Krugersdorp

Mining city in the West Rand district, Gauteng Province, South Africa, 32 km/20 mi northwest of Johannesburg; population (1991) 196,200. Manganese, uranium, and gold are mined. Other industries include light engineering and chemical production.

Founded in 1887 and named after President Kruger, Krugersdorp owes its prosperity largely to the Witwatersrand goldfields. The town has four industrial townships, including Chamdor, one of the largest on the Witwatersrand. The Pardekraal monument commemorates the victory of the Boers over the Zulus in 1838, and a meeting of Boer leaders on 13 December 1880 resolving to regain their republic from the British. At Sterkfontein, 13 km/8 mi away, are limestone caves where remains of early hominids have been found.