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Upington

Coordinates:28°27′S21°15′E/ 28.45°S 21.25°E/-28.45; 21.25
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For the village in Shropshire, seeUppington.

Upington
//Khara hais(Nama)
Town
Aerial view of Upington's Central Business District
Aerial view of Upington's Central Business District
Upington is located in Northern Cape
Upington
Upington
Upington is located in South Africa
Upington
Upington
Upington is located in Africa
Upington
Upington
Coordinates:28°27′S21°15′E/ 28.45°S 21.25°E/-28.45; 21.25
CountrySouth Africa
ProvinceNorthern Cape
DistrictZF Mgcawu
MunicipalityDawid Kruiper
Established1873[1]
Government
• TypeLocal Municipality
• MayorLimakatso Koloi[2](ANC)
Area
[3]
• Total580.8 km2(224.2 sq mi)
Elevation
835 m (2,740 ft)
Population
(2011)[3]
• Total74,834
• Density130/km2(330/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2011)
[3]
•Black African25.6%
•Coloured62.6%
•Indian/Asian0.6%
•White10.1%
• Other1.1%
First languages(2011)
[3]
•Afrikaans85.5%
•Xhosa6.1%
•Tswana3.2%
•English2.1%
• Other3.1%
Time zoneUTC+2(SAST)
Postal code(street)
8800
PO box
8800
Area code+27 (0)54
Websitewww.kharahais.gov.za
www.greenkalahari.co.za

Upington(Khoekhoe://Khara hais) is a town founded in 1873 and located in theNorthern Capeprovince ofSouth Africa,on the banks of theOrange River.The town was originally called Olijvenhoutsdrift ('Olive wood drift'), due to the abundance of olive wood trees[clarification needed]in the area, but later renamed after SirThomas Upington,Attorney-General and then Prime Minister of theCape.It originated as a mission station established in 1871 and run by Reverend Christiaan Schröder. The mission station now houses the Kalahari Orange Museum. The museum is also the home of a donkey statue, which recognises the enormous contribution that this animal made to the development of the region during the pioneering days of the 19th century.

The elevation of Upington is 2,742 feet (835 metres). It is the closest large centre to theAugrabies Falls(arguably the greatest of South African waterfalls) and theKgalagadi Transfrontier Park.The landscape is very arid but the soil is fertile and crops such as fruit are grown in irrigated fields. The area is best known for its export-quality grapes, raisins and wines, which are cultivated on the rich flood plains of the Orange River.

The Upington 26

[edit]

On 13 November 1985, a black policeman was killed following a disturbance at a political meeting in Paballelo, ablack townshipon the outskirts of Upington. Twenty-six people were charged with the killing, of whom twenty-five were convicted of murder on the basis ofcommon purpose,and one convicted of attempted murder. Fourteen were sentenced to death, although the death sentences were later overturned on appeal.[4][5][6][7]In 2011, a memorial in honour of the Upington 26 was unveiled in Upington byHazel Jenkins,thePremier of the Northern Cape.[8]In 2014, the Australian filmA Common Purposewas made about the case.[9][10]

Wine industry

[edit]

Upington's most famous wines are produced by an organisation known as Orange River Cellars. The organisation has six depots in the area (all of them on the banks of the Orange River) at Upington,Kanoneiland,Grootdrink,Kakamas,KeimoesandGroblershoop.Their wines are exported,inter alia,to Europe and the USA.

Transportation

[edit]
Passenger train in Upington station

Upington Airporthas scheduled flights provided bySA Airlink.[11]Due to the combination ofhigh elevation and temperature,one of the airport's runways is 4,900 m long[12](the fourth longest in the world), and thus allowsBoeing 747and other heavy aircraft to use the airport without limitations on take-off weight.

Nelson Mandela Drive in the Upington CBD

In the first half of the 20th century, there was a passenger train service from Cape Town to Upington. Until the 1950s, a narrow-gauge railway line (two-foot gauge) ran from Upington toKakamasandKeimoes,two nearby towns. The trains carried passengers and freight, being mainlydried fruit.The line to Kakamas was still in use during the November 2010 grape harvest season.[13]

Public institutions

[edit]

There are four libraries that serve the community in Upington, viz, Rosedale Library, Upington Library, Korrektiewe and Forum Library.[14]

Geography and climate

[edit]
Upington
Climate chart (explanation)
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
24
36
20
35
34
20
37
32
18
26
28
13
10
24
8
4
21
5
2
21
4
4
23
6
4
27
9
9
30
13
17
33
16
17
35
19
█Average max. and min. temperatures in °C
█Precipitation totals in mm
Source: SAWS[15]
Imperial conversion
JFMAMJJASOND
0.9
97
68
1.4
93
68
1.5
90
64
1
82
55
0.4
75
46
0.2
70
41
0.1
70
39
0.2
73
43
0.2
81
48
0.4
86
55
0.7
91
61
0.7
95
66
█Average max. and min. temperatures in °F
█Precipitation totals in inches

Upington is located on the northern banks of the Orange River and is surrounded by irrigated vineyards.[16]The hottest month of the year is January, with average daily temperatures swinging from 36 °C (97 °F) to 20 °C (68 °F), while in the coolest month of July temperatures range between 21 °C (70 °F) and 4 °C (39 °F).[15]Also the driest month of the year, July sees an average rainfall of only 2 millimetres (0.079 in), while the wettest month of March sees 37 millimetres (1.5 in). Upington has been noted as being the sunniest location on the planet for three months of the year, from November through January.[17]

Upington has a hotdesert climate(BWh) with long, hot summers and short, mild winters. Precipitation peaks during late summertime.

Climate data for Upington (1991−2020, extremes 1951–1990)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 42.3
(108.1) 		44.1
(111.4) 		42.3
(108.1) 		38.1
(100.6) 		33.7
(92.7) 		30.4
(86.7) 		29.5
(85.1) 		33.6
(92.5) 		39.3
(102.7) 		40.5
(104.9) 		42.0
(107.6) 		44.4
(111.9) 		44.4
(111.9)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 36.4
(97.5) 		35.7
(96.3) 		33.6
(92.5) 		29.3
(84.7) 		25.6
(78.1) 		21.8
(71.2) 		21.7
(71.1) 		23.9
(75.0) 		28.0
(82.4) 		31.2
(88.2) 		33.4
(92.1) 		35.7
(96.3) 		29.7
(85.5)
Daily mean °C (°F) 28.3
(82.9) 		27.9
(82.2) 		25.8
(78.4) 		21.4
(70.5) 		17.1
(62.8) 		13.1
(55.6) 		12.9
(55.2) 		14.7
(58.5) 		18.6
(65.5) 		22.4
(72.3) 		24.7
(76.5) 		27.2
(81.0) 		21.2
(70.2)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 20.2
(68.4) 		20.0
(68.0) 		17.9
(64.2) 		13.4
(56.1) 		8.6
(47.5) 		4.3
(39.7) 		4.1
(39.4) 		5.4
(41.7) 		9.2
(48.6) 		13.5
(56.3) 		16.0
(60.8) 		18.6
(65.5) 		12.6
(54.7)
Record low °C (°F) 6.7
(44.1) 		7.6
(45.7) 		4.7
(40.5) 		−1.7
(28.9) 		−5.2
(22.6) 		−7.9
(17.8) 		−7.8
(18.0) 		−7.0
(19.4) 		−3.5
(25.7) 		−1.7
(28.9) 		4.4
(39.9) 		5.7
(42.3) 		−7.9
(17.8)
Averageprecipitationmm (inches) 39.5
(1.56) 		38.8
(1.53) 		44.7
(1.76) 		18.5
(0.73) 		10.1
(0.40) 		5.1
(0.20) 		3.3
(0.13) 		1.2
(0.05) 		3.5
(0.14) 		15.1
(0.59) 		13.9
(0.55) 		21.9
(0.86) 		215.6
(8.49)
Average precipitation days(≥ 1.0 mm) 4.1 4.0 4.4 2.6 1.2 0.6 0.6 0.4 0.6 1.8 2.2 2.6 25.0
Averagerelative humidity(%) 33 39 44 49 49 50 45 39 35 33 31 30 40
Mean monthlysunshine hours 344.3 292.3 302.3 285.4 285.7 268.6 285.7 298.6 299.5 326.5 332.1 351.8 3,672.9
Source 1: NOAA (humidity 1961-1990),[18][19]Deutscher Wetterdienst(extremes)[20]
Source 2: South African Weather Service[15]

Notable natives and residents

[edit]
[edit]
  • 4900 m airport runway
    4900 m airport runway
  • Golf course
    Golf course
  • View from "Die Eiland" holiday resort
    View from "Die Eiland" holiday resort

Sport

[edit]

Upington have a professional football club namedUpington City F.C.

See also

[edit]
  • Vastrap,South Africa's former nuclear weapons test range.

References

[edit]
  1. ^"Upington".Archived fromthe originalon 14 March 2010.Retrieved27 March2009.
  2. ^Dawid Kruiper Municipality website
  3. ^abcdSum of the Main PlacesUpingtonandPaballelofrom Census 2011.
  4. ^Wren, Christopher S. (27 May 1989)."Judge Condemns 14 South Africa Blacks".The New York Times.
  5. ^Dicker, Richard (23 June 1989)."South African Justice".The Christian Science Monitor.Boston.
  6. ^Carlin, John(4 December 2004)."Justice served".The Independent.London.
  7. ^"Upington 26".Truth Commission Special Report.SABC.Retrieved4 September2020.
  8. ^"Premier Hazel Jenkins and MEC Pauline Williams to unveil the Memorial in honour of the Upington 26".South African Government.18 March 2011.
  9. ^"A Common Purpose".Icarus Films.Retrieved4 September2020.
  10. ^O'Hara, Marguerite (2013)."A Common Purpose - Study Guide"(PDF).Australian Teachers of Media.
  11. ^"flyairlink".flyairlink.Retrieved20 March2023.
  12. ^"Upington".World Aero Data.Aviation Networks, Inc. Archived from the original on 19 July 2012.Retrieved26 March2008.{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  13. ^"FLOOD AT UPINGTON | Railways Africa".Archived fromthe originalon 3 April 2012.
  14. ^"Library Directory".Library Directory.National Library of South Africa.Archived fromthe originalon 11 May 2023.Retrieved2 June2023.
  15. ^abc"Climate data for Upington".South African Weather Service. Archived fromthe originalon 4 March 2012.Retrieved7 March2010.
  16. ^Pinchuck, Tony; Barbara McCrea; Donald Reid (July 2002).Rough guide to South Africa, Lesotho & Swaziland.Rough Guides. pp. 319, 322.ISBN978-1-85828-853-6.Retrieved28 May2010.
  17. ^Osborn, Liz."Sunniest Places and Countries in the World".Current Results.Retrieved16 November2012.
  18. ^"Upington Climate Normals 1961−1990".National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.Retrieved21 November2013.
  19. ^"Climate Normals 1991-2020".NOAA.Retrieved18 September2018.
  20. ^"Klimatafel von Upington/Oranjefluß, Kapland / Südafrika"(PDF).Baseline climate means (1961–1990) from stations all over the world(in German). Deutscher Wetterdienst.Retrieved7 February2016.
[edit]
Wikivoyage has a travel guide forUpington.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Upington&oldid=1230771800"