The Bothongo WonderCave in Kromdraai,

Gauteng Gauteng ( ) is one of the nine provinces of South Africa. The name in Sotho-Tswana languages means 'place of gold'. Situated on the Highveld, Gauteng is the smallest province by land area in South Africa. Although Gauteng accounts for only ...

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 coun ...

is situated within the Bothongo Rhino & Lion Nature Reserve in the Cradle of Humankind, a

UNESCO World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for ...

. The cave is the third-largest cave chamber in the country (behind the second largest,

Sudwala Caves The Sudwala Caves in Mpumalanga, South Africa, are set in Precambrian dolomite (rock), dolomite rock, which was first laid down about 2800 million years ago. The caves themselves formed about 240 million years ago. They are the oldest caves ...

, and the largest, Cango Caves). It is 5-10 million years old. The single chamber has an area of , and is . It was discovered in the late nineteenth century by miners who dynamited and excavated

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms w ...

for the making of

cement A cement is a binder, a chemical substance used for construction that sets, hardens, and adheres to other materials to bind them together. Cement is seldom used on its own, but rather to bind sand and gravel (aggregate) together. Cement mixe ...

. Mining stopped during the

Second Boer War The Second Boer War ( af, Tweede Vryheidsoorlog, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, the Anglo–Boer War, or the South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer Republics (the So ...

and never resumed. The cave has about 14

stalactite A stalactite (, ; from the Greek 'stalaktos' ('dripping') via ''stalassein'' ('to drip') is a mineral formation that hangs from the ceiling of caves, hot springs, or man-made structures such as bridges and mines. Any material that is soluble ...

and

stalagmite A stalagmite (, ; from the Greek , from , "dropping, trickling") is a type of rock formation that rises from the floor of a cave due to the accumulation of material deposited on the floor from ceiling drippings. Stalagmites are typicall ...

formations up to 15 metres high, 85% of which are still growing. The 60-metre-deep cave is accessible to visitors by elevator. The cave can be visited as an attraction on its own.

References

External links

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Southern Africa PlacesBothongo Rhino & Lion Nature Reserve - WonderCave
{{Greater Johannesburg, natural Caves of South Africa Limestone caves World Heritage Sites in South Africa Landforms of Gauteng Tourist attractions in Gauteng Show caves Mogale City Local Municipality Archaeological sites of Southern Africa

See also

References

External links