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Napier, Western Cape
Napier is a village at the foot of the Soetmuisberg, between Caledon and Bredasdorp. A blend of century-old cottages and modern houses, surrounded by the rolling farmland which typifies the Overberg region of South Africa, give the village a rural atmosphere. Napier is situated in the Cape Agulhas Region with easy access to the seaside villages of Arniston/ Waenhuiskrans, Struisbaai and . History Napier was founded in 1838 through a dispute between two neighbours, Michiel van Breda and Pieter Voltelyn van der Byl, over the location of the community church. Michiel van Breda wanted the church sited on his farm, Langefontein, while Pieter Voltelyn van der Byl wanted it built on his property, Klipdrift. Neither Van Breda nor Van der Byl would give way, so churches were built in both places, the town of Bredasdorp growing around Van Breda’s church and the town of Napier founded around Van der Byl’s church, and being named after Sir George Thomas Napier, the British governor ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and Indian Ocean; to the north by the neighbouring countries of Namibia, Botswana, and Zimbabwe; to the east and northeast by Mozambique and Eswatini; and it encloses Lesotho. Covering an area of , the country has Demographics of South Africa, a population of over 64 million people. Pretoria is the administrative capital, while Cape Town, as the seat of Parliament of South Africa, Parliament, is the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein is regarded as the judicial capital. The largest, most populous city is Johannesburg, followed by Cape Town and Durban. Cradle of Humankind, Archaeological findings suggest that various hominid species existed in South Africa about 2.5 million years ago, and modern humans inhabited the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Post-office Box
A post office box (commonly abbreviated as P.O. box, or also known as a postal box) is a uniquely addressable lockable box located on the premises of a post office. In some regions, particularly in Africa, there is no door-to-door delivery of mail; for example, in Kenya. Consequently, renting a PO box has traditionally been the only way to receive mail in such countries. Generally, post office boxes are rented from the post office either by individuals or by businesses on a basis ranging from monthly to annual, and the cost of rent varies depending on the box size. Central business district (CBD) PO boxes are usually more expensive than rural PO boxes. In the United States, the rental rate used to be uniform across the country. Now, however, a postal facility can be in any of seven fee groups by location; in addition, certain customers qualify for free box rental, usually because the Postal Service does not offer carrier-route delivery to their physical addresses. In the U ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
George Thomas Napier
Sir George Thomas Napier (30 June 1784 – 16 September 1855) was a British Army officer who saw service in the Peninsular War and later commanded the army of the Cape Colony. Life He entered the British Army in 1800, and served with distinction under Sir John Moore and the Duke of Wellington in the Peninsula—losing his right arm at the 1812 storming of Ciudad Rodrigo, where, as a major in the 52nd Foot, he led the Light Division's storming party.Glover, Michael; (1974) ''The Peninsular War 1807–1814: A Concise Military History'', UK: David & Charles, , pp. 180-181 He became major-general in 1837, KCB in 1838 and lieutenant-general in 1846. He was governor and Commander-In-Chief of the army in the Cape Colony from 1839 to 1843, during which time the abolition of slavery and the expulsion of the Boers from Natal were the chief events. He was offered, but declined, the chief command in India after the Battle of Chillianwalla, and also that of the Sardinian army in 18 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Michiel Van Breda
Michiel van Breda (12 August 1775– 12 August 1847) was a Cape Colony farmer, founder of Bredasdorp, Mayor of Cape Town and a Freemason. Roots Van Breda was born on 12 August 1775 in Cape Town. His parents were Pieter van Breda and Catharina Sophia Myburg. He married three times. Out of his marriages with Gesina van Reenen, Beatrix Elizabeth Lategan and Maria Adriana Smalberger he became the father of nine children. He died in Cape Town on 12 August 1847. Merino sheep farming In 1817 van Breda was farming on Zoetendals Vallei farm in the region which is today called Overberg. He imported Rambouillet Merino sheep from France, together with Merinos from Saxony in Germany, creating the South African Merino. He was the first person to start breeding Merino sheep in South Africa. His partner was F. W. Reitz. A Merino is a sheep primarily bred for its wool, originally from Spain. The first Merinos date back to the 12th century. The sheep is particularly well adapted to low rainf ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Struisbaai
Struisbaai ( ) is a coastal town in the Overberg region of South Africa's Western Cape province. The town is in the Cape Agulhas Local Municipality in the Overberg District Municipality, Overberg District, about two hundred kilometres south east of Cape Town, and four kilometres from Cape Agulhas, which is the southernmost point of the Africa, African continent. The town is an old fishing village which for many years sported a beautiful natural harbour. Some development has taken place since then but Struisbaai is still relatively untouched by the rigours of over-development. Many fishermen still reside in this settlement but it is now known better for its leisure activities, which include fishing, horseriding, hiking, paintball, quadbiking and diving. History The exact origins of the name of Struisbaai is uncertain. The various historical stories uncover 3 different origins for the name of the town. The first being accredited to the thatch or straw (strooi in Afrikaans) roo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Waenhuiskrans
Arniston is a small seaside settlement on the coast of the Overberg region of South Africa, close to Cape Agulhas, the southernmost tip of Africa. Prior to the wreck of , it is also known as Waenhuiskrans, an Afrikaans name meaning literally "Wagon house cliff", after a local sea cave large enough to accommodate a wagon and a span of oxen. Wreck of ''Arniston'' In May 1815, a British East Indiaman, ''Arniston'', was rounding the Cape in convoy on a journey to repatriate wounded British soldiers from Ceylon. The ship lacked a chronometer — an expensive instrument at the time — and consequently had to rely on other ships in the fleet to calculate the longitude of the group. After being separated from the convoy in heavy seas, the captain of ''Arniston'' was obliged to rely solely on dead reckoning to navigate. Thinking incorrectly that he was west of the Cape of Good Hope because of lack of headway, led to an incorrect assumption that Cape Agulhas was Cape Point. Consequently ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Seaside Resort
A seaside resort is a city, resort town, town, village, or hotel that serves as a Resort, vacation resort and is located on a coast. Sometimes the concept includes an aspect of an official accreditation based on the satisfaction of certain requirements such as in the German ''Seebad''. Where a beach is the primary focus for tourists, it may be called a beach resort. History Seaside resorts have existed since antiquity. In Ancient Rome, Roman times, the town of Baiae by the Tyrrhenian Sea in Italy was a resort for those who were sufficiently prosperous. Barcola by the Adriatic Sea in northern Italy with its Roman luxury villas is considered a special example of ancient leisure culture by the sea. Mersea Island in Essex, England was a seaside holiday destination for wealthy ancient Romans living in Colchester. The development of the beach as a popular leisure resort from the mid-19th century was the first manifestation of what is now the global tourist industry. The first seasi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cape Agulhas
Cape Agulhas (; , "Cape of Needles") is a rocky headland in Western Cape, South Africa. It is the geographic southern tip of Africa and the beginning of the traditional dividing line between the Atlantic and Indian oceans according to the International Hydrographic Organization. It is approximately half a degree of latitude, or , farther south than the Cape of Good Hope. Historically, the cape has been known to sailors as a major hazard on the traditional clipper route. It is sometimes regarded as one of the great capes. It was most commonly known in English as Cape L'Agulhas until the 20th century. The town of L'Agulhas is near the cape. Geography Cape Agulhas is located in the Overberg region, 170 kilometres (105 mi) southeast of Cape Town. The cape was named by Portuguese navigators, who called it ''Cabo das Agulhas''— Portuguese for "Cape of Needles"—after noticing that around the year 1500 the direction of magnetic north (and therefore the compass ne ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Overberg
__NOTOC__ Overberg is a region in South Africa to the east of Cape Town beyond the Hottentots-Holland mountains. It lies along the Western Cape Province's south coast between the Cape Peninsula and the region known as the Garden Route in the east. The boundaries of the Overberg are the Hottentots-Holland mountains in the West; the Riviersonderend Mountains, part of the Cape Fold Belt, in the North; the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic and Indian Ocean, Indian Oceans in the South and the Breede River in the East. The area has always been considered as the breadbasket of the Cape and is largely given to grain farming — mainly wheat. The wheat fields are a major breeding ground for South Africa's national bird, the blue crane. Another important crop in the Overberg is fruit, with the Elgin, Western Cape, Elgin Valley producing about 60 percent of the total annual apple crop of about 819 000 tonnes (2012 data). Nestled in the Overberg, one can find the Kogelberg, Kogelberg Biospher ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bredasdorp
Bredasdorp is a town in the Southern Overberg region of the Western Cape, South Africa, and the main economic and service hub of that region. It lies on the northern edge of the Agulhas Plain, about south-east of Cape Town and north of Cape Agulhas, the southernmost tip of Africa. Tourist attractions of Bredasdorp include the Heuningberg Nature Reserve, many historical churches, and art galleries and craft shops. Bredasdorp is also home to the Shipwreck Museum which tells the stories of the 150 wrecks along the nearby Agulhas Reef. It is the only museum of its kind in the southern hemisphere. History The town of Bredasdorp was founded with the building of a Dutch Reformed Church in 1838 on the farm Langefontein. The town was named after Michiel van Breda, the first Mayor of Cape Town, who was also known as the father of South Africa's merino sheep industry. Van Breda and Pieter Voltelyn van der Byl could not agree on a location for the church; as a result, two churches were b ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Caledon, Western Cape
Caledon, originally named ''Swartberg'', is a town in the Overberg region in the Western Cape province of South Africa, located about east of Cape Town next to mineral-rich hot springs. it had a population of 13,020. It is located in, and the seat of, the Theewaterskloof Local Municipality. The town continues to be inhabited by Khoisan, Khoikhoi communities who, before the arrival of colonizing forces, were the wealthiest on this land. Caledon is situated on the N2 road (South Africa), N2 national route, by road from central Cape Town. At Caledon the N2 is met by the R316 road (South Africa), R316 from Arniston, Western Cape, Arniston and Bredasdorp, and the R320 road (South Africa), R320 from Hermanus. It is also located on the Overberg branch line, Overberg branch railway line, by rail from Cape Town railway station, Cape Town station. The Caledon district is primarily an agricultural region. Most agricultural activities involve grain production with a certain amount of Ani ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
