35-523: Prieska is a town on the south bank of the Orange River , in the province of the Northern Cape , in western South Africa . It is located on the southern bank of the Orange River , 130 km north-west of Britstown and 75 km south-east of Marydale . It developed from a place to which farmers migrated when the pans were full, after rains. It was originally named Prieschap , the name
70-612: A gem-filled cave connected to the Orange River by a natural pipe through which the diamonds gradually enter the river. Other sites said to be lairs of the creature include the pool beneath the King George Cataract at Aughrabies Falls , which is also said to be a source of diamonds, and a large rock in the middle of the river itself. In this version of the legend, the Grootslang is also said to prey on cattle from
105-778: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Orange River Quthing , The Orange River (from Afrikaans / Dutch : Oranjerivier ) is a river in Southern Africa . It is the longest river in South Africa . With a total length of 2,432 km (1,511 mi), the Orange River Basin extends from Lesotho into South Africa and Namibia to the north. It rises in the Drakensberg mountains in Lesotho, flowing westwards through South Africa to
140-495: Is derived from Korana and means ‘place of the lost she-goat’. It was administered by a village management board from 1882 and attained municipal status in 1892. In 2011 the town had a population of 14,246. Many residents, historically, worked at the nearby Koegas mine which extracted and processed blue asbestos . The town is 240 km south of Kimberley and lies on the R357 road. This Northern Cape location article
175-580: Is derived the Afrikaans version Gariep , and translation "Groote Rivier". The early Dutch name for the river was just that translation, Groote Rivier, meaning "Great River". The river was named the Orange River by Colonel Robert Gordon , commander of the United East India Company (VOC) garrison at Cape Town, on a trip to the interior in 1779. Gordon named the river in honor of William V of Orange . A popular but incorrect belief
210-775: Is known in isiZulu as isAngqu. The Orange rises in the Drakensberg mountains along the border between South Africa and Lesotho, about 193 km (120 mi) west of the Indian Ocean and at an altitude of over 3,000 m (9,800 ft). The extremity of the Orange River inside Lesotho is known as the Senqu . Parts of the Senqu River freeze in winter because of the high altitude. This creates droughts downstream, which mainly affect goat and cattle production. The Orange River then runs westward through South Africa, forming
245-466: Is obstructed by rapids and sand bars and is generally not navigable for long stretches. The river has a total length of 2,432 km (1,511 mi). In the dry season , the volume of the water in the river is considerably reduced because of the rapid run-off and evaporation . At the source of the Orange, the rainfall is about 2,000 mm (79 in) per annum, but precipitation decreases as
280-560: Is that the river was named after the supposedly orange color of its water, as opposed to the color of its tributary, the Vaal River , which name is derived from the name ǀHaiǃarib "pale river" ( vaal being Afrikaans for pale or grey). Since the end of apartheid , the name "Gariep" has had greater favour in official correspondence in South Africa, although the name "Orange" has greater international recognition. In Lesotho, where
315-534: The Atlantic Ocean . The river forms part of the international borders between South Africa and Lesotho and between South Africa and Namibia, as well as several provincial borders within South Africa. Except for Upington , it does not pass through any major cities. The Orange River plays an important role in the South African economy by providing water for irrigation and hydroelectric power . The river
350-534: The Eureka Diamond , was found near Hopetown on the Orange River. Two years later, a much larger diamond known as the Star of South Africa was found in the same area, causing a diamond rush. This was soon eclipsed by the diamond rush to mine diamonds directly from kimberlite at Kimberley in 1871, although alluvial diamonds continued to be found in the Orange. Today, several commercial diamond mines operate on
385-464: The "present name is perceived to have a strong association with the history of colonial subjugation and has therefore no place under the current democratic dispensation." In South African folklore, the Orange River is often associated with the Grootslang , a mythical being resembling a giant serpent, which is often connected to the river's alluvial diamonds. The Grootslang is described as living in
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#1732786685254420-756: The Free State, and discharges into the Ash River about 30 kilometres (19 mi) further to the north. The scheme became viable when water demands in Gauteng reached levels that could no longer be supported economically by alternative schemes such as the Tugela River-Vaal River pumped storage scheme , which used the Sterkfontein Dam , located near Harrismith in the Free State. In 1867, the first diamond discovered in South Africa,
455-554: The Orange River (including the Vaal) extends over 973,000 km (376,000 sq mi), i.e. equivalent to about 77% of the land area of South Africa (1,221,037 km (471,445 sq mi)). Around 366,000 km (141,000 sq mi) (38%), however, are situated outside the country in Lesotho, Botswana, and Namibia. Some of the earliest precolonial inhabitants called the river ǂNūǃarib , referring to its black colour, or sometimes just Kai !Arib ("Great River"), from which
490-768: The Orange River (via hydroelectric power generators) to the Vanderkloof Dam and southward through the Orange-Fish Tunnel to the Eastern Cape. Eskom operates hydroelectric power stations at both the Gariep Dam and the Vanderkloof Dam. The hydroelectric power station at the Vanderkloof Dam was the first power-generation station in South Africa situated entirely underground. The towns Oviston and Oranjekrag were established to facilitate
525-414: The Orange meets with its main tributary, the Vaal River , which forms much of the northern border of the province. From here, the river flows further westward through the arid wilderness of the southern Kalahari region and Namaqualand in the Northern Cape province to meet with Namibia at 20°E longitude. From here, it flows westward for 550 km (340 mi), forming the international border between
560-563: The border town of Vioolsdrif . The Orange River has no large animals. It lies outside the range of the Nile crocodile , and although hippopotami were once abundant, they were hunted to extermination in the 19th century. The Orange River has a relative paucity of species diversity. Surveys from 1995 to 2001 in the Lower Orange River found 19 different fish species from eight different families. The two non-native species recorded in
595-778: The citrus farmers along the Lower Sundays River would almost certainly have continued to suffer losses of productivity. The Lesotho Highlands Water Project was conceived to supplement the water supply in the Vaal River System. Water is delivered to South Africa by means of the delivery tunnel which passes under the Lesotho South Africa border at the Caledon River , and then under the Little Caledon River south of Clarens in
630-493: The construction and operation of the new infrastructure. Irrigation in the vast area downstream of the Vanderkloof Dam, which has turned thousands of hectares of arid veld into highly productive agricultural land, was made possible by the construction of the Gariep and Vanderkloof Dams. Old established irrigation schemes such as those at Buchuberg , Upington , Kakamas , and Vioolsdrif have also benefitted because regulation of
665-410: The country being discovered in alluvial deposits on the Orange. Today, several commercial diamond mines operate along the final stretch of the Orange River and around its mouth. Because of the lack of dangerous animals and high water levels during summer, the river is used for recreational canoeing and rafting . Orange River rafting has become very popular with many companies using their camps along
700-405: The course of the river and these are used for growing crops , such as dates and melons , under irrigation . Vioolsdrif has several campsites and motels for motorists passing through the border. Many tour operators have set up their base camps here for rafting tours on the Orange River. There are two seasons . The short winter season lasts from about May to July. Almost no rain falls and
735-480: The flow is now possible. On the Namibian side of the river, Aussenkehr produces grapes with the help of water from the Orange. In recent years, the wine-producing areas along the Orange River have grown in importance. Irrigation in the Eastern Cape has also received a tremendous boost, not only from the additional water being made available, but also owing to improvement in water quality. Without this improvement,
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#1732786685254770-474: The last stretch of the river, as well as the beaches around its mouth. Diamond mines also operate on the middle stretch of the river. During the temperate months of March and April, given good rains and the sluices of the dams being open, a canoeist (or rafter) can easily travel 30 kilometres (19 mi) per day. The lower reaches of the river are most popular, because of the spectacular topography. Commercial tours are available, and these expeditions depart from
805-555: The province and Namibia's ǁKaras Region . On the border, the river passes the town of Vioolsdrif , the main border post between South Africa and Namibia. In the last 800 km (500 mi) of its course, the Orange receives many intermittent streams (such as the Fish River ), and several large wadis lead into it. In this section, the Namib Desert terminates on the north bank of the river, so under normal circumstances,
840-400: The river flows westward; at its mouth, the rainfall is less than 50 mm (2.0 in) per year. The factors that support evaporation, though, tend to increase in a westerly direction. In the wet season (summer), the Orange river becomes a brown coloured torrent. The huge mass of sediment carried constitutes a long-term threat to engineering projects on the river. The total catchment of
875-530: The river from which to operate. The most popular trips are four-day and six-day river trips that take place either along the gorge below the Augrabies Falls or along the Richtersveld area. The Orange River Project (ORP) was one of the largest and most imaginative projects of its kind in South Africa. It was constructed by Hendrik Verwoerd 's government at the height of the apartheid era. The ORP
910-559: The river rises, it is known as the Senqu River, derived from the original Khoemana name. The Eastern Cape Geographical Names Committee has advertised its intention to consider a name change from the colonial name, for that portion of the river that forms the border between the Eastern Cape and the Free State, with suggestions being IGqili or Senqu . The advertisement placed in the Aliwal Weekblad newspaper states that
945-573: The river's banks. As the collection point for the majority of South Africa's water, the Orange River plays a major role in supporting agriculture, industry, and mining. To assist in this, two large water schemes have been created, the Orange River Project and the Lesotho Highlands Water Project . Historically, the river played an important role in the South African diamond rush , with the first diamonds in
980-520: The south-western boundary of the Free State province . In this section, the river flows first into the Gariep Dam and later into the Vanderkloof Dam . From the border of Lesotho to below the Vanderkloof Dam, the river bed is deeply incised. Further downstream, the land is flatter, and the river is used extensively for irrigation. At the western point of the Free State, southwest of Kimberley ,
1015-565: The surveys were Cyprinus carpio and Oreochromis mossambicus , the latter of which had increased rapidly in abundance since the early 1980s. Another exotic species, rainbow trout , is found in the river headwaters in Lesotho. Seven species are endemic to the Vaal-Orange River system: Vioolsdrif Vioolsdrif is a village on the Orange River in the north-western Namaqualand area of South Africa. The name in Afrikaans means 'the ford (shallow river crossing) of
1050-480: The town harbours the South African border post . At the other end of the bridge is the small Namibian village of Noordoewer (meaning "north bank" in Afrikaans). The area is profoundly arid and the crossing is overlooked by steep and spectacular sandstone cliffs hundreds of metres in height. In general, the surrounding region is almost unpopulated. There are small pockets of fertile alluvial soil along
1085-496: The violin'. It is reportedly named after Jan Viool ("John Violin"), who is said to have played the fiddle in these parts in the nineteenth century. Some say he was a Nama man, who used to guide ox-wagons across the ford. An accomplished player, he would fiddle away merrily on the river bank while waiting for wagons to arrive. These claims await elaboration. A road bridge here on the N7 national road links South Africa with Namibia and
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1120-656: The volume of water added by these tributaries is negligible. Here, the bed of the river is once again deeply incised. The Augrabies Falls are located on this section of the Orange, where the river descends 122 m (400 ft) in a course of 26 km (16 mi). The Orange empties into the Atlantic Ocean between the small towns of Oranjemund (meaning "Orange mouth ") in Namibia and Alexander Bay in South Africa, about equidistant between Walvis Bay and Cape Town . Some 33 km (21 mi) from its mouth, it
1155-412: The weather is hot. The summer season lasts from August to April. It is very hot and rain is highly unlikely. Vioolsdrif is officially one of the hottest places in South Africa; on 27 October 2015 a maximum temperature of 47 °C (117 °F) was recorded. The mean annual temperature is 24 °C (76 °F) and temperatures above 30 °C (86 °F) are measured on an average of 220 days (60%) of
1190-581: Was built to exploit the waters of the Orange River—which, without the Vaal River, represents some 14.1% of the total runoff in South Africa—and in the process, to satisfy an increasing demand for water. The main objectives of the project were: The Gariep Dam near Colesberg is the main storage structure within the Orange River. From here, the water is supplied in two directions, westward along
1225-688: Was named the Orange River in honour of the Dutch ruling family, the House of Orange , by the Dutch explorer Robert Jacob Gordon . Other names include simply the word for river, in Khoekhoegowab orthography written as !Garib , which is rendered in Afrikaans as Gariep River with the intrusion of a velar fricative in place of the alveolar click , Groote River (derived from Kai !Garib ) or Senqu River (used in Lesotho), derived from ǂNū "Black". It
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