Hwange
Encyclopedia
Hwange is a town in western Zimbabwe
, in the province of Matabeleland North
. It is named after the chieftain of Zwange, who is now called Chief Hwange. The town was known as Wankie until 1982. According to the 1992 Population Census, the town had a population of 42,581. It is a centre for the coal mining
industry with Hwange Colliery
being the largest coal mine in Zimbabwe (with reserves for over 1000 years). The Wankie Coal Field, one of the largest in the world, was discovered here in 1895 by the American Scout Frederick Russell Burnham
. Zimbabwe's biggest power plant, Hwange Thermal Power Station
was built here in the 1980s. Today the coal for the whole country is transported by the mining railway to Thomson Junction, where it is handed over to the NRZ
.
Hwange is also a tourism centre due to the presence of the nearby Hwange National Park
, the largest National Park in Zimbabwe. The national park is home to a vast number of elephant, giraffe, lion and other wildlife.
The town lies on the railway line from Bulawayo
to Victoria Falls
. It is around 100km from the town of Victoria Falls.
n (now Zimbabwean) history took place when an underground explosion occurred in Wankie No.2 Colliery. Four hundred and twenty-six miners lost their lives - three hundred and ninety Africans and thirty-six Europeans. Apart from the one hundred and seventy-six Zimbabweans who died, there were ninety-one Zambians, fifty-two from Mozambique
, thirty-seven from Malawi
, thirty Tanzanians, nine from South West Africa
, four from the Caprivi Strip
, and one from Botswana
.
near Maputo
.
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
, in the province of Matabeleland North
Matabeleland North
Matabeleland North is a province in western Zimbabwe. It borders the provinces of Midlands and Mashonaland West to the east and northeast respectively, and the province of Matabeleland South and the city of Bulawayo to the south. Its northern border is defined by the Zambezi river, while its...
. It is named after the chieftain of Zwange, who is now called Chief Hwange. The town was known as Wankie until 1982. According to the 1992 Population Census, the town had a population of 42,581. It is a centre for the coal mining
Coal mining
The goal of coal mining is to obtain coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content, and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from iron ore and for cement production. In the United States,...
industry with Hwange Colliery
Hwange Colliery
Hwange Colliery is the name of a mining company in Zimbabwe and of the coal mine thereby. It was founded in 1899. Mining operations are located near Hwange in the province of Matabeleland North...
being the largest coal mine in Zimbabwe (with reserves for over 1000 years). The Wankie Coal Field, one of the largest in the world, was discovered here in 1895 by the American Scout Frederick Russell Burnham
Frederick Russell Burnham
Frederick Russell Burnham, DSO was an American scout and world traveling adventurer known for his service to the British Army in colonial Africa and for teaching woodcraft to Robert Baden-Powell, thus becoming one of the inspirations for the founding of the international Scouting Movement.Burnham...
. Zimbabwe's biggest power plant, Hwange Thermal Power Station
Hwange Thermal Power Station
The Hwange Thermal Power Station is the biggest power plant in Zimbabwe with an installed capacity of 920 MW. The plant was built during the 1980s, its location was chosen because of its proximity to coal fields...
was built here in the 1980s. Today the coal for the whole country is transported by the mining railway to Thomson Junction, where it is handed over to the NRZ
NRZ
NRZ or NRz may refer to:* National Railways of Zimbabwe* Neighborhood Revitalization Zone* Non-return-to-zero, an encoding technique.* Notorious Racerz Midnight Club Racing Team Online Born in 2006....
.
Hwange is also a tourism centre due to the presence of the nearby Hwange National Park
Hwange National Park
Hwange National Park is the largest game reserve in Zimbabwe. The park lies in the west, on the main road between Bulawayo and the widely noted Victoria Falls.It was founded around 1928 by a 22-year-old game ranger, Ted Davidson...
, the largest National Park in Zimbabwe. The national park is home to a vast number of elephant, giraffe, lion and other wildlife.
The town lies on the railway line from Bulawayo
Bulawayo
Bulawayo is the second largest city in Zimbabwe after the capital Harare, with an estimated population in 2010 of 2,000,000. It is located in Matabeleland, 439 km southwest of Harare, and is now treated as a separate provincial area from Matabeleland...
to Victoria Falls
Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
Victoria Falls is a town in the province of Matabeleland North, Zimbabwe. It lies on the southern bank of the Zambezi River at the western end of the Victoria Falls themselves...
. It is around 100km from the town of Victoria Falls.
Wankie Coal Mine Disaster
In June 1972, the deadliest mining disaster in RhodesiaRhodesia
Rhodesia , officially the Republic of Rhodesia from 1970, was an unrecognised state located in southern Africa that existed between 1965 and 1979 following its Unilateral Declaration of Independence from the United Kingdom on 11 November 1965...
n (now Zimbabwean) history took place when an underground explosion occurred in Wankie No.2 Colliery. Four hundred and twenty-six miners lost their lives - three hundred and ninety Africans and thirty-six Europeans. Apart from the one hundred and seventy-six Zimbabweans who died, there were ninety-one Zambians, fifty-two from Mozambique
Mozambique
Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique , is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest...
, thirty-seven from Malawi
Malawi
The Republic of Malawi is a landlocked country in southeast Africa that was formerly known as Nyasaland. It is bordered by Zambia to the northwest, Tanzania to the northeast, and Mozambique on the east, south and west. The country is separated from Tanzania and Mozambique by Lake Malawi. Its size...
, thirty Tanzanians, nine from South West Africa
Namibia
Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia , is a country in southern Africa whose western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and east. It gained independence from South Africa on 21 March...
, four from the Caprivi Strip
Caprivi Strip
Caprivi, sometimes called the Caprivi Strip , Caprivi Panhandle or the Okavango Strip and formally known as Itenge, is a narrow protrusion of Namibia eastwards about , between Botswana to the south, Angola and Zambia to the north, and Okavango Region to the west. Caprivi is bordered by the...
, and one from Botswana
Botswana
Botswana, officially the Republic of Botswana , is a landlocked country located in Southern Africa. The citizens are referred to as "Batswana" . Formerly the British protectorate of Bechuanaland, Botswana adopted its new name after becoming independent within the Commonwealth on 30 September 1966...
.
2010
Botswana, Zimbabwe and Mozambique signed an agreement to develop a railway for the export of coal to Technobanine PointTechnobanine Point
Technobanine Point is the site of a proposed deepwater port in Mozambique near the capital Maputo. - Transport :It would be connected by a 1000km long railway line to coal mines in Botswana and also Zimbabwe.- See also :* Railway stations in Mozambique...
near Maputo
Maputo
Maputo, also known as Lourenço Marques, is the capital and largest city of Mozambique. It is known as the City of Acacias in reference to acacia trees commonly found along its avenues and the Pearl of the Indian Ocean. It was famous for the inscription "This is Portugal" on the walkway of its...
.