Country South Africa District Namakwa Established 1858 Area code 023 | Province Northern Cape Municipality Karoo Hoogland Elevation 1,460 m (4,790 ft) Local time Saturday 6:49 PM | |
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Weather 22°C, Wind W at 14 km/h, 30% Humidity | ||
Sutherland is a town with about 2,841 inhabitants in the Northern Cape province of South Africa. It lies in the western Roggeveld Mountains in the Karoo.
Contents
Map of Sutherland, 6920, South Africa
History
Sutherland was founded in 1723 as a church and market town to serve the area's sheep farmers. By 1872 the town had a population of 138 registered citizens living in 19 houses. The large Dutch Reformed church in the centre of Sutherland was built in 1899.
During the Anglo Boer War the church was used as a fort by garrisoned British soldiers. During the war a number of engagements between British and Boer forces occurred in the town. In one such engagement a force of 250 Boer commandos attacked the local British garrison for 10 hours. The ruins of a fort can be found on the outskirts of town -on the hill called Rebelskop- was named after this engagement.
Economy
Major economic activities include tourism and sheep farming. The area includes at least twelve registered B&B's, guest houses and guest farms. The nearby South African Astronomical Observatory also plays a significant role in the town's economy and is a major driver of tourism to the area. The town also has a number of bars, restaurants and an amateur astronomy observatory that service the tourism sector.
Sutherland has recently gained in popularity, with many Capetonians buying property in the town and many more visiting on weekends and vacations.
Geography
Sutherland's arid climate and remote location 1,450 metres (4,760 ft) above sea level make its night skies among the world's clearest and darkest. The telescopes of the South African Astronomical Observatory are nearby at 32°22′46″S 20°48′38.5″E. These include the Southern African Large Telescope (SALT), the largest single optical telescope in the southern hemisphere.
Climate
Sutherland is the coldest town in South Africa, with an average yearly temperature of 11.3 °C and an average annual minimum temperature of 2.8 °C; although the farm Buffelsfontein holds the official lowest temperature record in the country, of −20.1 °C (−4 °F). Snowfall is common in winter. The coldest temperature recorded in Sutherland was −16.4 °C on 12 July 2003. Sutherland has a semi-arid climate (Köppen climate classification BSk).
Notable residents
Notable residents of Sutherland include: