Griqualand West

Griqualand West
a former district in S South Africa, N of the Orange River and W of the Orange Free State: diamonds found 1867.

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      historical and contemporary region in Northern Cape province, South Africa. The region lies directly northwest of the juncture of the Vaal and Orange rivers. It is an arid plateau settled in the late 18th century by the Griqua, a group of mixed white and Khoekhoe ancestry fleeing discrimination around Cape Town. Many were seminomadic, living by raiding and hunting, while others raised cattle near springs. Diamonds (diamond) discovered in the area in 1867 led to disputed claims between the Boer republics, the Griqua, and the British Cape Colony. In 1871 the British formally annexed Griqualand West, incorporating it into the Cape Colony nine years later. Most Griqua were forced to sell their farms to whites. Very few remained in the area by the end of the 19th century. Diamonds continue to be mined in Griqualand West, and cattle and sheep are grazed. The rich deposits of the Finsch diamond pipe mine east of Postmasburg have been worked since 1963 by De Beers Consolidated Mines, Ltd. The main town is Kimberley.

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • Griqualand West — is an area of central South Africa with an area of 40,000 km² that now forms part of the Northern Cape Province, which was inhabited by the Griqua people. In 1873 it was proclaimed as a British colony, with its capital at Kimberley, and in 1880… …   Wikipedia

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  • Griqualand West — geographical name district NW Republic of South Africa in NE Northern Cape N of Orange River; chief town Kimberley …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • Griqualand West — a former district in S South Africa, N of the Orange River and W of the Orange Free State: diamonds found 1867 …   Useful english dictionary

  • GRIQUALAND, WEST AND EAST —    British territories in South Africa. The former (83, 30 whites) lies to the N.E. of Cape Colony, between the Orange River on the S. and Bechuanaland on the N.; the diamond industry, of which Kimberley is the centre, is the chief source of… …   The Nuttall Encyclopaedia

  • Griqualand —   [ grɪkwəlænd], zwei Landschaften in der Republik Südafrika, benannt nach dem Volk der Griqua (Hottentotten Mischlinge), die sich, aus dem Gebiet um Kapstadt kommend, zu Beginn des 19. Jahrhunderts in der Trockensavanne nördlich des mittleren… …   Universal-Lexikon

  • Griqualand — Westgriqualand und Ostgriqualand auf einer Karte von 1885 Griqualand war der Name von zwei räumlich getrennten Distrikten – West und Ostgriqualand – in der britischen Kapkolonie im heutigen Südafrika. Er war benannt nach dem heute fast… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Griqualand — /ˈgrɪkwəlænd/ (say grikwuhland) noun the name given to two districts in the Republic of South Africa: 1. Griqualand West, in the province of Northern Cape. 2. Griqualand East, part of the Transkei region of the province of Eastern Cape …  

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