Butterworth (South Africa)
| Butterworth (Gcuwa) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
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| Coordinates | 32 ° 20 ′ S , 28 ° 9 ′ E | ||
| Basic data | |||
| Country | South Africa | ||
| Eastern Cape | |||
| District | Amathole | ||
| ISO 3166-2 | ZA-EC | ||
| local community | Mnquma | ||
| height | 547 m | ||
| Residents | 44,039 (2011) | ||
| founding | 1827 | ||
 Center of Butterworth
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Butterworth , also Gcuwa , is a city in the South African province of Eastern Cape . It is the seat of the municipality of Mnquma in the district of Amathole .
geography
Butterworth has 44,039 inhabitants (as of 2011). The city extends along the Great Kei River and the N2 national road . There are industrial companies in the districts of Zitulele and Ibeka (also Ibika ). Ibeka, Siyanda and Umsobomvu are former townships .
history
Butterworth was founded in 1827 as a missionary station for the Wesleyan Church in British Kaffraria and was one of the first white settlements in what is now the Eastern Cape. The mission is named after the missionary Joseph Butterworth. During the border wars between the British and Xhosa , it was fiercely contested for its strategic importance and was burned down three times. After the end of the border wars in 1878 and the incorporation of the area into the Cape Colony , Butterworth gained in importance. In 1904 Butterworth received town charter .
The city was once in the Transkei , which was administered autonomously from 1963 and received nominal state independence in 1976. Today Butterworth is a fast growing town.
Economy and Transport
Butterworth has food, textile, wood and chemical operations. Butterworth is a campus of the Walter Sisulu University . To the north of the city is the Gcuwa Dam reservoir .
Butterworth is on the N2 and on the Mthatha - East London railway , which is now only served by freight.
Attractions
In the city is the St. Peter's Church from the 19th century.
On the nearby Qolora River there is a 90 meter high, single-stage waterfall, the Bawa Falls.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ 2011 census , accessed November 22, 2013