Calvinia

Province

Calvinia is a town in the municipality in the district Hantam Namakwa, Northern Cape Province in South Africa. In 2011, he had 9,680 inhabitants. The town is located 470 km north of Cape Town in the crossing region of the R27 and R355 roads. Nearby towns include Williston (129 km), Brandvlei (173 km), Middelpos (131 km) and 120 km distant Vanrhynsdorp. Calvinia lies at the foot of Hantam massif at an altitude of 970 meters.

The main economic activities are the surrounding Merino and Dorper sheep farms -.

The asteroid ( 1245 ) Calvinia, which was discovered on May 26, 1932 in Johannesburg by South African astronomer Cyril V. Jackson, is named after the city.

History

The city was founded in 1847 under the name Hantam a Khoi Khoi word which means " mountain where the red edible flowers bloom ". After the building of a Dutch Reformed Church, the first priest NJ Hofmeyr 1853, however, insisted the Calvinia to name, in honor of the Swiss reformer John Calvin. Municipal law got the place then 1904.

Attractions

  • The Calvinia Agricultural Museum in the former Jewish synagogue. Here is the story of the settlement of this region is documented that sheep farming and other agricultural issues.
  • The Akkerendam Nature Reserve is located three kilometers north of Calvinia
  • The spring bloom: After the winter rains (July / August) covers in the spring the countryside around the city - as everywhere in the Namaqualand - with a variety of flowers.
  • The Hantam Meat Festival, an agricultural show and great braai / barbecue, which is all about the sheep, annually at the end of August.

Climate

The average summer temperature is 22 ° C, with peaks above 40 ° C. The average winter temperature is 10 ° C, but can drop to -8 ° C. On the surrounding mountains regular snow falls.

The town is surrounded by five different vegetation zones:

  • The Ceres - Karoo - semi-desert
  • The Bokkeveld - with Fynbos, Protea
  • Namaqualand - with lunch flowers and succulents
  • The Bushmanland - with annual plants and shrubs
  • The Roggeveld - with the coldest winter temperatures in South Africa
Namakwa District Municipality Hantam Local Municipality (1245) Calvinia Cyril Jackson (astronomer) Khoikhoi Regional variations of barbecue
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