Swartruggens Explained

Swartruggens
Pushpin Map:South Africa North West#South Africa
Coordinates:-25.65°N 68°W
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name:South Africa
Subdivision Type1:Province
Subdivision Name1:North West
Subdivision Type2:District
Subdivision Name2:Bojanala Platinum
Subdivision Type3:Municipality
Subdivision Name3:Kgetlengrivier
Subdivision Type4:Main Place
Established Title:Established
Established Date:1875
Leader Title:Councillor
Area Footnotes:[1]
Area Total Km2:10.74
Population Total:1969
Population As Of:2011
Population Density Km2:auto
Demographics Type1:Racial makeup (2011)
Demographics1 Title1:White
Demographics1 Info1:52.3%
Demographics1 Title2:Black African
Demographics1 Info2:39.5%
Demographics1 Title3:Indian/Asian
Demographics1 Info3:5.5%
Demographics1 Title4:Coloured
Demographics1 Info4:1.8%
Demographics1 Title5:Other
Demographics1 Info5:0.8%
Demographics Type2:First languages (2011)
Demographics2 Title1:Afrikaans
Demographics2 Info1:57.4%
Demographics2 Title2:Tswana
Demographics2 Info2:21.9%
Demographics2 Title3:English
Demographics2 Info3:14.1%
Demographics2 Title4:Zulu
Demographics2 Info4:1.7%
Demographics2 Title5:Other
Demographics2 Info5:4.9%
Timezone1:SAST
Utc Offset1:+2
Postal Code Type:Postal code (street)
Postal Code:2835
Postal2 Code Type:PO box
Postal2 Code:2835
Area Code Type:Area code
Area Code:014

Swartruggens is a small farming town in North West Province, South Africa that was established in 1875.

Location

The town is located by the Elands River, 69 km east of the town of Zeerust, 56 km west of the city of Rustenburg and 34 km north-west of Koster. It is on the N4 road.[2]

It takes its name 'Swartruggens' from a series of hills there, formerly known as Zwartruggens, the Dutch name for 'black ridges'.[3]

History

The town of Swartruggens was founded in 1875 on the farm Brakfontein.

After the Siege of Mafeking, during the Second Anglo-Boer War, one of the supply depots was established by Robert Baden-Powell in Swartruggens, as he moved to Pretoria. [4]

A cemetery for British war dead from the Second Anglo-Boer War is located in the town.[5]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Main Place Swartruggens . Census 2011.
  2. http://www.tourismnorthwest.co.za/bojanala/swartruggens.html Swartruggens - North West Province South Africa
  3. Web site: Dictionary of Southern African Place Names (Public Domain). Human Sciences Research Council. 424.
  4. Web site: North West History – Battle of Elands River . https://web.archive.org/web/20120221174607/http://www.nwhist.co.za/view-event.php?eventid=8 . 2012-02-21 . dead . 2016-08-01 .
  5. Book: Wulfsohn, Lionel. Rustenburg at War: The Story of Rustenburg and Its Citizens in the First and Second Anglo-Boer Wars. 1992-01-01. L.M. Wulfsohn. 9780620167697. 255. en.