Mariental, Namibia
Encyclopedia
Mariental is a town of 10,000 inhabitants in south-central Namibia
, lying on the B1
national road 145 miles (232 km) north of Keetmanshoop
and 170 miles (274 km) southeast of Windhoek
. It lies at an elevation of 3,576 feet (1,090 metres). Mariental is connected to the TransNamib
railway line from Windhoek to Keetmanshoop. The town and the surrounding area are in a hot, arid region.
Mariental is the administrative capital of the Hardap Region
in an area which has long been a centre for the Nama
people. It lies near the Hardap Dam
, the largest reservoir
in Namibia.
The Fish River which flows in a southerly direction past the town caused severe flooding in the western side of the town on a number of occasions, most recently after persistent rain during February 2006 when the Hardap Dam's sluices had to be opened and severe flooding occurred on the weekend of 25-26 February 2006.
Since Hardap Dam was built in 1962 floods also have taken place in 1972 and twice in 2000 with previous floods (before the dam was built) recorded in 1923 and 1934.
(BWh, according to the Köppen climate classification
), with hot summers and cool winters (with mild days and chilly nights). The average annual precipitation is 194 mm (8 in).
farming which along with cattle
farming remain popular in the region. Export grapes, cotton
lucern and diary
farming is also sustained by irrigation from the Hardap Dam
.
A local ostrich abattoir used to cater for this increasingly important industry, but recently went bankrupt, and what survives of the karakul trade in the south is centered around Mariental. Sitting astride the main route into the Kalahari and Namib Deserts, Mariental also services the needs of farmers in these areas. Mariental also boasts some of the best safari and hunting experiences in Namibia at lodges like Lapa Lange and Anib Lodge. Available game include springbuck, blesbuck, giraffe, ostrich, leopard, zebra, kudu, gemsbuck, hartebeest, eland, blue- and black wildebeest.
. on the Fish River 22km northwest of Mariental is the biggest dam in Namibia
with a water surface of about 25 sqkms, a capacity of 320 million m3 and an 86.2 metre long dam wall. The dam has been developed as a popular watersport and holiday resort for tourists, campers, water-skiers and anglers. The dam is Namibia’s first large earth-fill dam and supplies water to the area
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...
, lying on the B1
B1 road (Namibia)
The B1 is one of the most important roads in Namibia, passing through the centre of the country in a north-south direction. It connects Noordoewer on the South African border with Oshikango in the north on the Angolan border...
national road 145 miles (232 km) north of Keetmanshoop
Keetmanshoop
Keetmanshoop is a city in Karas Region, southern Namibia, lying on the Trans-Namib Railway from Windhoek to Upington in South Africa. It is named after Johann Keetman, a German industrialist and founder of the city....
and 170 miles (274 km) southeast of Windhoek
Windhoek
Windhoek is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Namibia. It is located in central Namibia in the Khomas Highland plateau area, at around above sea level. The 2001 census determined Windhoek's population was 233,529...
. It lies at an elevation of 3,576 feet (1,090 metres). Mariental is connected to the TransNamib
TransNamib
TransNamib is the railway parastatal of Namibia. Organised as a holding company, it provides freight by rail and road as well as passenger services. Its administration is located in Windhoek.-History:...
railway line from Windhoek to Keetmanshoop. The town and the surrounding area are in a hot, arid region.
Mariental is the administrative capital of the Hardap Region
Hardap Region
Hardap is one of the thirteen regions of Namibia. It is home to the Hardap Dam.Hardap stretches the entire width of Namibia, from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to Namibia's eastern national border. In the northeast, it borders the Kgalagadi District of Botswana, and in the southeast, it borders...
in an area which has long been a centre for the Nama
Namaqua
Nama are an African ethnic group of South Africa, Namibia and Botswana. They traditionally speak the Nama language of the Khoe-Kwadi language family, although many Nama now speak Afrikaans. The Nama are the largest group of the Khoikhoi people, most of whom have largely disappeared as a group,...
people. It lies near the Hardap Dam
Hardap Dam
Hardap Dam is a dam close to Mariental, Hardap Region, Namibia. Created in 1962 while Namibia was under South African occupation, Hardap Dam is the largest Dam in the country. The reservoir dams the Fish River and has a surface area of 25 km²...
, the largest reservoir
Reservoir
A reservoir , artificial lake or dam is used to store water.Reservoirs may be created in river valleys by the construction of a dam or may be built by excavation in the ground or by conventional construction techniques such as brickwork or cast concrete.The term reservoir may also be used to...
in Namibia.
History
Named by local Rhenish (German Lutheran) missionaries, The town was founded in 1912 as a railway stop between Windhoek and Keetmanshoop and named after Maria, the wife of the first colonial settler of the area, Herman Brandt. It was proclaimed a town in 1920 and a municipality in 1946. Mariental is home to a large number of Nama-speaking people, descendants of the early Khoi inhabitants of Namibia. The people of Mariental are known for their big smiles and hospitality.The Fish River which flows in a southerly direction past the town caused severe flooding in the western side of the town on a number of occasions, most recently after persistent rain during February 2006 when the Hardap Dam's sluices had to be opened and severe flooding occurred on the weekend of 25-26 February 2006.
Since Hardap Dam was built in 1962 floods also have taken place in 1972 and twice in 2000 with previous floods (before the dam was built) recorded in 1923 and 1934.
Climate
Mariental has a desert climateDesert climate
A desert climate , also known as an arid climate, is a climate that does not meet the criteria to be classified as a polar climate, and in which precipitation is too low to sustain any vegetation at all, or at most a very scanty scrub.An area that features this climate usually experiences less than...
(BWh, 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 hot summers and cool winters (with mild days and chilly nights). The average annual precipitation is 194 mm (8 in).
Economy
The nearby Hardap Dam is the largest reservoir in Namibia and provides water for irrigation, making possible to cultivate animal fodder, as well as corn, fruits and vegetables. The town is surrounded by flourishing commercial farms which, due to the low annual rainfall in the area focus on game farming as well as sheep and ostrichOstrich
The Ostrich is one or two species of large flightless birds native to Africa, the only living member of the genus Struthio. Some analyses indicate that the Somali Ostrich may be better considered a full species apart from the Common Ostrich, but most taxonomists consider it to be a...
farming which along with cattle
Cattle
Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...
farming remain popular in the region. Export grapes, cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
lucern and diary
Diary
A diary is a record with discrete entries arranged by date reporting on what has happened over the course of a day or other period. A personal diary may include a person's experiences, and/or thoughts or feelings, including comment on current events outside the writer's direct experience. Someone...
farming is also sustained by irrigation from the Hardap Dam
Hardap Dam
Hardap Dam is a dam close to Mariental, Hardap Region, Namibia. Created in 1962 while Namibia was under South African occupation, Hardap Dam is the largest Dam in the country. The reservoir dams the Fish River and has a surface area of 25 km²...
.
A local ostrich abattoir used to cater for this increasingly important industry, but recently went bankrupt, and what survives of the karakul trade in the south is centered around Mariental. Sitting astride the main route into the Kalahari and Namib Deserts, Mariental also services the needs of farmers in these areas. Mariental also boasts some of the best safari and hunting experiences in Namibia at lodges like Lapa Lange and Anib Lodge. Available game include springbuck, blesbuck, giraffe, ostrich, leopard, zebra, kudu, gemsbuck, hartebeest, eland, blue- and black wildebeest.
Hardap dam
The Hardap DamHardap Dam
Hardap Dam is a dam close to Mariental, Hardap Region, Namibia. Created in 1962 while Namibia was under South African occupation, Hardap Dam is the largest Dam in the country. The reservoir dams the Fish River and has a surface area of 25 km²...
. on the Fish River 22km northwest of Mariental is the biggest dam in 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...
with a water surface of about 25 sqkms, a capacity of 320 million m3 and an 86.2 metre long dam wall. The dam has been developed as a popular watersport and holiday resort for tourists, campers, water-skiers and anglers. The dam is Namibia’s first large earth-fill dam and supplies water to the area