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Limpopo

Limpopo
Province of South Africa
Coat of arms of Limpopo
Coat of arms
Motto: Peace, Unity and Prosperity
Map showing the location of Limpopo in the northern part of South Africa
Location of Limpopo in South Africa
Country South Africa
Established 27 April 1994
Capital Polokwane
Districts
Government
 • Type Parliamentary system
 • Premier Stanley Mathabatha (ANC)
Area
 • Total 125,754 km2 (48,554 sq mi)
Area rank 5th in South Africa
Highest elevation 2,126 m (6,975 ft)
Population (2011)
 • Total 5,404,868
 • Estimate (2015) 5,726,800
 • Rank 5th in South Africa
 • Density 43/km2 (110/sq mi)
 • Density rank 5th in South Africa
Population groups
 • Black African 96.7%
 • White 2.6%
 • Indian or Asian 0.3%
 • Coloured 0.3%
Languages
 • Northern Sotho 52.9%
 • Tsonga 17.0%
 • Venda 16.7%
 • Afrikaans 2.3%
Time zone SAST (UTC+2)
ISO 3166 code ZA-LP
Website www.limpopo.gov.za

Limpopo (UK: /lɪmˈpəʊpəʊ/) is the northernmost province of South Africa. It is named after the Limpopo River, which forms the province's western and northern borders. The name "Limpopo" has its etymological origin in the Northern Sotho language word diphororo tša meetse, meaning "strong gushing waterfalls". The capital is Polokwane, formerly called Pietersburg.

The province was formed from the northern region of Transvaal Province in 1994, and was initially named Northern Transvaal. The following year, it was renamed Northern Province, which remained the name until 2003, when it was formally changed to Limpopo after deliberation by the provincial government and amendment of the South African Constitution. An alternate name considered for the province was Mapungubwe, the area where its most ancient gold-using civilization had been discovered a few years earlier.

Limpopo has the highest level of poverty of any South African province, with 78.9% of the population living below the national poverty line. In 2011, 74.4% of local dwellings were located in a tribal or traditional area, compared to a national average of 27.1%. The Northern Sotho language is spoken by more than half of Limpopo's population.

Limpopo Province shares international borders with districts and provinces of three countries: Botswana's Central and Kgatleng districts to the west and northwest respectively, Zimbabwe's Matabeleland South and Masvingo provinces to the north and northeast respectively, and Mozambique's Gaza Province to the east. Limpopo is the link between South Africa and countries further afield in sub-Saharan Africa. On its southern edge, from east to west, it shares borders with the South African provinces of Mpumalanga, Gauteng, and North West. Its border with Gauteng includes that province's Johannesburg-Pretoria axis, the most industrialized metropole on the continent. The province is at the centre of regional, national, and international developing markets.


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