Sutherland, Northern Cape
| Sutherland | |
|---|---|
| — Town — | |
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 Sutherland
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Sutherland
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| Coordinates: 32°23′37″S 20°39′41″E / 32.39361°S 20.66139°ECoordinates: 32°23′37″S 20°39′41″E / 32.39361°S 20.66139°E | |
| Country | South Africa |
| Province | Northern Cape |
| District | Namakwa |
| Municipality | Karoo Hoogland |
| Established | 1858 |
| Area[1] | |
| • Total | 35.95 km2 (13.88 sq mi) |
| Population (2001)[1] | |
| • Total | 1,986 |
| • Density | 55/km2 (140/sq mi) |
| Racial makeup (2001)[1] | |
| • Black African | 8.5% |
| • Coloured | 74.1% |
| • White | 17.4% |
| First languages (2001)[1] | |
| • Afrikaans | 98.0% |
| • English | 1.7% |
| • Other | 0.3% |
| Time zone | SAST (UTC+2) |
Sutherland is a town with about 2,840 inhabitants in the Northern Cape province of South Africa.[2] It lies in the western Roggeveld Mountains in the Karoo.
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 / 32.37944°S 20.810694°E. These include the Southern African Large Telescope (SALT), the largest single optical telescope in the southern hemisphere.[3]
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 ºC;[4] although Buffelsfontein holds the official lowest temperature record in the country (−18.6 °C),[4] with an average annual minimum temperature of 9.4 ºC.[5] Snowfall is common in winter. [citation needed] The coldest temperature recorded in Sutherland was −16.4 °C on 12 July 2003.[4] Sutherland has a semi-arid climate (Köppen climate classification BSk).
Major economic activities include tourism and sheep farming.[6] The area includes at least twelve registered B&B's, guest houses and guest farms.[7] Sutherland has recently gained in popularity, with many Capetonians buying property in the town and many more visiting on weekends and vacations.[citation needed]
An NGK Dutch Reformed church in Sutherland was built before the Anglo Boer War. Sutherland is also the birthplace of NP van Wyk Louw, WEG Louw and Adriaan Vlok.
| Climate data for Sutherland | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °C (°F) | 27 (81) |
27 (81) |
24 (75) |
20 (68) |
16 (61) |
12 (54) |
12 (54) |
14 (57) |
16 (61) |
20 (68) |
23 (73) |
25 (77) |
19 (66) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 17 (63) |
18 (64) |
15 (59) |
11 (52) |
8 (46) |
5 (41) |
5 (41) |
6 (43) |
8 (46) |
11 (52) |
14 (57) |
16 (61) |
11 (52) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 8 (46) |
8 (46) |
6 (43) |
3 (37) |
0 (32) |
−1 (30) |
−2 (28) |
−1 (30) |
0 (32) |
2 (36) |
5 (41) |
7 (45) |
2 (36) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −15 (5) |
−16.4 (2.5) |
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| Precipitation mm (inches) | 12 (0.47) |
17 (0.67) |
27 (1.06) |
25 (0.98) |
24 (0.94) |
34 (1.34) |
25 (0.98) |
24 (0.94) |
15 (0.59) |
15 (0.59) |
15 (0.59) |
12 (0.47) |
244 (9.61) |
| Source: [8] | |||||||||||||
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d "Main Place". Census 2001. http://census.adrianfrith.com/place/30503.
- ^ World Gazetteer
- ^ SALT home page
- ^ a b c South African Weather Service
- ^ World Weather Online Average High/Low Temperature for Buffelsfontein, South Africa
- ^ Sutherland Information
- ^ Where to Stay: Sutherland
- ^ Weatherbase.com Retrieved 01 August 2010.
[edit] External links
- South African Astronomical Observatory website
- Discover Sutherland
- Sutherland Tourism - Official website
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