Lichtenburg, North West

Lichtenburg
Lichtenburg Show map of North West (South African province) Lichtenburg Show map of South Africa Lichtenburg Show map of Africa
Coordinates: 26°09′S 26°10′E / 26.150°S 26.167°E / -26.150; 26.167
Country	South Africa
Province	North West
District	Central
Municipality	Ditsobotla
Established	1873
Area [1]
• Total	108.90 km2 (42.05 sq mi)
Elevation	1,459 m (4,787 ft)
Population  (2011)[1]
• Total	26,338
• Density	240/km2 (630/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2011) [1][2]
• Black African	59.5%
• Coloured	7.9%
• Indian/Asian	1.9%
• White	30.3%
• Other	0.3%
First languages (2011) [1]
• Tswana	52.5%
• Afrikaans	38.1%
• English	4.1%
• Sotho	1.1%
• Other	4.2%
Time zone	UTC+2 (SAST)
Postal code (street)	2740
PO box	2740
Area code	018

Lichtenburg (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈlɪxtə(n)ˌbʏrx]) is a town situated in North West Province, South Africa. It is the administrative centre of Ditsobotla Local Municipality.^[3]

The town was established in 1873 and was named by Transvaal President Thomas François Burgers as Lichtenburg (Town of Light). On the 13 March 1926, Jacobus Voorendyk, discovered a diamond on his family farm and within 12 months there were 108,000 fortune seekers on the scene. The resulting diamond rush lasted ten years.

The main economic activity is the production of maize (corn) and meat. Lichtenburg lies in the heart of the maize triangle, which is the main maize growing area in South Africa. Another major economic activity is the production of cement. Within an 80-kilometre (50 mi) radius of Lichtenburg there are four major cement producers, which creates opportunities for long-distance transport and related businesses.^{[clarification needed]}