Aussenkehr
Encyclopedia
Aussenkehr is a farm on the banks of the Orange River
in the south of Namibia
hard on the border with South Africa
. Aussenkehr falls within the Karasburg Constituency
of the Karas Region
and is situated 24 kilometres (14.9 mi) downstream (northwest) of Noordoewer
. Over time, Aussenkehr has evolved into a large settlement accommodating workers employed by nearby irrigation projects. Estimations of how many people live here vary between 7,000 and almost 30,000.
The settlement features a government clinic and a primary school. It is planned to develop Aussenkehr into a town. 6,000 erven
have been surveyed and water and sewerage systems have been built but the construction of houses on the delineated plots has not yet started. Many residents have no access to safe drinking water and sanitation and use the river both as water supply and a toilet. Living conditions in the settlement have been described as "appalling".
Yugoslav
Dusan Vasiljevic bought the farm Aussenkehr in 1988 to develop grape production, after a previous, similar project had failed. There is less than 50 millimetres (2 in) average annual rainfall but the farm includes 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) of riverfront and has a government-approved quota to draw water for irrigation from the Orange River. The Norotshama River Resort is located on the farm as a tourism venture.
The extreme climatic conditions—summer temperatures can reach 50 °C (122 °F) in the river valley—provide the area with an advantage over other grape producers, as Aussenkehr's table grapes can be harvested three to five weeks earlier than elsewhere. The farm produced 1000 tonnes (1,102.3 ST) of grapes in 1991 on 150 hectares (370.7 acre) of irrigated land. In 2003, production increased to 12000 tonnes (13,227.7 ST). there are 2000 hectares (4,942.1 acre) under irrigation for the purpose of grape production.
Orange River
The Orange River , Gariep River, Groote River or Senqu River is the longest river in South Africa. It rises in the Drakensberg mountains in Lesotho, flowing westwards through South Africa to the Atlantic Ocean...
in the south of Namibia
Namibia
Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia , is a country in southern Africa whose western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and east. It gained independence from South Africa on 21 March...
hard on the border with South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. Aussenkehr falls within the Karasburg Constituency
Karasburg Constituency
Karasburg is a constituency in the Karas Region of Namibia, with a population of 16,000. The main towns are Karasburg and Grünau; other populated places include Warmbad and Aussenkehr, and the border settlements of Ariamsvlei and Noordoewer...
of the Karas Region
Karas Region
The Karas Region is the southernmost region of Namibia. The name assigned to the region reflects the prominence of the Karas mountain range in its southern part...
and is situated 24 kilometres (14.9 mi) downstream (northwest) of Noordoewer
Noordoewer
Noordoewer is a town in southern Namibia. Its name means 'North Bank' in Afrikaans, in reference to the north bank of the Orange River, on which it is located...
. Over time, Aussenkehr has evolved into a large settlement accommodating workers employed by nearby irrigation projects. Estimations of how many people live here vary between 7,000 and almost 30,000.
The settlement features a government clinic and a primary school. It is planned to develop Aussenkehr into a town. 6,000 erven
ERF
Erf may refer to:* Error function, a function used in mathematics and statistics* An erf , in anglophone southern African terminology, is a small piece of land as listed in the municipality's cadastreERF may refer to:...
have been surveyed and water and sewerage systems have been built but the construction of houses on the delineated plots has not yet started. Many residents have no access to safe drinking water and sanitation and use the river both as water supply and a toilet. Living conditions in the settlement have been described as "appalling".
Yugoslav
Yugoslavs
Yugoslavs is a national designation used by a minority of South Slavs across the countries of the former Yugoslavia and in the diaspora...
Dusan Vasiljevic bought the farm Aussenkehr in 1988 to develop grape production, after a previous, similar project had failed. There is less than 50 millimetres (2 in) average annual rainfall but the farm includes 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) of riverfront and has a government-approved quota to draw water for irrigation from the Orange River. The Norotshama River Resort is located on the farm as a tourism venture.
The extreme climatic conditions—summer temperatures can reach 50 °C (122 °F) in the river valley—provide the area with an advantage over other grape producers, as Aussenkehr's table grapes can be harvested three to five weeks earlier than elsewhere. The farm produced 1000 tonnes (1,102.3 ST) of grapes in 1991 on 150 hectares (370.7 acre) of irrigated land. In 2003, production increased to 12000 tonnes (13,227.7 ST). there are 2000 hectares (4,942.1 acre) under irrigation for the purpose of grape production.