakensberg mountains in Lesotho, flowing westwards through South Africa to the Atlantic Ocean...
mouth. It exists to service the diamond industry.
The town is run by Namdeb (formerly Consolidated Diamond Mines), now a subsidiary of De Beers
De Beers
De Beers is a family of companies that dominate the diamond, diamond mining, diamond trading and industrial diamond manufacturing sectors. De Beers is active in every category of industrial diamond mining: open-pit, underground, large-scale alluvial, coastal and deep sea...
. Access to, and settlement in Oranjemund is restricted to employees and their relatives. Its infrastructure is superior to that of other towns in Namibia's South, due to it not being dependent on cost recovery from its inhabitants. In the second half of the 20th century, Oranjemund featured a large recreational complex with swimming pool, cinema, restaurants and bars. Water is still provided free of charge, and until 2009 so was electricity. There is a border post to South Africa, only persons with pre-application of 1 month are allowed to cross the border.
First established in 1936, following Hans Merensky
Hans Merensky
Hans Merensky was a German South African geologist, prospector, scientist, conservationist and philanthropist...
's discovery of significant alluvial diamond deposits on the north bank of the Orange River
Orange River
The Orange River , Gariep River, Groote River or Senqu River is the longest river in South Africa. It rises in the Drakensberg mountains in Lesotho, flowing westwards through South Africa to the Atlantic Ocean...
and the adjacent northern coastline. Production of mainly gem-quality diamonds has remained in the region of 2 million carats (400 kg) per year since inception of the mine, mainly through improvements in technology.
Climate
Oranjemund has a mild desert climateDesert climate
A desert climate , also known as an arid climate, is a climate that does not meet the criteria to be classified as a polar climate, and in which precipitation is too low to sustain any vegetation at all, or at most a very scanty scrub.An area that features this climate usually experiences less than...
(BWn, according to the Köppen climate classification
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
), with pleasant temperatures throughout the year. The average annual precipitation is 50 mm (2 in).
Transportation
The Oranjemund AirportOranjemund Airport
Oranjemund Airport is an airport serving Oranjemund, a town in the Karas Region of Namibia. The town and airport are located near the northern bank of the Orange River, which is the border between Namibia and South Africa.-Facilities:...
has services operated by Air Namibia
Air Namibia
Air Namibia is the national airline of Namibia, headquartered in Windhoek. It operates scheduled domestic, regional, and international passenger and cargo services under IATA airline designator SW and ICAO airline designator NMB. Its international hub is Windhoek Hosea Kutako International Airport,...
going to Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
, Lüderitz
Lüderitz
Lüderitz is a harbour town in south-west Namibia, lying on one of the least hospitable coasts in Africa. It is a port developed around Robert Harbour and Shark Island.- Overview :...
, Walvis Bay
Walvis Bay
Walvis Bay , is a city in Namibia and the name of the bay on which it lies...
and Windhoek
Windhoek
Windhoek is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Namibia. It is located in central Namibia in the Khomas Highland plateau area, at around above sea level. The 2001 census determined Windhoek's population was 233,529...
.
External links
- Oranjemund Online, unofficial website with historic pictures
- Oranjemund weather conditions