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Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal
Map of KwaZulu-Natal showing Pietermaritzburg's location.
Map of KwaZulu-Natal showing Pietermaritzburg's location.
Coordinates: 29°37′01″S 30°22′59″E / -29.617, 30.383
Country South Africa
Province KwaZulu-Natal
District Municipality Umgungundlovu
Established 1838
Government
 - Mayor Zanele Hlatshwayo
Area
 - Total 649 km² (250. In Political geography and International politics, a country is a Political division of a geographical entity The Republic of South Africa (also known by other official names) is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa South Africa is currently divided into nine provinces On the eve of the 1994 general election, South Africa's former homelands also known as Bantustans, were reintegrated KwaZulu-Natal (kwɑːˌzuːluː nəˈtɑːl often referred to as " KZN " is a province of South Africa. List of South African Municipalities Municipalities in South Africa are a division of Local government that lie one level down from provincial government Umgungundlovu is one of the 11 district municipalities ("districts" of KwaZulu-Natal province Year 1838 ( MDCCCXXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common Area is a Quantity expressing the two- Dimensional size of a defined part of a Surface, typically a region bounded by a closed Curve. Square Kilometre ( US spelling square kilometer) symbol km2, is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of 6 sq mi)
Elevation 596 m (1,955 ft)
Population (2001)
 - Total 521,805
 - Density 804/km² (2,082. The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. The elevation of a Geographic location is its height above a fixed reference point often the mean sea level. The metre or meter is a unit of Length. It is the basic unit of Length in the Metric system and in the International A foot (plural feet or foot; symbol or abbreviation ft or sometimes &prime – the prime symbol) is a non-SI unit Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume 4/sq mi)
Time zone South Africa Standard Time (UTC+2)
Area code(s) 033

Pietermaritzburg is the capital and second largest city of the province of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. SAST redirects here For the comedy programme see Short Attention Span Theater. UTC+2 corresponds to the following Time zones Eastern European Time Egypt Standard Time Central Africa Time A telephone numbering plan is a plan for allocating Telephone number ranges to countries regions areas and exchanges and to non-fixed telephone networks KwaZulu-Natal (kwɑːˌzuːluː nəˈtɑːl often referred to as " KZN " is a province of South Africa. The Republic of South Africa (also known by other official names) is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa It was founded in 1838. Popularly called Maritzburg, and abbreviated PMB, it is home to a campus of the University of KwaZulu-Natal, and is a major producer of aluminium as well as timber and dairy products. The University of KwaZulu-Natal or UKZN is a university with five campuses all located in the province of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. WikipediaNaming Lumber or timber is Wood in any of its stages from felling through readiness for use as structural Material for Construction, or A dairy is a facility for the extraction and processing of animal Milk &mdashmostly from goats or cows, but also from buffalo, Sheep It had a population of 228,549 in 1991;[1] the estimated current population is between 350,000 and 500,000.

Contents

History

City Hall, constructed in 1893, destroyed by fire in 1895, rebuilt in 1901
City Hall, constructed in 1893, destroyed by fire in 1895, rebuilt in 1901

This magnificent example of Victorian architecture is the largest red-brick building in the Southern Hemisphere. A city hall or town hall is the chief administrative building of a City or Town 's administration and usually houses the city or The city was originally founded by the Voortrekkers, following the defeat of Dingane at the Battle of Blood River, and was the capital of the short-lived Boer republic, Natalia. Voortrekkers can also refer to a youth organization see Voortrekkers (youth organization. Dingane kaSenzangakhona Zulu (ca 1795-1840—commonly referred to as Dingane or Dingaan —was a Zulu chief who became king in 1828 setting In the Battle of Blood River ( Afrikaans: Slag van Bloedrivier; Zulu: iMpi yaseNcome) on 16 December 1838 470 Voortrekkers The Boer Republics (sometimes also referred to as Boer states were independent self-governed Republics created by the Dutch -speaking (proto Afrikaans) inhabitants The Natalia Republic was a short-lived Boer republic established in 1839 by local Afrikaans -speaking Voortrekkers shortly after the famous Battle Britain took over Pietermaritzburg in 1843 and it became the seat of the Natal Colony's administration with the first lieutenant-governor, Martin West, making it his home. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom from 1 January 1801 until 12 April 1927 For Martin L West see Martin Litchfield West Sir Martin West (1804 - 1849 was born in England, the son of a civil servant Fort Napier, named after the governor of the Cape Colony, Sir George Thomas Napier, was built to house a garrison. The Cape Colony, part of modern South Africa, was established by the Dutch East India Company in 1652 with the founding of Cape Town. Lieutenant-General Sir George Thomas Napier KCB ( 30 June 1784 – 16 September, 1855) entered the army in 1800 and served In 1893 Natal received responsibility for their own government and an assembly building was built along with the city hall. In 1910, when the Union of South Africa was formed, Natal became a province of the union, and Pietermaritzburg remained the capital. } The Union of South Africa is the historic predecessor to the present-day state of the Republic of South Africa.

Name

There exist two interpretations about the origin of the city's name. One is that it was named after Piet Retief and Gert (Gerrit) Maritz, two famous Voortrekker leaders. Pieter Retief (usually referred to as Piet Retief (c1780 &ndash 6 February 1838) was a South African Boer leader The other is that it was originally named after Piet Retief alone, since his full name was Pieter Maurits Retief. Retief was killed by Dingane, successor to Shaka, king of the Zulus. Dingane kaSenzangakhona Zulu (ca 1795-1840—commonly referred to as Dingane or Dingaan —was a Zulu chief who became king in 1828 setting Shaka (sometimes spelled Tshaka, Tchaka or Chaka; ca 1787 – ca The Zulu ( IsiZulu: amaZulu) are the largest South African ethnic group of an estimated 10-11 million people who live mainly in the province of KwaZulu-Natal Maritz died in battle with the Zulus at Bloukranz, some hundreds of kilometres further North and so did not ever reach the Pietermaritzburg area. In 1938, however, the city announced officially that the second element Maritz should also honour Gert Maritz.

At the time of the rise of the Zulu Empire, the site that was to become Pietermaritzburg was called Umgungundlovu. This is popularly translated from the Zulu as "Place of the Elephant", although it could also be translated to mean "The elephant wins". Umgungundlovu is thus thought to be the site of some Zulu king's victory, since "Elephant" (Indlovu) is a name traditionally taken by the Zulu monarch. Legend has it that Shaka had his warriors hunt elephant there to sell the ivory to English traders at Durban (then called Port Natal). Today, the town is still called by its Voortrekker name, although the municipality it is part of bears the Zulu name.

Apartheid

During apartheid, the city was segregated into various sections. 90% of the Indian population was moved to the suburb of Northdale while most of its Zulu inhabitants were moved to the neighbouring township of Edendale. In South Africa, the term Township usually refers to the (often underdeveloped urban living areas that under Apartheid, were reserved for non-whites

Clock tower of the university's Collin Webb Hall
Clock tower of the university's Collin Webb Hall

The university

The University of Natal was founded in 1910[2] as the Natal University College and extended to Durban in 1922. The University of Natal was a university in Natal, and later KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. Durban (eThekwini is the third most populous city in South Africa, forming part of the EThekwini metropolitan municipality. The two campuses were incorporated into the University of Natal in March 1949. It became a major voice in the struggle against Apartheid, and was one of the first universities in the country to provide education to black students. This campus boasts association with a remarkable array of world-class academics and has famous alumni distributed throughout the world. It became the University of KwaZulu-Natal on 1 January 2004. The University of KwaZulu-Natal or UKZN is a university with five campuses all located in the province of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. New Year See also New Year The Ancient Romans began their consular year on January 1st since 153 BC "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again "

Mahatma Gandhi statue
Mahatma Gandhi statue

Mahatma Gandhi

Pietermaritzburg is also famous for an incident early in the life of Mahatma Gandhi, wherein he was thrown off a train for refusing to go sit in third-class seating due to a white man not having a seat; even though the Mahatma held a valid first-class ticket. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi ( Gujarati: મોહનદાસ કરમચંદ ગાંધી moɦən̪d̪äs kəɾəmʧən̪d̪ gän̪d̪ʱi (2 October 1869 – 30 January Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi ( Gujarati: મોહનદાસ કરમચંદ ગાંધી moɦən̪d̪äs kəɾəmʧən̪d̪ gän̪d̪ʱi (2 October 1869 – 30 January This incident inspired Gandhi to begin his career protesting against laws discriminating against Indians in South Africa. Today, a bronze statue of Gandhi stands in Church Street, in the city centre.

Other historical events

Capital status

The KwaZulu-Natal Legislature building.
The KwaZulu-Natal Legislature building. The KwaZulu-Natal Legislature is the primary legislative body of the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal.

Prior to the end of apartheid in 1994, Pietermaritzburg was the capital of Natal Province. Natal was a Province of South Africa from 1910 until 1994 with capital in Pietermaritzburg. Following the first post-apartheid elections in South Africa, as a result of which the Inkatha Freedom Party won a majority in the KwaZulu Natal provincial government, Pietermaritzburg shared its status as capital of the (then newly-created) province of KwaZulu Natal with Ulundi. The Inkatha Freedom Party ( IFP) is a Political party in South Africa. Ulundi Pietermaritzburg became the legislative capital of the new province, while Ulundi became the administrative capital. The IFP, being strongly Zulu nationalist, desired that Ulundi, the capital of the Zulu Kingdom at the time of its fall to the British in the Anglo-Zulu War, be the post-apartheid capital of the province. The Zulu ( IsiZulu: amaZulu) are the largest South African ethnic group of an estimated 10-11 million people who live mainly in the province of KwaZulu-Natal The Anglo-Zulu War was fought in 1879 between the British Empire and the Zulu Empire. Ulundi had also been the capital of the bantustan KwaZulu, which makes up a portion of modern KwaZulu-Natal. A bantustan or more commonly black african homeland or simply homeland, was territory set aside for black inhabitants of South Africa and South-West KwaZulu was a Bantustan in South Africa, intended by the Apartheid government as a semi-independent homeland for the Zulu people However, Ulundi severely lacked the infrastructure to be an effective seat of government, and the African National Congress (ANC) and the Democratic Party, the two other strong political parties in the province, among others, called for Pietermaritzburg alone to be the capital. The African National Congress (ANC has been South Africa 's governing party supported by its Tripartite alliance with the Congress of South African Trade Unions For more about the history of the PFP and the DA since its formation in 2000, see Democratic Alliance. The debate came to an end when the ANC came to power in the province in 2004, and named Pietermaritzburg the sole capital of KwaZulu Natal. This has resulted in the relocation of several government offices to Pietermaritzburg. This has generally been welcomed as a positive development for the region. Since 2004, progress such as the modernization of several buildings in the city centre and a proliferation of retail and housing developments in the suburbs are results of recent investment in the city by both the public and private sectors.

Geography and climate

Climate Table
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Highest recorded temperature (°C) 41 39 38 37 37 31 32 35 39 40 41 42 42
Average daily maximum temperature (°C) 28 28 28 26 24 22 23 24 25 25 26 28 26
Average daily minimum temperature (°C) 18 17 16 12 7 3 3 6 10 13 15 16 11
Lowest recorded temperature (°C) 9 10 5 1 -1 -4 -4 -3 -1 2 5 6 -4
Average monthly precipitation (mm) 141 117 113 48 24 13 11 31 60 74 104 108 844
Average number of rain days (>= 1 mm) 18 16 15 10 5 3 3 5 10 15 19 19 138
Source: South African Weather Service

Educational institutions

Sport

The Comrades Marathon takes place annually in June between Pietermaritzburg and Durban. The Celsius Temperature scale was previously known as the centigrade scale. The Celsius Temperature scale was previously known as the centigrade scale. The Celsius Temperature scale was previously known as the centigrade scale. The Celsius Temperature scale was previously known as the centigrade scale. The Millimetre ( American spelling: millimeter, symbol mm) is a unit of Length in the Metric system, equal to Alexandra High School is a public high school in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. David Wendel Carter High School (commonly referred to as Dallas Carter) is a Public school located in the Oak Cliff area of Dallas, Clifton Preparatory School Nottingham Road is a private Co-educational boarding school located in the Nottingham Road area of the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands Cordwalles is a private, boarding preparatory school for boys founded in 1912 Cowan House is a private co-educational boarding school situated in Hilton, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Epworth School is a private boarding and day school in Scottsville Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. For the academic college at the University of Houston see Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management. Linpark High School is a co-educational public boarding school situated on Claude Forsyth Rd in Sunnyside a northern suburb of Pietermariztburg, KwaZulu-Natal, Maritzburg College, known locally as College, is a public high school for boys situated in the city of Pietermaritzburg, in KwaZulu-Natal, Michaelhouse is a private full boarding Senior school for boys founded in 1896 Pietermaritzburg Girls' High School is a girls' high school with a boarding establishmentsituated in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. St Anne's Diocesan College is a private girls' boarding school situated outside the small town of Hilton in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands of South Africa. St Charles College is a private boys' school in Scottsville Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. St John's Diocesan School for Girls is a private boarding and day school for girls in Scottsville Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal, South The University of KwaZulu-Natal or UKZN is a university with five campuses all located in the province of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. Voortrekker High School is a public Co-education Afrikaans medium High School situated in Cordwalles Road Pietermaritzburg, South Africa The Wykeham Collegiate is a private girls' boarding school situated in Clarendon, Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal South Africa The Comrades Marathon is the world's oldest and largest Ultramarathon run over a distance of approximately 90 km (55 Durban (eThekwini is the third most populous city in South Africa, forming part of the EThekwini metropolitan municipality. It has been run since 1921 and attracts thousands of entrants. The start of the race alternates between the two cities.

In January there is an annual canoe race, Dusi Canoe Marathon, from Pietermaritzburg to Durban. A canoe is a small narrow Boat, typically human-powered though it may also be powered by sails or small electric or gas motors The Dusi Canoe Marathon is a canoe (or rather kayak race between Pietermaritzburg and Durban, South Africa. Durban (eThekwini is the third most populous city in South Africa, forming part of the EThekwini metropolitan municipality. The route follows the Msunduzi River into the Mgeni River, through the Valley of a Thousand Hills into the Inanda Dam and from here to the mouth of the Mgeni River. The Msunduzi River is a river in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The Mngeni River ( Anglicised Umgeni) is a river in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN South Africa. The Valley of a Thousand Hills is a valley between Pietermaritzburg, and Durban, South Africa.

The Midmar Mile is one of the largest open-water swimming events in the world; taking place at Midmar Dam, north of Pietermaritzburg in February every year, it attracts over 16,000 swimmers from around the world. The Midmar Mile is the world's largest open water Swimming event a swimming race held at the Midmar Dam north of Pietermaritzburg, South Africa

The most prominent soccer club is Maritzburg United. Maritzburg United' is a South African Football (soccer club based in the city of Pietermaritzburg that currently competes in the National The club was relegated from the Premier Soccer League after the 2006 / 2007 season, and it currently competes in the Mvela Golden League. Premier Soccer League is the trading name of the National Soccer League (NSL of South Africa, also known by its initials ( PSL) National First Division (NFD is the second-highest league of South African club Association football after the Premier Soccer League.

The Pietermaritzburg Oval is considered one of the most picturesque cricket grounds in South Africa, and it hosted two matches during the 2003 Cricket World Cup. Pietermaritzburg Oval is a multi-use Stadium in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa.

Pietermaritzburg cricket ground is notable as one of the two grounds used regularly for first-class cricket that have a tree within the boundary (the other is St Lawrence Ground in Canterbury, Kent). The St Lawrence Ground is a Cricket ground in Canterbury, Kent and is the home of Kent County Cricket Club. Canterbury ( ˈkæntəbɹ̩i is a City in eastern Kent in the South East region of England. KENT (1400 AM) is a Radio station broadcasting a Adult Standards/MOR format

Famous residents

Trivia

References

  1. ^ 1991 Census
  2. ^ History of the University of KwaZulu-Natal.
  3. ^ Pietermaritzburg - Home Of Gandhi and The Comrades Marathon. Encounter South Africa. Retrieved on 2007-01-01. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. New Year See also New Year The Ancient Romans began their consular year on January 1st since 153 BC
  4. ^ Pietermaritzburg Tourism. Retrieved on 2007-01-01. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. New Year See also New Year The Ancient Romans began their consular year on January 1st since 153 BC
  5. ^ Golden Horse Casino Hotel. CyberCapeTown Greater Durban Area Accommodation Portal. . Retrieved on 2007-01-01. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. New Year See also New Year The Ancient Romans began their consular year on January 1st since 153 BC

External links


Flag of South Africa

Province of KwaZulu-Natal

 KwaZulu-Natal Coat of Arms
Provincial Capital:

Pietermaritzburg
Major Metros:

eThekwini (includes Durban)
District Municipalities:

Ugu | Umgungundlovu | Uthukela | Umzinyathi | Amajuba | Zululand | Umkhanyakude | uThungulu | iLembe | Sisonke
Local Municipalities:

Amajuba | Zululand | Umkhanyakude | uThungulu | Umzinyathi | Uthukela | Umgungundlovu | iLembe | eThekwini | Ugu | Sisonke |
Smaller Cities:

Empangeni | Kokstad | Ladysmith | Newcastle | Port Shepstone | Richards Bay | KwaDukuza | Tongaat | Vryheid

KwaZulu-Natal (kwɑːˌzuːluː nəˈtɑːl often referred to as " KZN " is a province of South Africa. eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality is the Metropolitan Municipality created in 2000 that includes the city of Durban, South Africa and surrounding Durban (eThekwini is the third most populous city in South Africa, forming part of the EThekwini metropolitan municipality. Ugu is one of the 11 districts of KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa. Umgungundlovu is one of the 11 district municipalities ("districts" of KwaZulu-Natal province Uthukela is one of the 11 districts of KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa. Umzinyathi is one of the 11 district municipalities ("districts" of KwaZulu-Natal province in South Africa. Amajuba is one of the 11 districts of KwaZulu-Natal province The seat of Amajuba is Newcastle. Zululand is one of the 11 district municipalities ("districts" of KwaZulu-Natal province Umkhanyakude is one of the 11 districts of KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa. uThungulu is one of the 11 district municipalities ("districts" of KwaZulu-Natal province in South Africa. iLembe is one of the 11 district municipalities ("districts" of KwaZulu-Natal province in South Africa. Sisonke is one of the 11 districts of KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa. Amajuba is one of the 11 districts of KwaZulu-Natal province The seat of Amajuba is Newcastle. Zululand is one of the 11 district municipalities ("districts" of KwaZulu-Natal province Umkhanyakude is one of the 11 districts of KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa. uThungulu is one of the 11 district municipalities ("districts" of KwaZulu-Natal province in South Africa. Umzinyathi is one of the 11 district municipalities ("districts" of KwaZulu-Natal province in South Africa. Uthukela is one of the 11 districts of KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa. Umgungundlovu is one of the 11 district municipalities ("districts" of KwaZulu-Natal province iLembe is one of the 11 district municipalities ("districts" of KwaZulu-Natal province in South Africa. eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality is the Metropolitan Municipality created in 2000 that includes the city of Durban, South Africa and surrounding Ugu is one of the 11 districts of KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa. Sisonke is one of the 11 districts of KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa. Empangeni is a town in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa. It is approximately 160 kilometres north of Durban, situated in hilly country side of Kokstad is a town in the Sisonke District of KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa. Ladysmith (2001 pop 225452 is a town on the banks of the Klip River, (stone river, in the uThukela District Newcastle is the largest Town and third largest urban center in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Port Shepstone is situated on the mouth of the largest river on the south coast of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, the Mzimkulu River (the great home Richards Bay is a city encompassing one of South Africa 's largest Harbours. KwaDukuza, formerly known as Stanger is a town located in the KwaDukuza Local Municipality ( ILembe District Municipality) and is a historic capital of the Tongaat is a Sugarcane growing town in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa that is situated on the banks of the Tongati River about 37km north of Vryheid is a Coal mining and Cattle ranching town in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
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