| Balele Mountains | |
|---|---|
| (Balelesberg / Belelasberg) | |
 Balele Mountains rising behind Utrecht | |
| Highest point | |
| Peak | Vaalkop |
| Elevation | 1,845 m (6,053 ft) |
| Listing | List of mountain ranges of South Africa |
| Coordinates | 27°32′43″S30°08′21″E / 27.5453°S 30.1392°E |
| Geography | |
  Balele Mountains | |
| Country | South Africa |
| Geology | |
| Type of rock | dolerite |
The Balele Mountains (Balelesberg or sometimes Belelasberg in Afrikaans) are a mountain massif largely located in the KwaZulu-Natal province in South Africa.
The Balele Mountains stretch north of the town of Utrecht, which lies at their foot, south-east of Wakkerstroom and Volksrust (in Mpumalanga), and north-east of the Newcastle region. Vaalkop is the highest point. [1]
As on the eastern slopes of the Drakensberg, the dolerite dominates the collapsing cliffs of the Balele Mountains. [2]
Early in the 20th century, the Utrecht Collieries Company began mining coal in the Balele Mountains. In 1906, the governor of Natal decided to build a railway line between Utrecht and Newcastle. The line was inaugurated in 1910 by the then governor Lord Methuen. [3]
KwaZulu-Natal is a province of South Africa that was created in 1994 when the Zulu bantustan of KwaZulu and Natal Province were merged. It is located in the southeast of the country, with a long shoreline on the Indian Ocean and sharing borders with three other provinces and the countries of Mozambique, Eswatini and Lesotho. Its capital is Pietermaritzburg, and its largest city is Durban. It is the second-most populous province in South Africa, with slightly fewer residents than Gauteng.
Ladysmith is a city in the Uthukela District of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It lies 230 kilometres (140 mi) north-west of Durban and 365 kilometres (227 mi) south-east of Johannesburg. Important industries in the area include food processing, textiles, and tyre production. Ladysmith is the seat for both the Alfred Duma Local Municipality and Uthukela District Municipality.
Newcastle is the third-largest city in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa and is the province's industrial centre. The city has four industrial areas. Newcastle is known as the "New City" The majority of its citizens reside in Newcastle East in the main townships of Madadeni and Osizweni, with the balance residing in Newcastle West. Set at the foothills of the northern KwaZulu-Natal Drakensberg Mountains, Newcastle is located in the northwest corner of the province along the Ncandu River.
Utrecht is a town in the foothills of the Balele Mountains, in the northwestern corner of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Newcastle, Kwazulu-Natal's third-largest urban centre, is 50 km from Utrecht. Utrecht has a population of approximately 32,000.
Ermelo is the educational, industrial and commercial town of the 7,750 km2 Gert Sibande District Municipality in Mpumalanga province, Republic of South Africa. It is both a mixed agriculture and mining region. It is located 210 km east of Johannesburg.
Newcastle usually refers to:
uMzinyathi is one of the 11 district municipalities ("districts") of KwaZulu-Natal province in South Africa. The seat of uMzinyathi is Dundee. The majority of its 456 452 people speak IsiZulu. The district code is DC24
Amajuba is one of the 11 districts of KwaZulu-Natal province. The seat of Amajuba is Newcastle. The majority of its 468,040 people speak Zulu. The district code is DC25
The Thabo Mofutsanyana District Municipality is one of the 5 districts of the Free State province of South Africa. The seat is Witsieshoek. As of 2011, a majority of its 725,932 residents spoke Sesotho. The district code is DC19
uThukela is one of the 11 districts of the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa. The seat of uThukela is the city of Ladysmith. The majority of its 668,848 people speak IsiZulu. The district code is DC23.
The Colony of Natal was a British colony in south-eastern Africa. It was proclaimed a British colony on 4 May 1843 after the British government had annexed the Boer Republic of Natalia, and on 31 May 1910 combined with three other colonies to form the Union of South Africa, as one of its provinces. It is now the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa.
KwaZulu-Natal Inland are a South African first-class cricket team who are based in Pietermaritzburg. They form part of the Dolphins franchise and are one of five South African associate teams. Their home games are played at Pietermaritzburg Oval.
The Natal Government Railways (NGR) was formed in January 1877 in the Colony of Natal.
Newcastle Local Municipality is an administrative area in the Amajuba District of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa.
eMadlangeni Local Municipality, previously known as Utrecht Local Municipality, is an administrative area in the Amajuba District of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa.
Dannhauser Local Municipality is an administrative area in the Amajuba District of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. The municipality is named after Renier Dannhauser, a German settler who in 1872 purchased four farms in the area from the then owner, the Natal government.
Madadeni is a town in Newcastle, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, which falls under Amajuba District Municipality. On the outskirts of Newcastle, Madadeni is situated 16 kilometers (9.9 mi) from Newcastle CBD. As of the 2011 census Madadeni has population of 119,497 citizens.
Ngagane is a town in Amajuba District Municipality in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa.
In South Africa, as elsewhere in the world, the railways played a huge part in development and growth on nearly all terrains in the country. Conversely, events in South Africa and its neighbours over the years had a huge influence on the development of railways.
Team Sugar is a South African political party chiefly present in northern KwaZulu-Natal. It broke away from the Economic Freedom Fighters and was initially active as a labour and social movement focusing on factory worker rights.
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