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Swartruggens

Coordinates: 25°39′S 26°42′E / 25.650°S 26.700°E / -25.650; 26.700
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Swartruggens
Ou Stasie in Swartruggens
Ou Stasie in Swartruggens
Swartruggens is located in North West (South African province)
Swartruggens
Swartruggens
Swartruggens is located in South Africa
Swartruggens
Swartruggens
Coordinates: 25°39′S 26°42′E / 25.650°S 26.700°E / -25.650; 26.700
CountrySouth Africa
ProvinceNorth West
DistrictBojanala Platinum
MunicipalityKgetlengrivier
Established1875
Area
 • Total10.74 km2 (4.15 sq mi)
Population
 (2011)[1]
 • Total1,969
 • Density180/km2 (470/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2011)
 • White52.3%
 • Black African39.5%
 • Indian/Asian5.5%
 • Coloured1.8%
 • Other0.8%
First languages (2011)
 • Afrikaans57.4%
 • Tswana21.9%
 • English14.1%
 • Zulu1.7%
 • Other4.9%
Time zoneUTC+2 (SAST)
Postal code (street)
2835
PO box
2835
Area code014

Swartruggens is a small farming town in North West Province, South Africa that was established in 1875.

Location

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The town is located by the Elands River, 69 km east of the town of Zeerust, 56 km west of the city of Rustenburg and 34 km north-west of Koster. It is on the N4 road.[2]

It takes its name 'Swartruggens' from a series of hills there, formerly known as Zwartruggens, the Dutch name for 'black ridges'.[3]

History

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The town of Swartruggens was founded in 1875 on the farm Brakfontein.

After the Siege of Mafeking, during the Second Anglo-Boer War, one of the supply depots was established by Robert Baden-Powell in Swartruggens, as he moved to Pretoria. [4]

A cemetery for British war dead from the Second Anglo-Boer War is located in the town.[5]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Main Place Swartruggens". Census 2011.
  2. ^ Swartruggens - North West Province South Africa Archived 2012-04-01 at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ "Dictionary of Southern African Place Names (Public Domain)". Human Sciences Research Council. p. 424.
  4. ^ "North West History – Battle of Elands River". Archived from the original on 21 February 2012. Retrieved 1 August 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  5. ^ Wulfsohn, Lionel (1 January 1992). Rustenburg at War: The Story of Rustenburg and Its Citizens in the First and Second Anglo-Boer Wars. L.M. Wulfsohn. p. 255. ISBN 9780620167697.
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