Langebaanweg is a town on the southwest coast

Coast

A coastline or seashore is the area where land meets the sea or ocean. A precise line that can be called a coastline cannot be determined due to the dynamic nature of tides. The term "coastal zone" can be used instead, which is a spatial zone where interaction of the sea and land processes occurs...

 of 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...

, in Western Cape Province.

It is the location of the air force

Air force

An air force, also known in some countries as an air army, is in the broadest sense, the national military organization that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an army, navy or...

 base AFB Langebaanweg

AFB Langebaanweg

AFB Langebaanweg is an airbase of the South African Air Force.The base motto is Tenax Propisiti Vinco – Through Tenacity Comes Success.- Units Hosted :* Central Flying School - Pilot and Instructor Training* 2 Air Servicing Unit - Technical Support...

 l.

Langebaanweg has been an important mining

Mining

Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...

 center, with its chief minerals consisting of phosphorites, primarily calcium phosphate

Calcium phosphate

Calcium phosphate is the name given to a family of minerals containing calcium ions together with orthophosphates , metaphosphates or pyrophosphates and occasionally hydrogen or hydroxide ions ....

. The mining uncovered fossils dating from the late Miocene and early Pliocene, approximately 5 million years ago. Fossil species found there include invertebrates and also a type of rhinoceros

Rhinoceros

Rhinoceros , also known as rhino, is a group of five extant species of odd-toed ungulates in the family Rhinocerotidae. Two of these species are native to Africa and three to southern Asia....

, as well as a mousebird

Mousebird

The mousebirds are a small group of birds which have no known close affinities to other groups, though they and the parrots and cockatoos may be closer to each other than to other birds. The mousebirds are therefore given order status as Coliiformes...

 and a diving petrel

Diving petrel

The diving petrels are seabirds in the bird order Procellariiformes. There are four very similar species all in the family Pelecanoididae and genus Pelecanoides , distinguished only by small differences in the coloration of their plumage and their bill construction.Diving petrels are auk-like small...

. The West Coast Fossil Park

West coast fossil park

The West Coast Fossil Park is a fossil park near Langebaanweg, Western Cape, South Africa, approximately 150 km north of Cape Town. The fossil sites of Langebaanweg have exceptionally well-preserved remains of fossil fauna that date to circa 5.2 million years ago...

 includes displays of fossils found in a former phosphate mine. Brett Hendey, formally of the Iziko South African Museum

Iziko South African Museum

The Iziko SA Museum is a South African national museum located in Cape Town. The museum was founded in 1825, the first in the country. It has been on its present site in the Company's Garden since 1897...

, documented the significance of the Langebaanweg fossil sites.

Langebaanweg is also notable as the birthplace of former England cricketer Allan Lamb

Allan Lamb

Allan Joseph Lamb is a former England cricketer and captain who played for the first class teams of Western Province and Northamptonshire, the latter as an Overseas player...

, who played 79 Tests for his adopted country as well as the 1987

1987 Cricket World Cup Final

The final of the 1987 ICC Cricket World Cup was played in Eden Gardens, Kolkata on November 8. The match was finally won by the Aussies who defeated England by 7 runs to lift their first ever World Cup trophy. This was the first ever Cricket World Cup final to be played outside...

 and 1992

1992 Cricket World Cup Final

The final of the 1992 ICC Cricket World Cup was played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne on 25 March. The match was finally won by the Pakistan under their captain Imran Khan who defeated England by 22 runs to lift their first ever World Cup trophy. This was the second Cricket World Cup...

Cricket World Cup Finals.