Shoshong
| Shoshong | |||
|---|---|---|---|
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| Coordinates | 23 ° 2 ′ S , 26 ° 31 ′ E | ||
| Basic data | |||
| Country | Botswana | ||
| Central District | |||
| ISO 3166-2 | BW-CE | ||
| height | 1085 m | ||
| Residents | 9678 (2011) | ||
| founding | 19th century | ||
Shoshong is a place in the Central District in Botswana . As the capital of the Bamangwato, it was one of the largest places in southern Africa .
geography
In 2011, Shoshong had 9,678 residents. The place is in the valley of the Bonwapitse , a tributary of the Limpopo . To the north and east, Shoshong is largely enclosed by rock walls. The settlement structure is rural.
Shoshong is located in the east of the country, about 40 kilometers west of the city of Mahalapye .
history
Baphaleng and Bakaa settled in Shoshong, the Bamangwato lived in the nearby hills. In 1832, David Hume was the first European to visit the place. In 1849 the Bamangwato under Sekgoma I. defeated the Bakaa and in 1850 established Shoshong as the new capital. Due to its location in the valley, the place was relatively easy to defend against the Ndebele . In 1859 the Lutheran Heinrich Schulenburg founded a mission station in Shoshong, which included a school. Like Sekgoma's headquarters, the station was in a narrow side valley. Today this part is called Old Shoshong . In 1860 the son of Sekgomas, Khama III. , baptized in Shoshong. In 1862 the London Missionary Society under John Mackenzie took over the station; the Germans left Shoshong in 1863. At this time the city was the largest in a wide area; the population was estimated at 30,000 in the 1860s.
In 1875, Khama III fell. his father. Due to the increasing water shortage, he moved the capital to Palapye in 1890 . With that, most of the residents moved there. From 1896 the place was repopulated by Bakaa and Baphaleng. Together with the Kgamans, they now manage the 68 wards into which the place is divided.
Economy and Infrastructure
Agriculture is predominant. A paved road connects Shoshong with Mahalapye.
Personalities
- Leaname Maotoanong (* 1991), athlete, born in Shoshong
See also
Web links
- Jacob Knight: Shoshong - a short history. (English)
- The rise and fall of Shoshong at murderiseverywhere.blogspot.de (English)