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Limpopo is the northernmost province
Provinces of South Africa

South Africa is currently divided into nine provinces. On the eve of the South African general election, 1994, South Africa's former homelands, also known as Bantustans, were reintegrated and the four existing provinces were divided into nine....
 of South Africa
South Africa

The Republic of South Africa, also known by Official names of South Africa, is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa....
. The capital is Polokwane
Polokwane

Polokwane is a city, municipality and the capital of the Limpopo province in South Africa....
, formerly called Pietersburg
Pietersburg

Pietersburg is one of the larger city and former capital of the Limpopo province, South Africa....
. The province was formed from the northern region of the Transvaal
Transvaal

File:Flag of Transvaal.svgFile:Transvaal map.pngFile:Spelterini Transvaal.jpgThe Transvaal is the name of an area of northern South Africa....
 province in 1994, and initially named Northern Transvaal. The following year, it was renamed Northern Province, which remained the name until 11 June 2003, when the name of the province was formally changed to the name
Geographical renaming

Geographical renaming is the act of changing the Geonym of a geography feature or area. This can range from the uncontroversial change of a street name to a highly disputed change to the name of a country....
 of its most important river
Limpopo River

The Limpopo River rises in central southern Africa, and flows generally eastwards to the Indian Ocean. It is around long, with a drainage basin in size....
, on the border with Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe , is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the continent of Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo River rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east....
 and Botswana
Botswana

The Republic of Botswana , is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. Citizens of Botswana are called "Batswana" , regardless of ethnicity. Formerly a British protectorate of Bechuanaland Protectorate, Botswana adopted its new name after becoming independent within the Commonwealth of Nations on 30 September 1966....
, after deliberation by the provincial government.






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Limpopo is the northernmost province
Provinces of South Africa

South Africa is currently divided into nine provinces. On the eve of the South African general election, 1994, South Africa's former homelands, also known as Bantustans, were reintegrated and the four existing provinces were divided into nine....
 of South Africa
South Africa

The Republic of South Africa, also known by Official names of South Africa, is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa....
. The capital is Polokwane
Polokwane

Polokwane is a city, municipality and the capital of the Limpopo province in South Africa....
, formerly called Pietersburg
Pietersburg

Pietersburg is one of the larger city and former capital of the Limpopo province, South Africa....
. The province was formed from the northern region of the Transvaal
Transvaal

File:Flag of Transvaal.svgFile:Transvaal map.pngFile:Spelterini Transvaal.jpgThe Transvaal is the name of an area of northern South Africa....
 province in 1994, and initially named Northern Transvaal. The following year, it was renamed Northern Province, which remained the name until 11 June 2003, when the name of the province was formally changed to the name
Geographical renaming

Geographical renaming is the act of changing the Geonym of a geography feature or area. This can range from the uncontroversial change of a street name to a highly disputed change to the name of a country....
 of its most important river
Limpopo River

The Limpopo River rises in central southern Africa, and flows generally eastwards to the Indian Ocean. It is around long, with a drainage basin in size....
, on the border with Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe , is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the continent of Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo River rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east....
 and Botswana
Botswana

The Republic of Botswana , is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. Citizens of Botswana are called "Batswana" , regardless of ethnicity. Formerly a British protectorate of Bechuanaland Protectorate, Botswana adopted its new name after becoming independent within the Commonwealth of Nations on 30 September 1966....
, after deliberation by the provincial government. Another notable consideration for the name was Mapungubwe
Mapungubwe

Mapungubwe was a city in what is now northern South Africa. Flourishing from 1050 AD to 1270 AD at the confluence of the Shashe River and Limpopo River rivers , it marked the center of a pre-Shona people kingdom which covered parts of modern-day Botswana and Zimbabwe....
, the area where the most ancient gold
Gold

Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and atomic number 79. It is a highly sought-after precious metal, having been used as money, as a store of value, in jewelry, in sculpture, and for ornamentation since the beginning of recorded history....
-using civilisation of the province was discovered a few years earlier.

97.3% of the population is Black
Black people

Black people is a term usually referring to a Race of humans with a dark skin color, but the term has also been used to categorise a number of diverse populations into one common group....
, 2.4% is White, 0.2% is Coloured
Coloured

In the South African, Namibian, Zambian, Botswana and Zimbabwean context, the term Coloured refers or referred to an ethnic group of people who possess sub-Saharan African ancestry, but not enough to be considered Black people under the law of South Africa....
, and 0.1% is India
India

India, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and outlying territories by total area country by geographical area, the List of countries by population country, and the most populous liberal democracy in the world....
n/Asia
Asia

Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent. It covers 8.6% of the Earth's total surface area and, with over 4 billion people, it contains more than 60% of the world's current human population....
n. The most common spoken languages are Tsonga
Tsonga language

The Tsonga or Xitsonga language is spoken in southern Africa by the Tsonga people, also known as the Shangaan....
, Northern Sotho
Northern Sotho language

Northern Sotho is one of the official languages of South Africa, and is spoken by nearly five million?4,208,980 people ?in the South African provinces of Gauteng Province, Limpopo Province and Mpumalanga Province....
 (Sepedi), Venda
Venda language

Venda, also known as Tshiven?a, or Luven?a, is a Bantu languages language. The majority of Venda speakers live in South Africa , but there are also speakers in Zimbabwe....
 and Afrikaans
Afrikaans

Afrikaans is an Indo-European language, derived from Dutch language and thus classified as Low Franconian languages West Germanic languages. It is mainly spoken in South Africa and Namibia, with smaller numbers of speakers living in Botswana, Angola, Swaziland, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Zambia, Australia, New Zealand, United States of America, Taiwa...
.

Law and government

The current premier of Limpopo province is Sello Moloto of the African National Congress
African National Congress

The African National Congress has been South Africa's governing party, supported by its tripartite alliance with the Congress of South African Trade Unions and the South African Communist Party , since the establishment of non-racial democracy in May 1994....
.

Population

The population of Limpopo consists of several ethnic groups distinguished by culture, language and race. The Northern Sotho (Sepedi) make up the largest number, being nearly 57%. The Tsonga (Shangaan) speakers comprise 23% while the Venda make up 12%. Afrikaans speakers make up 2.6% while English-speaking whites
Anglo-African

Anglo-Africans are people of primarily Sub-Saharan Africa whose first language is English language. Most are of British people descent, although they can be of any ancestry, with Irish people, French people Huguenot, Jewish, and Italian people being rather prevalent minority ones....
 are less than half a per cent. Within the borders of the province are the four previous administrations which were created during the apartheid era: Lebowa, Gazankulu, Venda and Transvaal Administration

Geography

Limpopo Province shares international borders with districts and provinces of three countries: Botswana's
Botswana

The Republic of Botswana , is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. Citizens of Botswana are called "Batswana" , regardless of ethnicity. Formerly a British protectorate of Bechuanaland Protectorate, Botswana adopted its new name after becoming independent within the Commonwealth of Nations on 30 September 1966....
 Central
Central District (Botswana)

Central is the largest of Districts of Botswana in terms of area and population. It encompasses the traditional homeland of the Bamangwato people....
 and Kgatleng
Kgatleng District

'Kgatleng' is one of the districts of Botswana, coterminous with the homeland of the Bakgatla people. Its capital is Mochudi, the hometown of protagonist Precious Ramotswe in Alexander McCall Smith's popular The No....
 districts to the west and north-west respectively, Zimbabwe's
Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe , is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the continent of Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo River rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east....
 Matabeleland South
Matabeleland South

Matabeleland South is a Provinces of Zimbabwe of Zimbabwe. It has an area of 54,172 km? and a population of approximately 650,000 . Gwanda is the capital of the province....
 and Masvingo
Masvingo (province)

Masvingo is a Provinces of Zimbabwe in Zimbabwe found in the south-eastern section of the landlocked country. In borders Mozambique on its eastern border and the provinces of Matabeleland South to the south, Midlands to the north and west and Manicaland to the north east....
 provinces to the north and northeast respectively, and Mozambique's
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....
 Gaza Province
Gaza Province

Gaza is a Provinces of Mozambique of Mozambique. It has an area of 75,709 km? and a population of 1,333,106 .Xai-Xai is the capital of the province....
 to the east. The province is the link between South Africa and countries further afield in sub-Saharan Africa. On its southern flank from east to west, the province shares borders with Mpumalanga
Mpumalanga

Mpumalanga, , is a Provinces of South Africa South Africa. The name means east or literally "the place where the sun rises" in Nguni languages....
, Gauteng
Gauteng

Gauteng is a Provinces of South Africa of South Africa. It was formed from part of the old Transvaal after South Africa's first all-race elections on 27 April 1994....
, and North West
North West (South African province)

North West is a Provinces of South Africa of South Africa. Its capital is Mafikeng....
. Its border with Gauteng includes that province's Johannesburg-Pretoria axis, the most industrious metropole on the continent. Thus the province is placed at the centre of regional, national, and international developing markets.

The province has excellent road, rail, and air links. The N1 route from Johannesburg, which extends the length of the province, is the busiest overland route in Africa in terms of cross-border trade in raw materials and beneficiated goods. The port of Durban
Durban

Durban is the third most populous city in South Africa, forming part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality . It is the largest city in KwaZulu-Natal and is famous as the busiest port in Africa....
, Africa’s busiest, is served directly by the province, as are the ports of Richards Bay and Maputo
Maputo

Maputo, formerly Louren?o Marques, is the Capital and largest city of Mozambique. A port on the Indian Ocean, its economy is centered around the harbour....
. The Gateway International Airport is situated in Polokwane, the capital of the province.
Za Limpopo Language
The province contains much of the Waterberg Biosphere
Waterberg Biosphere

The Waterberg Biosphere is a massif of approximately 15,000 square kilometers in north Limpopo Province, South Africa. Waterberg is the first region in the northern part of South Africa to be named as a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO....
, a UNESCO
UNESCO

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations established on 16 November 1945....
 designated Biosphere Reserve
Biosphere reserve

A biosphere reserve is an international conservation designation given by UNESCO under its Programme on Man and the Biosphere . The World Network of Biosphere Reserves is the collection of all 531 biosphere Nature reserve in 105 countries ....
. The Waterberg Biosphere, a massif
Massif

In geology, a massif is a section of a planet's Crust that is demarcated by geologic faults or flexures. In the Plate tectonics, a massif tends to retain its internal structure while being displaced as a whole....
 of approximately 15,000 square kilometers, is the first region in the northern part of South Africa to be named as a Biosphere Reserve
Biosphere reserve

A biosphere reserve is an international conservation designation given by UNESCO under its Programme on Man and the Biosphere . The World Network of Biosphere Reserves is the collection of all 531 biosphere Nature reserve in 105 countries ....
 by UNESCO
UNESCO

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations established on 16 November 1945....
. The massif was shaped by hundreds of millions of years of riverine erosion to yield diverse bluff and butte
Butte

A butte is an isolated hill with steep, often vertical sides and a small relatively flat top, smaller than mesas, plateaus, and table s. In some regions the word is simply used for any hill....
 landform
Landform

In the earth sciences and geology sub-fields a landform or physical feature comprises a geomorphology unit, and is largely defined by its surface form and location in the landscape, as part of the terrain, and as such, is typically an element of topography....
. The Waterberg ecosystem can be characterised as a dry deciduous forest or Bushveld
Bushveld

The Bushveld is a tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands ecoregion of Southern Africa that encompasses most of Limpopo Province and part of the North West Province of South Africa and extends into western Botswana and southern Zimbabwe....
. Within the Waterberg there are archaeological finds dating to the Stone Age
Stone Age

The Stone Age is a broad prehistory time period during which humans widely used Rock for toolmaking.Stone tools were made from a variety of different kinds of stone....
, and nearby are early evolutionary finds related to the origin of human
Human

A human being, also human or man, is a member of a species of bipedalism primates in the family Hominidae . Mitochondrial DNA evidence indicates that modern humans originated in east Africa about 200,000 years ago....
s.

Municipalities

Limpopo Province is divided into five municipal districts, subdivided in 24 local municipalities:
  • Capricorn District
    Capricorn District Municipality

    Capricorn is one of the 6 Districts of South Africa of Limpopo province of South Africa. The district is named after the Tropic of Capricorn which runs through it....
    • Aganang
    • Blouberg
    • Lepelle Nkumpi
    • Molemole
    • Polokwane
  • Mopani District
    Mopani District Municipality

    Mopani is one of the 6 Districts of South Africa of Limpopo province of South Africa. The seat of Mopani is Giyani. The majority of its 964 195 people speak Tsonga language or Northern Sotho language ....
    • Baphalaborwa
    • Giyani
    • Letaba
    • Tzaneen
      Tzaneen

      Tzaneen is a large town situated in the Mopani district of the Limpopo province in South Africa. It is in a fertile region with tropical and subtropical agriculture taking place in a 20,000 km? region....
  • Sekhukhune District
    Sekhukhune District Municipality

    Greater Sekhukhune is one of the 6 Districts of South Africa of Limpopo province of South Africa. The seat of Sekhukhune is Groblersdal. The majority of its 967 126 people speak Northern Sotho language ....
    • Fetakgomo
    • Grobersdal
    • Makhuduthamaga
      Makhuduthamaga Local Municipality

      Makhuduthamaga is a municipality in Sekhukhune District Municipality, Limpopo Province, South Africa.The name is derived from the liberatory name given to those who supported the anti-apartheid struggle in Sekhukhuneland in the 1950s....
    • Marble Hall
    • Tubatse
  • Vhembe District
    Vhembe District Municipality

    Vhembe is one of the 6 Districts of South Africa of Limpopo province of South Africa. It is the northernmost district of the country and shares its northern border with Beitbridge district in Matabeleland South, Zimbabwe....
    • Makhado
    • Musina
    • Mutale
    • Thulamela
  • Waterberg District
    Waterberg District Municipality

    Waterberg is one of the 6 Districts of South Africa of Limpopo province of South Africa. The seat of Waterberg is Modimolle. The majority of its 614 139 people speak Northern Sotho language ....
    • Belabela
    • Lephalale
    • Modimolle
    • Mogalakwena
    • Naboomspruit
    • Thabazimbi


    See also

    • List of cities and towns in Limpopo
      List of cities and towns in Limpopo

      This is a list of cities and towns in the Limpopo province of South Africa. Since 2003 a number of cities and towns have changed their names....
    • Limpopo River
      Limpopo River

      The Limpopo River rises in central southern Africa, and flows generally eastwards to the Indian Ocean. It is around long, with a drainage basin in size....
    • Zoutpansberg
      Zoutpansberg

      Zoutpansberg was the north-eastern division of the Transvaal, South Africa. This was the district to which Louis Trichardt and Jan van Rensburg, the forerunners of the Great Trek, journeyed in 1835....
       division


    External links

    • homepage