Brakpan
| Brakpan | |||
|---|---|---|---|
|
|||
| Coordinates | 26 ° 14 ′ S , 28 ° 22 ′ E | ||
| Basic data | |||
| Country | South Africa | ||
| Gauteng | |||
| metropolis | Ekurhuleni | ||
| ISO 3166-2 | ZA-GP | ||
| Residents | 73,080 (2011) | ||
| founding | 1888 | ||
 Evangelical Church in Brakpan
|
|||
Brakpan (German roughly: "Flacher Brackwassersee") is a city in South Africa . It belongs to the Gauteng Province and is located in the metropolitan municipality of Ekurhuleni , which was previously known in a similar location as East Rand . In 2011 the city had 73,080 inhabitants.
Surname
Brakpan was founded on the site of a farm that had a shallow lake filled with brackish water .
Geographical location
The city is around 1,600 meters above sea level. Brakpan is located in the East Rand , which includes the eastern part of the Witwatersrands . Immediately to the north is the town of Benoni , to the southeast the town of Springs .
history
Before 1888, Brakpan was founded on the grounds of the Weltevreden farm (roughly German: "Very satisfied"). Coal deposits were discovered in 1888 . Coal mining was named Brakpan Collieries . A coal power station was also built. Brakpan subsequently received a station on the Germiston –Springs railway line . In 1905 the Brakpan Mines Company built the first two gold mines in Brakpan. At that time, one of the mines had the highest spoil dump in the world at 120 meters high .
Until 1912 Brakpan was a district of Benoni, but then received city rights . In 1922, white miners took part in a strike and revolt against the government.
The yields from the gold mines gradually decreased. Other industrial companies settled in Brakpan, especially in the fields of iron extraction and mechanical engineering . Brakpan benefited from its central location in the eastern Witwatersrand.
In 2000 Brakpan became part of the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality .
economy
Industrial operations are the main source of income for Brakpan. In addition, the amusement park with the largest casino in South Africa, Carnival City , was built, which is especially intended for tourists.
traffic
Brakpan is on the N17 road .
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ 2011 census , accessed October 3, 2013