Gariep Dam ( af, Gariepdam), founded as "Oranjekrag", is a settlement in
Xhariep District Municipality
Xhariep is one of the 5 districts of Free State province of South Africa.The District is the largest in the Free State Geographically and is known for its vast land. The District is home to the largest dam in the Country, the Gariep Dam and has tw ...
in the
Free State (province)
The Free State, known as Orange Free State until the 28th of June 1995 when its name was changed, is a province of South Africa. Its capital is Bloemfontein, which is also South Africa's judicial capital. Its historical origins lie in the Boer ...
of
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...
.
Gariep Dam is a town on the northern bank of the
Orange River
The Orange River (from Afrikaans/Dutch: ''Oranjerivier'') is a river in Southern Africa. It is the longest river in South Africa. With a total length of , the Orange River Basin extends from Lesotho into South Africa and Namibia to the north ...
, 50 km west of
Bethulie
Bethulie is a small sheep and cattle farming town in the Free State province of South Africa. The name meaning ''chosen by God'' was given by directors of a mission station in 1829 which the town formed around. The mission building is the oldest s ...
and 48 km north-east of
Colesberg
Colesberg is a town with 17,354 inhabitants in the Northern Cape province of South Africa, located on the main N1 road from Cape Town to Johannesburg.
In a sheep-farming area spread over half-a-million hectares, greater Colesberg breeds many ...
. It was laid out in 1965-66 to accommodate the builders of the
dam
A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use, a ...
. The previous name is Afrikaans and means "Orange (River) power".
The town acquired its current name in 1996.
References
Populated places in the Kopanong Local Municipality
Populated places established in 1965
{{FreeState-geo-stub