Musina

Province

Musina (until 2003: Messina) is the northernmost city of the Republic of South Africa. It lies just south of the Limpopo River on the border with Zimbabwe in the eponymous municipality in the Limpopo province. The Zimbabwean place Beitbridge twelve kilometers away. Both places are connected to Alfred Beit Bridge over the Limpopo. Musina in 2011 had 42,678 inhabitants.

History

The root of the Musina ( Tshivenda, German " copper " ) discovered once this metal and settled here. Early 20th century Europeans discovered the large copper deposits and founded the city of Messina. This name was changed in 2003. Copper mining has a long tradition. More than a thousand years before the first Europeans came to the area, there were people who already won copper, with sailors on the Indian Ocean trade and operation is closely associated with the later Great Zimbabwe and the fabled Munhumutapa Empire. About 40 kilometers west of Musina is the former trading town Schroda. From here, was transported by about 800 copper to the Indian Ocean. At that time, people traded with East African and Chinese merchants. Although the town was abandoned around 1000, it still appears in some Portuguese maps of the 16th century. Archaeological excavations have been ceramics, ivory and porcelain and glass beads found.

Economy and infrastructure

Main source of income is mining. In the surrounding copper ore, iron ore, Magnesiumerz, charcoal, graphite, asbestos, diamonds and various gemstones are promoted.

In Musina, there is a railway border crossing into Zimbabwe. It is used in freight transport and tourist trains of Rovos Rail.

Attractions

In Musina is a museum that shows some exhibits about the history of the colonization of the area by Europeans and the prehistory. Some of the replicas found in today's Mapungubwe ( Schroda ) treasures are exhibited here.

South of the city the Messina Nature Reserve was created in 1980, which served the conservation of baobab trees originally. Today they attempt to do even to save rare antelope species from extinction.