Elizabeth Bayis a mining town on the southern coast ofNamibia,25 km (16 mi) south ofLüderitz.[1]It was formerly considered aghost town.Diamonds were first discovered in the region around 1908.[2]However, it wasn't until 1989 that the government of Namibia spent $53 million on the exploration and creation of a new diamond mine on the site.[3]The mine had a projected life-span of ten years and was expected to produce 2.5 million carats of diamonds. The mine was officially opened bySam Nujomaon 2 August 1991[1]and stopped being operational around 1998. By 2000, the town was considered a ghost town. Because of being located in a restricted area, a permit is required for a visit.
Elizabeth Bay | |
|---|---|
Ghost town | |
 | |
  Elizabeth Bay Location in Namibia | |
| Coordinates:26°54′58″S15°11′02″E/ 26.91611°S 15.18389°E | |
| Country |  Namibia |
| Region | ǁKaras Region |
| Constituency | Lüderitz Constituency |
| Population | |
• Total | 0 |
| Time zone | UTC+1(South African Standard Time) |
In 2005 it was announced that the mine would be expanded, thus furthering its lifespan by eight years.[4]The mine is currently operated by Namdeb. It is owned jointly byDe Beersand the Namibia Government.[5]As of 2009 the Elizabeth Bay mine was operating at a $76 million loss.[6]
Elizabeth Bay is home to forty percent of the world'sCape fur seals.[2]
Media
edit- The derelict theater building in Elizabeth Bay was filmed in a 2010 episode ofLife After People: The Serieswhich was mainly featuringKolmanskop,another ghost town approximately 30 km (20 mi) north of Elizabeth Bay. The episode focused on the effects of wind and sand upon the various run-down buildings and displayed rooms that were filled with sand.
Climate
edit| Climate data for Elizabeth Bay | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 21 (69) |
21 (69) |
20 (68) |
19 (66) |
19 (66) |
18 (64) |
18 (64) |
17 (62) |
17 (62) |
18 (64) |
19 (66) |
20 (68) |
18 (64) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 14 (57) |
14 (57) |
13 (55) |
12 (53) |
11 (51) |
11 (51) |
10 (50) |
10 (50) |
10 (50) |
11 (51) |
12 (53) |
13 (55) |
11 (51) |
| Averageprecipitationcm (inches) | 0 (0) |
0.25 (0.1) |
0.25 (0.1) |
0.25 (0.1) |
0.25 (0.1) |
0.25 (0.1) |
0.25 (0.1) |
0.25 (0.1) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
1.5 (0.6) |
| Source: Weatherbase[7] | |||||||||||||
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ab"Namibia's latest diamond mine opened". Mining Magazine. September 1991.
- ^abSteve Keenan (June 10, 2000). "Ghosts of a glittering era".The Times.
- ^Kempton, Daniel R.; Roni L. Du Preez (December 1997). "Namibian-De Beers State-Firm Relations: Cooperation and Conflict".Journal of Southern African Studies.23(4). Taylor & Francis, Ltd.: 585–613.doi:10.1080/03057079708708559.JSTOR2637428.
- ^"Namibia;Elizabeth Bay Mine Extension Ready to Roll". Africa News. July 29, 2005.
- ^"De Beers set to spend US$ 500m in Namibia". Mining Magazine. September 2005.
- ^"ELIZABETH BAY MINE LIKELY TO POST $76N MILLION LOSS". Namibia Economist. August 28, 2009.
- ^ "Weatherbase: Historical Weather for Elizabeth Bay, Namibia".Weatherbase. 2011. Retrieved on November 24, 2011.