Grünau (Namibia)
| settlement Grünau
|
|||
|---|---|---|---|
|
|||
| motto | - | ||
| Basic data | |||
|
Population Area Population Density |
approx. 400, 2,500 with surrounding area |
||
|
State Region Constituency |
Namibia ǁKaras Karasburg-West |
||
| Establishment date | 1902 | ||
|
License plate phone code |
KA 63 |
||
| Website | |||
_(2014).svg) |
|||
|
Geographical data
Geographic coordinates : 27 ° 43 ′ 59 "S., 18 ° 22 ′ 39" O. Height : |
|||
The Grünau settlement is located on the Gamchab River in the Karasburg-West constituency , a dry region in the south of Namibia . Grünau can be used as a starting point for excursions to the Fish River Canyon , Ai-Ais , the Karas Mountains , the Naute-Damm wildlife park and Warmbad .
Grünau got its name from the surrounding landscape, which presents itself as a lush green grass landscape during the rainy season. The Nama uprising began 100 years ago when their captain Hendrik Witbooi changed fronts and began to fight against his previous allies, the German colonial rulers .
geography
Within the village there are some beautiful quiver trees in front of the post office . Numerous local plant species are also grown in the primary school garden.
In the east, west and south there is a large sediment-filled basin in which very little vegetation can be found, probably also because of the overgrazing by Karakul sheep , which can exist despite the low rainfall. The sedimentary soils are one of the more fertile areas in Namibia. To the north extend low boulders that are home to a rich variety of succulent plants such as aloes , thick-stemmed dwarf trees and ice flowers . The hills are also preferred because of the scree cover that makes evaporation difficult. Around 89 species of mammals are known in the region , as well as numerous turtles and lizards .
The climate in Grünau is exceptionally cold for Namibian standards. Since Grünau lies in the southern winter rain area, it has already happened that it has snowed on the hills. However, the sky is very rarely cloudy and the nights are very clear and, due to the low population density, hardly disturbed by artificial light sources or dust particles. A little off the road, there are therefore ideal conditions for astronomy .
population
The place itself has only about 400 inhabitants, mainly Nama and Afrikaans . With the surrounding area, however, the community has around 2,500 people, as the region is characterized by isolated farms and lodges, as is typical in the south of the country. German Namibians are hardly to be found in Grünau, the predominant languages are Afrikaans and Nama , with the local state school teaching in the official language English by law .
Economy and Infrastructure
The economic importance of Grünau as an agricultural center has declined to the extent that transport has been shifted from rail to road, while that as a traffic junction has increased: the roads to Cape Town , Johannesburg , Windhoek and northern Namibia and meet in Grünau Lüderitz on the coast. The nearest town in the east, Karasburg , is 60 kilometers away, in the south Noordoewer 108 km, in the west Ai-Ais 105 km and in the north Keetmanshoop , 120 kilometers.
The region around what is now Grünau was connected to the railroad in 1909. After the connection of the extreme south of today's Namibia to the colonial rail network of the imperial government, the settlement of Grünau was founded by settlers of German descent at a railway interface to South Africa .
As a result, not only do numerous buses stop at the Grünau rest stop, but also the trucks and tourists visiting the sights of the south. Among other things, there is also the road maintenance department for the roads in the area. Across from the rest stop, local artists and craftsmen sell their products in tents. A tungsten deposit in the Karas Mountains is currently not being exploited. In 2009 the Grünau region was hit by a severe plague of locusts. Two years later, early intervention successfully prevented the same.
Public facilities
In addition to the Village Council, there are a few smaller shops and restaurants, a rest stop with a gas station, a hotel, a post office with very limited opening times and a base for the 'Farmers Association'. A kindergarten is looked after by the Roman Catholic Church , while the student home for the local school, the so-called "Patience Primary School" and an adjoining playground is looked after by the Evangelical Lutheran Church (ELCRN).
The coat of arms of the
"Patience Primary School"
of Grünau
Grünau station
Disused sign of the
Grünau Motors Rest Camp (2012)
Web links
Individual evidence
- ^ Klaus Dierks: Railways July 21, 2012.
- ↑ Allgemeine Zeitung: Grasshopper plague stopped (Namibia, 2011) July 21, 2012.
Coordinates: 27 ° 44 ' S , 18 ° 23' E