Belfast, Mpumalanga
Encyclopedia
Belfast, now also known as eMakhazeni, is a small town in Mpumalanga Province, South Africa
(not to be confused with Belfast in Limpopo
, South Africa
located at 24°56′0"S 31°22′0.2"E).
The town is renowned for its excellent trout
fishing conditions. Sheep and dairy
farming take place here as well as maize
, potato
es and timber
are produced. Coal
and a black granite
are mined around Belfast. Around 6 million tulip bulbs are produced here annually for export; the flowers are discarded. Belfast is 2,025m above sea level and one of the coldest and highest towns in South Africa
.
It was named after Richard O'Neill from Belfast
, modern Northern Ireland
who owned the farm on which the town was built.
several battles and skirmishes took place in and around the town. The Battle of Leliefontein
took place 30 km south of here at the Komati river, an engagement for which several Victoria Cross
es were awarded to Canadian soldiers. The British
built a concentration camp here during the Boer War
to house Boer
women and children. Several Victoria Crosses were awarded for action at Monument Hill which is on the edge of the town.
(now Mbombela) and Waterval Boven
(now Emgwenya).
(Cwb, according to the Köppen climate classification
), with mild summers and chilly, dry winters. The average annual precipitation is 674 mm (27 in), with most rainfall occurring mainly during summer.
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...
(not to be confused with Belfast in Limpopo
Limpopo
Limpopo is the northernmost province of South Africa. The capital is Polokwane, formerly named Pietersburg. The province was formed from the northern region of Transvaal Province in 1994, and initially named Northern Transvaal...
, 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...
located at 24°56′0"S 31°22′0.2"E).
The town is renowned for its excellent trout
Trout
Trout is the name for a number of species of freshwater and saltwater fish belonging to the Salmoninae subfamily of the family Salmonidae. Salmon belong to the same family as trout. Most salmon species spend almost all their lives in salt water...
fishing conditions. Sheep and dairy
Dairy
A dairy is a business enterprise established for the harvesting of animal milk—mostly from cows or goats, but also from buffalo, sheep, horses or camels —for human consumption. A dairy is typically located on a dedicated dairy farm or section of a multi-purpose farm that is concerned...
farming take place here as well as maize
Maize
Maize known in many English-speaking countries as corn or mielie/mealie, is a grain domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. The leafy stalk produces ears which contain seeds called kernels. Though technically a grain, maize kernels are used in cooking as a vegetable...
, potato
Potato
The potato is a starchy, tuberous crop from the perennial Solanum tuberosum of the Solanaceae family . The word potato may refer to the plant itself as well as the edible tuber. In the region of the Andes, there are some other closely related cultivated potato species...
es and timber
Timber
Timber may refer to:* Timber, a term common in the United Kingdom and Australia for wood materials * Timber, Oregon, an unincorporated community in the U.S...
are produced. Coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
and a black granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
are mined around Belfast. Around 6 million tulip bulbs are produced here annually for export; the flowers are discarded. Belfast is 2,025m above sea level and one of the coldest and highest towns in 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...
.
It was named after Richard O'Neill from Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
, modern Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
who owned the farm on which the town was built.
Anglo-Boer War
During the Anglo-Boer WarSecond Boer War
The Second Boer War was fought from 11 October 1899 until 31 May 1902 between the British Empire and the Afrikaans-speaking Dutch settlers of two independent Boer republics, the South African Republic and the Orange Free State...
several battles and skirmishes took place in and around the town. The Battle of Leliefontein
Battle of Leliefontein
The Battle of Leliefontein was an engagement between Canadian/British and Boer forces during the Second Boer War on 7 November 1900, at the Komati River south of Belfast at the present day Nooitgedacht Dam....
took place 30 km south of here at the Komati river, an engagement for which several Victoria Cross
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
es were awarded to Canadian soldiers. The British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
built a concentration camp here during the Boer War
Second Boer War
The Second Boer War was fought from 11 October 1899 until 31 May 1902 between the British Empire and the Afrikaans-speaking Dutch settlers of two independent Boer republics, the South African Republic and the Orange Free State...
to house Boer
Boer
Boer is the Dutch and Afrikaans word for farmer, which came to denote the descendants of the Dutch-speaking settlers of the eastern Cape frontier in Southern Africa during the 18th century, as well as those who left the Cape Colony during the 19th century to settle in the Orange Free State,...
women and children. Several Victoria Crosses were awarded for action at Monument Hill which is on the edge of the town.
Name change
In October 2009 the town of Belfast was officially renamed to eMakhazeni when Arts and Culture Minister, Lulu Xingwana, approved the name change of over 42 locations across northern South Africa, with major other towns affected including NelspruitNelspruit
Nelspruit is a city of more than 500,000 people situated in northeastern South Africa. It is the capital of the Mpumalanga province . Located on the Crocodile River, Nelspruit lies about west of the Mozambique border and east of Johannesburg. The towns of Nelspruit are Kanyamazane and Pienaar...
(now Mbombela) and Waterval Boven
Waterval Boven
Waterval Boven is a small town situated on the edge of the Escarpment on the banks of the Elands River above the 75m Elands Falls on the railway line from Pretoria to Maputo in Mpumalanga, South Africa. Hence the name which means "above the waterfall" in Dutch...
(now Emgwenya).
Climate
Belfast has a subtropical highland climateOceanic climate
An oceanic climate, also called marine west coast climate, maritime climate, Cascadian climate and British climate for Köppen climate classification Cfb and subtropical highland for Köppen Cfb or Cwb, is a type of climate typically found along the west coasts at the middle latitudes of some of the...
(Cwb, according to the Köppen climate classification
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
), with mild summers and chilly, dry winters. The average annual precipitation is 674 mm (27 in), with most rainfall occurring mainly during summer.