Bela-Bela

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Bela-Bela
Bela-Bela (South Africa)
Bela-Bela
Bela-Bela
Coordinates 24 ° 53 ′  S , 28 ° 17 ′  E Coordinates: 24 ° 53 ′  S , 28 ° 17 ′  E
Basic data
Country South Africa

province

Limpopo
District Waterberg
ISO 3166-2 ZA-LP
local community Bela-Bela
height 1098 m
Residents 45,001 (2011)
founding 1873
Special features:
health resort with thermal springs
Thermal bath
Thermal bath

Bela-Bela (until 2002 Warmbaths or Warmbad ) is a city in the South African province of Limpopo . It is located in the municipality of the same name in the Waterberg district . The city has 45,001 inhabitants (as of 2011). The name comes from the North Sotho term bela , which means 'boiling'. It refers to the natural hot springs for which Bela-Bela is known. About 22,000 liters of 53 ° C warm water flow from the spring every hour. The spring water contains a lot of sodium chloride , calcium carbonate and other salts, which are considered beneficial for the treatment of rheumatic diseases .

geography

Bela-Bela lies on the border with Gauteng about 100 kilometers north of Pretoria and is at an altitude of 1098 meters above sea level.

The average rainfall in Bela-Bela is 478 millimeters. Most of the precipitation falls in summer (November to March). The lowest amount of precipitation occurs in June with an average of 0 millimeters. Most of the precipitation falls in January (94 millimeters). The average maximum temperature in Bela-Bela varies from 19.9 ° C in June to 28.7 ° C in January. The coldest month is July. Here the average minimum nighttime temperatures are 2.7 ° C.

history

The thermal springs were discovered by the Tswana in the early 19th century . In 1873 the locality and its sources came into the interest of the then ZAR President Thomas François Burgers , who wanted to buy the area suitable for spa use for the republic. After initial hesitation, it became state property. The place was proclaimed in 1882 with the name Hartingsburg .

In 1882 the health resort Hartingsburg was founded near the springs and on the areas of the farms Het Bad , Noodshulp , Roodepoort and Turfbult . However, apart from the visitors to the springs, Hartingsburg had hardly any inhabitants, since most of the people preferred the main town of the district, Nylstroom .

In 1903 the British government renamed the place Warmbaths ; popularly the place was already called that before. In 1960 the place received city ​​rights . After that, the tourism industry began to develop.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Old PlaceNames ( English ) Department of Arts and Culture. Archived from the original on February 8, 2010. Retrieved December 28, 2015.
  2. ↑ 2011 census: Bela-Bela , accessed October 4, 2013.
  3. ↑ a b c About ( English ) Bela Bela Tourism . Archived from the original on February 5, 2014. Retrieved January 10, 2016.
  4. ↑ a b c History of Warmbaths / Bela-Bela ( English ) Marula Marketing . Retrieved April 7, 2010.
  5. ↑ Warmbaths, South Africa Page ( English ) Falling Rain Genomics, Inc. . Retrieved April 7, 2010.
  6. ↑ Warmbad climate ( English ) SA Explorer . Retrieved April 7, 2010.
  7. ^ A b Peter Edmund Raper : Dictionary of Southern African Place Names . Lowry Publishers, Johannesburg 1987 (2nd ed.), P. 342.