Northern Cape

Province of the Republic of South Africa from 1994, formerly part of Cape Province; area 363,389 sq km/140,305 sq mi; population (2000 est) 869,200. The capital is Kimberley; Upington is the only other major urban area. The province is situated in the northwest of the republic, and is bordered to the west by the Atlantic Ocean and to the north by Namibia and Botswana. It is sparsely populated, consisting mainly of a dry plateau with little vegetation. In the wetter areas to the south and east, with the aid of irrigation, more wine is produced than in any other province and is a major export, while other agricultural products include citrus fruits, cotton, groundnuts, and cereals. In the drier western areaas wool from merino and karakul sheep is an important product. Kimberley has the largest diamond mine in the world and other minerals worked in the province include asbestos, copper, tungsten, zinc, iron, manganese, and tin. Tourism is of growing importance.

Northern Cape is the largest and most sparsely populated province of South Africa. It contains the Orange River, the Kalahari Desert, and the Kalahari-Gemsbok National Park, Richtersveld, the 146-m/480-ft high Augrabies Falls, and Vaalbos national parks.

The main languages are Afrikaans, Setswana (Tswana), and Xhosa.