Bergville

Bergville
Bergville
Coordinates	28 ° 44 ′  S , 29 ° 22 ′  E Coordinates: 28 ° 44 ′  S , 29 ° 22 ′  E
Basic data
Country	South Africa
province	KwaZulu-Natal
District	Uthukela
local community	Okhahlamba
height	1111 m
Residents	1274 (2011)
founding	1897
Log cabin from the Second Boer War in Bergville

Bergville is a small South African town at the foot of the Drakensberg . It belongs to the Okhahlamba community in the Uthukela district . Bergville is roughly halfway between Durban and Johannesburg at an altitude of 1111 meters above sea level. Larger cities in the area are Ladysmith (around 50 km east) and Harrismith (around 60 km north). Bergville is located on the Tugela between the Woodstock Dam and Spionkop Dam reservoirs . The place is connected to the transport network via the regional road R74 . In 2011 the city had 1,274 inhabitants.

history

Before the European settlers, the Ngwaneni lived in the Bergville area . In 1897 several trading posts were built from which the city developed. During the Second Boer War , the British built a log house that has been preserved to this day. In addition, the battle of Spion Kop took place not far from the settlement. In 1903 the place was called Bergville. Bergville is Afrikaans and means "mountain town". In 1962 Bergville was granted parish status.

Economy and Infrastructure

Bergville is a rural city with a high unemployment rate. The economic activities are largely limited to tourism and agriculture. Mostly maize is grown. A large part of agriculture is used for personal use.

The poor infrastructure is a major problem. For example, the water supply is not guaranteed and people are dependent on wells. There is also hardly any road connection between the surrounding rural areas and Bergville.

climate

The average annual rainfall in Bergville is 643 millimeters. Most of the precipitation falls in summer (October to March). The lowest amount of precipitation occurs in July, at 2 millimeters. Most of the precipitation falls in January (125 millimeters). The average maximum temperature in Bergville varies from 19.3 ° C in June to 27.9 ° C in January. The coldest month is July. Here the average minimum nighttime temperatures are 2.1 ° C.

Sights and culture

The main attractions in Bergville are the aforementioned log cabin, rock carvings of the San and the site of the Battle of Spion Kop. There are also many nature reserves around Bergville that can be used for recreational activities.

The Bergville- Winterton marathon takes place in Bergville every December and the Bergville cycle race takes place in April.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Bergville data from Falling Rain Genomics, accessed August 1, 2011.
2. ↑ Bergville distances. SA Explorer, accessed August 1, 2011 . 
3. ↑ 2011 census , accessed November 16, 2013
4. ↑ Bergville. (No longer available online.) SA Routes, archived from the original on June 27, 2011 ; accessed on August 1, 2011 . 
5. ↑ Bergville. UKZN , accessed August 1, 2011 . 
6. ↑ Bergville climate. SA Explorer, accessed August 1, 2011 . 
7. ↑ Bergville. SA Places, accessed August 1, 2011 . 
8. ↑ Bergville, the closest village to the northern Drakensberg. (No longer available online.) Midlands Reservations, formerly the original ; accessed on August 1, 2011 .  ( Page no longer available , search in web archives )