Carnarvon, Northern Cape

Province

Carnarvon (formerly Harmsfontein ) is a town in the municipality Kareeberg, Pixley Ka Seme District, Northern Cape Province in South Africa. It is located 135 km northeast of Williston in the Karoo, at the junction of the roads R63, R384 and R386 at an altitude of 1309 meters above sea level. 2011, it had 6,612 inhabitants.

History

Originally the area was centuries ago roamed from San. These were but from the late 18th century of immigrant farmers - driven the trekboers, the Basters, the Khoikhoi, the Koranna and the Xhosa.

In 1850, there were conflicts between some of these strains. The Rhenish Mission with Reverend Christoph Alheit took over the supply of 110 refugees who were settled there. 1860 a village named Harmsfontein was founded. The name was then changed in 1874 in Carnarvon, after the British Colonial Secretary Henry Howard Molyneux Herbert ( 1831-1890 ), the Earl of Carnarvon. The city got right Carnarvon 1882.

Economy

Sheep farming and hunting farms are the main sources of income.

Attractions

The Karoo Northern Cape province is ideal for radio astronomy, because it is sparsely populated, with minimal radio frequency interference by synthetic sources such as mobile phones, TV and air traffic. By situated near Carnarvon Square Kilometre Array (SKA ) to study the first structures in the early universe in the frequency range of a few megahertz to gigahertz is to take place. In this system, more than 200 radio telescopes with an effective total will work of one square kilometer. Here, the SKA will be about one hundred times more sensitive than currently available instruments, which should greatly increase the efficiency especially in the field of surveys.

• Appie van Heerden Nature Reserve
• Karee Mountains