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Mafikeng
Mafeking | |
---|---|
Mahikeng | |
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Coordinates: 25°51′56″S 25°38′37″E / 25.86556°S 25.64361°E | |
Country | South Africa |
Province | North West |
District | Ngaka Modiri Molema |
Municipality | Mahikeng |
Established | 1852[1] |
Area | |
• Total | 24.57 km2 (9.49 sq mi) |
Elevation | 1,500.0 m (4,921.3 ft) |
Population (2011)[2] | |
• Total | 291 527 |
Racial makeup (2011) | |
• Black African | 95.5% |
• Coloured | 2.3% |
• Indian/Asian | 0.8% |
• White | 1.3% |
• Other | 0.8% |
First languages (2011) | |
• Tswana | 78.4% |
• English | 0.6% |
• Afrikaans | 1.1% |
• Sesotho | 3.0% |
• Other | 11.1% |
Time zone | UTC+2 (SAST) |
Postal code (street) | 2745 |
PO box | 2745 |
Website | www.mahikeng.gov.za |
Mahikeng (Tswana for "Place of Rocks"), formerly known as Mafikeng[3] and alternatively known as Mafeking (/ˈmæfəkɪŋ/, US also /ˈmɑːf-/), is the capital city of the North West province of South Africa.[4]
Close to South Africa's border with Botswana, Mafikeng is 1,400 km (870 mi) northeast of Cape Town and 260 km (160 mi) west of Johannesburg. In 2001 it had a population of 49,300. In 2007 Mafikeng was reported to have a population of 250,000, of which the CBD constituted between 69,000 and 75,000. It is built on the open veld at an elevation of 1,500 m (4,921 ft), by the banks of the Upper Molopo River. The Madibi goldfields are some 15 km (9.3 mi) south of the town.