Centurion (South Africa)
| Centurion | |
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The Gautrain high-speed rail station in Centurion
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 Centurion
Centurion
Centurion
Centurion shown within Gauteng
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| Coordinates: 25°51′37″S 28°11′22″E / 25.86028°S 28.18944°ECoordinates: 25°51′37″S 28°11′22″E / 25.86028°S 28.18944°E | |
| Country | South Africa |
| Province | Gauteng |
| Municipality | City of Tshwane |
| Established | 1902 |
| Area | |
| • Total | 394.88 km2 (152.46 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 1,453 m (4,767 ft) |
| Population (2011) | |
| • Total | 236,580 |
| • Density | 600/km2 (1,600/sq mi) |
| Racial makeup (2011) | |
| • Black African | 29.3% |
| • Coloured | 2.3% |
| • Indian/Asian | 8.4% |
| • White | 59.0% |
| • Other | 1.0% |
| First languages (2011) | |
| • Afrikaans | 49.4% |
| • English | 26.0% |
| • Northern Sotho | 5.2% |
| • Tswana | 3.7% |
| • Other | 15.6% |
| Postal code (street) | 0157 |
| PO box | 0046 |
| Area code | 012 |
Centurion (previously known as Verwoerdburg) is an affluent area with 236,580 (2011 Census) inhabitants in Gauteng Province of South Africa, located between Pretoria and Midrand (Johannesburg). Formerly an independent municipality, with its own town council, it forms part of the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality since 2000. Its heart is located at the intersection of the N1 and N14 freeways. The R21 also passes through Centurion.
The Waterkloof Air Force Base, as well as the Swartkop Air Force Base (which includes the South African Air Force Museum) are located in Centurion.
Fossils discovered at the Sterkfontein Caves show that hominids lived in the vicinity of Centurion between 2 and 3 million years ago. The Sterkfontein Caves, a World Heritage Site, is less than 50 km from Centurion, near Mogale City and Krugersdorp.
However, the earliest evidence of modern human habitation in the Centurion area does not go this far back. It dates back to 1200 AD when black African communities settled in this area. They cultivated lands, grazed their cattle, made earthenware containers and melted iron.
From 1825 to 1826 the Matabele peoples defeated the Bakwena tribe and settled along the banks of the Magalies River under the leadership of Mzilikazi.
In 1841 the Erasmus family arrived and settled in the area that would much later (circa 1995) become Centurion. Daniel Jacobus Erasmus settled on the farm Zwartkop, Daniel Elardus Erasmus on the farm Doornkloof and Rasmus Elardus Erasmus developed the farm Brakfontein. Several of the suburbs like Erasmia, Elardus Park, Zwartkop and Doornkloof were named after these 19th-century owners of the land and their properties.
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Wikipedia