Upington, Northern Cape
Encyclopedia
Upington is a town
founded in 1884 and located in the Northern Cape
province of South Africa
, on the banks of the Orange River
. The town was named after Sir Thomas Upington
, Attorney-General and then Prime Minister of the Cape
. It originated as a mission station established in 1875 and run by Reverend Schröder. The mission station now houses the town museum, known as the Kalahari Orange Museum. The museum is also the home of a donkey
statue
, which recognizes the enormous contribution that this animal made to the development of the region during the pioneering days of the 19th Century.
The elevation
of Upington is 2742 feet (835 metres). It is the closest large centre to the Augrabies Falls, arguably the greatest of South African waterfalls. The landscape is very arid but the soil is fertile and crops such as fruit are grown in irrigated fields. The area is best known for its export-quality grapes, raisins and wines, which are cultivated on the rich flood plains of the Orange river.
and Groblershoop. The wines from OWC are exported, inter alia, to Europe and the USA. Dig a little deeper and you'll find privately owned cellars, producing quality red and white wines as well. Bezalel Dyasonsklip offers a variety of local treasures, such as low tanin red wines, 5 year old Pot-stilled brandy, a mampoer range and liqueurs.
The Upington region accounts for more or less 40% of South Africa's grape exports.
with scheduled flights provided by SA Airlink (an affiliate of South African Airways
). The airport's runway, spanning 4900m, is one of the longest in the world and the longest in Africa. Until the 1960s, the airport was also the site of the annual gliding world championships.
In the first half of the 20th century there was a passenger train service from Cape Town to Upington. Until the 1950s a narrow-gauge railway line (two foot gauge) ran from Upington to Kakamas and Keimoes
, two nearby towns. The trains carried passengers and freight, being mainly dried fruit
. The line to Kakamas was still in use during the November 2010 grape harvest season.
Sister city Patos de Minas
, Brazil
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
founded in 1884 and located in the Northern Cape
Northern Cape
The Northern Cape is the largest and most sparsely populated province of South Africa. It was created in 1994 when the Cape Province was split up. Its capital is Kimberley. It includes the Kalahari Gemsbok National Park, part of an international park shared with Botswana...
province 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...
, on the banks of the Orange River
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...
. The town was named after Sir Thomas Upington
Thomas Upington
Thomas Upington , born in Cork, Ireland, was a British administrator in South Africa. He was premier of Cape Colony between 1884 and 1886. The town of Upington in South Africa is named after him....
, Attorney-General and then Prime Minister of the Cape
Cape Colony
The Cape Colony, part of modern South Africa, was established by the Dutch East India Company in 1652, with the founding of Cape Town. It was subsequently occupied by the British in 1795 when the Netherlands were occupied by revolutionary France, so that the French revolutionaries could not take...
. It originated as a mission station established in 1875 and run by Reverend Schröder. The mission station now houses the town museum, known as the Kalahari Orange Museum. The museum is also the home of a donkey
Donkey
The donkey or ass, Equus africanus asinus, is a domesticated member of the Equidae or horse family. The wild ancestor of the donkey is the African Wild Ass, E...
statue
Statue
A statue is a sculpture in the round representing a person or persons, an animal, an idea or an event, normally full-length, as opposed to a bust, and at least close to life-size, or larger...
, which recognizes the enormous contribution that this animal made to the development of the region during the pioneering days of the 19th Century.
The elevation
Elevation
The elevation of a geographic location is its height above a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface ....
of Upington is 2742 feet (835 metres). It is the closest large centre to the Augrabies Falls, arguably the greatest of South African waterfalls. The landscape is very arid but the soil is fertile and crops such as fruit are grown in irrigated fields. The area is best known for its export-quality grapes, raisins and wines, which are cultivated on the rich flood plains of the Orange river.
Wine Industry
Upington's most famous wines are produced by an organization generally known as Orange River Wine Cellars (OWC). The organization has six depots in the area (all of them on the banks of the Orange River) at Upington, Kanoneiland, Grootdrink, Kakamas, KeimoesKeimoes
Keimoes is a town in the Northern Cape province of South Africa. It lies on the Orange River and is about halfway between Upington and Kakamas....
and Groblershoop. The wines from OWC are exported, inter alia, to Europe and the USA. Dig a little deeper and you'll find privately owned cellars, producing quality red and white wines as well. Bezalel Dyasonsklip offers a variety of local treasures, such as low tanin red wines, 5 year old Pot-stilled brandy, a mampoer range and liqueurs.
The Upington region accounts for more or less 40% of South Africa's grape exports.
Famous Upington people
- Alice KrigeAlice KrigeAlice Maud Krige is a South African actress. Her first feature film role was as the Gilbert and Sullivan singer Sybil Gordon in the 1981 Academy Award-winning film Chariots of Fire...
- South African Actress - Scotty SmithScotty SmithGeorge St Leger Lennox born into a noble Scottish family, popularly known as Scotty Smith, was a South African bandit known as South Africa's Robin Hood. He was well known as a cattle thief , lover of horses, dealer in illegal diamonds, smuggler and friend of the poor.- Early life :A book was...
- South African Bandit, "Robin Hood of the Kalahari" - Shaleen Surtie-Richards - South African Actress
Transportation
Upington has a modern airportUpington Airport
Upington Airport is an airport located in Upington, Northern Cape, South Africa. At 4900 metres, runway 17/35 is one of the longest runways in the world...
with scheduled flights provided by SA Airlink (an affiliate of South African Airways
South African Airways
South African Airways is the national flag carrier and largest airline of South Africa, with headquarters in Airways Park on the grounds of OR Tambo International Airport in Kempton Park, Ekurhuleni, Gauteng. The airline flies to 36 destinations worldwide from its hub at OR Tambo International...
). The airport's runway, spanning 4900m, is one of the longest in the world and the longest in Africa. Until the 1960s, the airport was also the site of the annual gliding world championships.
In the first half of the 20th century there was a passenger train service from Cape Town to Upington. Until the 1950s a narrow-gauge railway line (two foot gauge) ran from Upington to Kakamas and Keimoes
Keimoes
Keimoes is a town in the Northern Cape province of South Africa. It lies on the Orange River and is about halfway between Upington and Kakamas....
, two nearby towns. The trains carried passengers and freight, being mainly dried fruit
Dried fruit
Dried fruit is fruit where the majority of the original water content has been removed either naturally, through sun drying, or through the use of specialized dryers or dehydrators. Dried fruit has a long tradition of use dating back to the fourth millennium BC in Mesopotamia, and is prized...
. The line to Kakamas was still in use during the November 2010 grape harvest season.
Geography and climate
Upington is located on the northern banks of the Orange River and is surrounded by irrigated vineyards. The hottest month of the year is January, with average daily temperatures swinging from 36 °C (96.8 °F) to 20 °C (68 °F), while in the coolest month of July temperatures range between 21 °C (69.8 °F) and 4 °C (39.2 °F). Also the dryest month of the year, July sees an average rainfall of only 2 millimetre (0.078740157480315 in), while the wettest month of March sees 37 millimetres (1.5 in).See also
- VastrapVastrapVastrap is a small military airfield situated in the Kalahari Desert north east of Upington inside a 700 square kilometre weapons test range of the same name belonging to the South African National Defence Force...
, South Africa's former nuclear weapons test range.
Sister city Patos de Minas
Patos de Minas
Patos de Minas is a city and municipality in the state of Minas Gerais in Brazil, located some 400 km from Belo Horizonte on the Paranaíba River. The city had 133,054 in 2007 while the area of the municipality is 3,189 km²...
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...