Vredenburg
Encyclopedia
Vredenburg is a town of the Cape West Coast in the Western Cape
province of South Africa
. "Vrede" is Afrikaans
for peace. It is the transportation and commercial hub of the West Coast area and administrative center of the Saldanha Bay Local Municipality
. It is located 12 kilometres inland from the coast at Saldanha Bay
on the Cape Columbine Peninsula 138km north of Cape Town
.
. The town's original name was "Twisfontein", which in Afrikaans
would be translated to troubled fountain or similar. This name came about when two competing farmers fought over the only available freshwater spring in the area. The town's name was later changed to "Prosesfontein" which is process fountain if you translate it directly. The town was renamed as they were discussing the matter of the freshwater spring and were trying to come to an agreement. The town's population in 2002 was 31,283.
Western Cape
The Western Cape is a province in the south west of South Africa. The capital is Cape Town. Prior to 1994, the region that now forms the Western Cape was part of the much larger Cape Province...
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...
. "Vrede" is Afrikaans
Afrikaans
Afrikaans is a West Germanic language, spoken natively in South Africa and Namibia. It is a daughter language of Dutch, originating in its 17th century dialects, collectively referred to as Cape Dutch .Afrikaans is a daughter language of Dutch; see , , , , , .Afrikaans was historically called Cape...
for peace. It is the transportation and commercial hub of the West Coast area and administrative center of the Saldanha Bay Local Municipality
Saldanha Bay Local Municipality
Saldanha Bay Municipality is a local municipality located within the West Coast District Municipality, in the Western Cape province of South Africa. As of 2007, it had a population of 78982...
. It is located 12 kilometres inland from the coast at Saldanha Bay
Saldanha Bay
Saldanha Bay is a natural harbour on the south-western coast of South Africa, north west of Cape Town. The town that developed on the northern shore of the bay, also called Saldanha, was incorporated with five other towns into the Saldanha Bay Local Municipality in 2000. The current population of...
on the Cape Columbine Peninsula 138km north of Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
.
History
The town was established in 1875 initially as a Dutch Reformed Church to serve the surrounding communities, as the closest church was in HopefieldHopefield, Western Cape
Hopefield is a settlement in West Coast District Municipality in the Western Cape province of South Africa....
. The town's original name was "Twisfontein", which in Afrikaans
Afrikaans
Afrikaans is a West Germanic language, spoken natively in South Africa and Namibia. It is a daughter language of Dutch, originating in its 17th century dialects, collectively referred to as Cape Dutch .Afrikaans is a daughter language of Dutch; see , , , , , .Afrikaans was historically called Cape...
would be translated to troubled fountain or similar. This name came about when two competing farmers fought over the only available freshwater spring in the area. The town's name was later changed to "Prosesfontein" which is process fountain if you translate it directly. The town was renamed as they were discussing the matter of the freshwater spring and were trying to come to an agreement. The town's population in 2002 was 31,283.