Douglas, South Africa

Douglas is an agricultural and stock farming town situated near the confluence of the Orange and Vaal Rivers in the Northern Cape province of South Africa. Notably the rural town has a diverse population, with mostly state institutions and the anchor private employer, GWK, an agricultural company.

Douglas
Douglas suburbia
Douglas suburbia
Douglas is located in Northern Cape
Douglas
Douglas
Douglas is located in South Africa
Douglas
Douglas
Coordinates: 29°03′S 23°46′E
CountrySouth Africa
ProvinceNorthern Cape
DistrictPixley ka Seme
MunicipalitySiyancuma
Area
  Total86.42 km2 (33.37 sq mi)
Elevation
990 m (3,250 ft)
Population
 (2011)[1]
  Total20,083
  Density230/km2 (600/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2011)
  Black African32.1%
  Coloured58.3%
  Indian/Asian0.8%
  White8.0%
  Other0.9%
First languages (2011)
  Afrikaans93.1%
  Tswana2.3%
  English1.5%
  Other3.1%
Time zoneUTC+2 (SAST)
Postal code (street)
8730
PO box
8730
Area code053

Location

Douglas lies about 100 km southwest of Kimberley the capital of the Northern Cape. These two are connected by the R357 road.

History

The town was founded in 1848 as a mission station on the farm Backhouse by the Reverend Isaac Hughes,[2] who had been working along the Vaal River since 1845. In 1867, a group of Europeans from Griquatown signed an agreement giving them the right to establish a town. The town was named after General Sir Percy Douglas, Lieutenant Governor of the Cape Colony.

Notable people from Douglas

References


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