Place in Western Cape, South Africa
| Vredenburg | |
|---|---|
 A landscape in Vredenburg | |
  VredenburgShow map of Western Cape VredenburgShow map of South Africa | |
| Coordinates: 32°54′23″S 17°59′45″E / 32.90639°S 17.99583°E / -32.90639; 17.99583 | |
| Country | South Africa |
| Province | Western Cape |
| District | West Coast |
| Municipality | Saldanha Bay |
| Established | 1875 |
| Area | |
| • Total | 13.75 km (5.31 sq mi) |
| Population | |
| • Total | 38,382 |
| • Density | 2,800/km (7,200/sq mi) |
| Racial makeup (2011) | |
| • Black African | 28.7% |
| • Coloured | 55.7% |
| • Indian/Asian | 0.6% |
| • White | 13.8% |
| • Other | 1.1% |
| First languages (2011) | |
| • Afrikaans | 68.7% |
| • Xhosa | 19.3% |
| • English | 5.0% |
| • Sotho | 2.3% |
| • Other | 4.8% |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (SAST) |
| Postal code (street) | 7380 |
| PO box | 7380 |
| Area code | 022 |
Vredenburg (locally /ˈfrɪərdənbɜːrɡ/; Afrikaans: ['frɪədənbœrχ]) is a town of the Cape West Coast in the Western Cape province of South Africa. "Vrede" is Afrikaans for peace. It is the transportation and commercial hub of the West Coast area and administrative centre of the Saldanha Bay Local Municipality. It is located 12 kilometres inland from the coast at Saldanha Bay on the Cape Columbine Peninsula 138 km north of Cape Town.
History
The town was established in 1875 initially as a Dutch Reformed Church congregation to serve the surrounding communities, as the closest church was in Hopefield. The town's original name was "Twisfontein", which from Afrikaans can be translated as "dispute fountain". This name came about when two competing farmers fought over the only available freshwater spring in the area. The town's name was later changed to "Prosesfontein". The town was renamed as they were discussing the matter of the freshwater spring and were trying to come to an agreement. When this agreement was settled and they have achieved a sense of peace among one another, the name "Vredenburg" was chosen. The town's population in 2011 was 38,382. The city should not be confused with the ancient Vredenburg in the Limpopo Province.
Famous people
References
- ^ "Main Place Vredenburg". Census 2011.
- Vredenburg shuts down over land woes - YouTube. 15 October 2021. Event occurs at 0:08. Retrieved 30 September 2024.
- "Vredenburg, West Coast | South African History Online". www.sahistory.org.za. Retrieved 2024-06-07.
| Municipalities and communities of West Coast District Municipality, Western Cape | ||
|---|---|---|
| District seat: Moorreesburg | ||
| Matzikama | .svg) | |
| Cederberg | ||
| Bergrivier | ||
| Saldanha Bay | ||
| Swartland | ||