Nylstroom
| Modimolle | |
|---|---|
 Modimolle
Modimolle
Modimolle
Modimolle shown within Limpopo
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| Coordinates: 24°42′00″S 28°24′22″E / 24.70000°S 28.40611°ECoordinates: 24°42′00″S 28°24′22″E / 24.70000°S 28.40611°E | |
| Country | South Africa |
| Province | Limpopo |
| District | Waterberg |
| Municipality | Modimolle |
| Area | |
| • Total | 83.3 km2 (32.2 sq mi) |
| Population (2011) | |
| • Total | 41,988 |
| • Density | 500/km2 (1,300/sq mi) |
| Racial makeup (2011) | |
| • Black African | 87.5% |
| • Coloured | 0.5% |
| • Indian/Asian | 0.5% |
| • White | 11.3% |
| • Other | 0.3% |
| First languages (2011) | |
| • Northern Sotho | 62.2% |
| • Afrikaans | 11.1% |
| • Tsonga | 9.7% |
| • Tswana | 4.8% |
| • Other | 12.2% |
| Postal code (street) | 0510 |
| PO box | 0510 |
| Area code | 014 |
Modimolle is a town located near the southern edge of the Waterberg Massif in Limpopo province, South Africa. It is a medium-sized town that focuses primarily on agriculture and farming (citrus, grapes and cattle) as well as wildlife and tourism. Modimolle is also located approximately 135 kilometres (84 miles) north of Pretoria, South Africa's de facto capital city.
The Waterberg Biosphere spreading north, a UNESCO designated Biosphere Reserve, contains approximately 15,000 square kilometres (5,792 square miles). Waterberg is the first region in the northern part of South Africa to be named as a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO. The extensive rock formation was shaped by hundreds of millions of years of riverine erosion to yield diverse bluff and butte landform. The ecosystem can be characterised as a dry deciduous forest or Bushveld.
In the 1860s, a group of Voortrekkers known as the Jerusalem Trekkers set off for the Holy Land. After discovering a wide river flowing northwards, they consulted the maps at the back of their Bibles and decided that it was the Nylrivier (Nile river). They called the stream Nyl River and settled the town and called it Nylstroom in 1866. After discovering what they believed to be a ruined pyramid, they were convinced that they had found the Nile. It was in fact, a natural hillock, known to the locals as Modimolle. In March 1866, the district of Waterberg was created out of some of the districts of Rustenburg and Zoutpansberg with a landdrost established in Nylstroom. A Dutch Reformed Church was built in 1889 and is the oldest church in sub-saharan Africa north of Pretoria. It was also used as a hospital during the Second Boer War. The river is the Nyl River, a tributary of the Mogalakwena River.
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Wikipedia