Middlepits

Last updated
Botswana location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Location of Middlepits

Middlepits is a village in Kgalagadi District of Botswana. It borders South Africa and has an immigration border post.

Kgalagadi District District in Botswana

Kgalagadi is a district in southwest Botswana, lying along the country's border with Namibia and South Africa. The administrative center is Tsabong. The district of Kgalagadi covers a large part of the Kalahari Desert. It has a total area of 105,200 km² and has a population of 42,000 (2001). More than one-third of the district is covered by the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, which extends into South Africa, and which is a major tourist attraction.

Botswana republic in southern Africa

Botswana, officially the Republic of Botswana, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. Formerly the British protectorate of Bechuanaland, Botswana adopted its new name after becoming independent within the Commonwealth on 30 September 1966. Since then, it has been a representative republic, with a consistent record of uninterrupted democratic elections and the best perceived corruption ranking in Africa since at least 1998. It is currently Africa's oldest continuous democracy.

South Africa Republic in the southernmost part of Africa

South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by 2,798 kilometres (1,739 mi) of coastline of Southern Africa stretching along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countries of Namibia, Botswana, and Zimbabwe; and to the east and northeast by Mozambique and Eswatini (Swaziland); and it surrounds the enclaved country of Lesotho. South Africa is the largest country in Southern Africa and the 25th-largest country in the world by land area and, with over 57 million people, is the world's 24th-most populous nation. It is the southernmost country on the mainland of the Old World or the Eastern Hemisphere. About 80 percent of South Africans are of Sub-Saharan African ancestry, divided among a variety of ethnic groups speaking different African languages, nine of which have official status. The remaining population consists of Africa's largest communities of European (White), Asian (Indian), and multiracial (Coloured) ancestry.

Contents

History

Geography

Middlepits is located in the Kgalagadi desert. The land is flat and sandy and large calcium stones are found underneath the sand. As wind erosion persists these stones are becoming more visible. They often interfere with projects such as pit latrine construction. The climate in Middlepits tends to be very dry, even during the wet season, which makes growing food crops quite difficult.

Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park Transfrontier conservation area in Botswana and South Africa

Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park is a large wildlife preserve and conservation area in southern Africa. The park straddles the border between South Africa and Botswana and comprises two adjoining national parks:

Calcium Chemical element with atomic number 20

Calcium is a chemical element with symbol Ca and atomic number 20. As an alkaline earth metal, calcium is a reactive metal that forms a dark oxide-nitride layer when exposed to air. Its physical and chemical properties are most similar to its heavier homologues strontium and barium. It is the fifth most abundant element in Earth's crust and the third most abundant metal, after iron and aluminium. The most common calcium compound on Earth is calcium carbonate, found in limestone and the fossilised remnants of early sea life; gypsum, anhydrite, fluorite, and apatite are also sources of calcium. The name derives from Latin calx "lime", which was obtained from heating limestone.

Wards

Middlepits is divided into three wards.

Culture

The majority of people in Middlepits speak Setswana. Afrikaans is also spoken as a first language by some. English is commonly understood as well.

Tswana language Bantu language

The Tswana language or Setswana is spoken in Southern Africa by about five million people. It is a Bantu language belonging to the Niger–Congo language family within the Sotho-Tswana branch of Zone S (S.30), and is closely related to the Northern and Southern Sotho languages, as well as the Kgalagadi language and the Lozi language.

Afrikaans West Germanic language, spoken in South Africa and Namibia

Afrikaans is a West Germanic language spoken in South Africa, Namibia and, to a lesser extent, Botswana and Zimbabwe. It evolved from the Dutch vernacular of South Holland spoken by the mainly Dutch settlers of what is now South Africa, where it gradually began to develop distinguishing characteristics in the course of the 18th century. Hence, it is a daughter language of Dutch, and was previously referred to as "Cape Dutch" or "kitchen Dutch". However, it is also variously described as a creole or as a partially creolised language. The term is ultimately derived from Dutch Afrikaans-Hollands meaning "African Dutch".

English language West Germanic language

English is a West Germanic language that was first spoken in early medieval England and eventually became a global lingua franca. It is named after the Angles, one of the Germanic tribes that migrated to the area of Great Britain that later took their name, as England. Both names derive from Anglia, a peninsula in the Baltic Sea. The language is closely related to Frisian and Low Saxon, and its vocabulary has been significantly influenced by other Germanic languages, particularly Norse, and to a greater extent by Latin and French.

Economy

There are several businesses located in Middlepits. There are two bars, two general dealers, a bakery and multiple tuck shops. Many of the people living in Middlepits, however, are unemployed.

Education

Middlepits has two schools. Middlepits Primary School teaches children from standard one to seven. Kgolagano Community Junior Secondary School teaches from forms one to three. Up to seventy percent of the students at Kgolagano CJSS school are boarders. Many of the boarding students come from the Boravast area (Bokspits and surrounding villages). Students who are accepted to senior secondary school typically go to Matsha in Kang to continue their education.

Student learner, or someone who attends an educational institution

A student is primarily a person enrolled in a school or other educational institution who attends classes in a course to attain the appropriate level of mastery of a subject under the guidance of an instructor and who devotes time outside class to do whatever activities the instructor assigns that are necessary either for class preparation or to submit evidence of progress towards that mastery. In the broader sense, a student is anyone who applies themselves to the intensive intellectual engagement with some matter necessary to master it as part of some practical affair in which such mastery is basic or decisive.

Bokspits village in Botswana

Bokspits is a village in Kgalagadi District of Botswana. It is the southernmost village in Botswana and is located close to the border with South Africa next to the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. Bokspits has a creche, primary school, clinic, police station, post office, government offices, churches, airstrip and various shops. There is a number of football teams for example the most famous one Bokspits United FC. Bokspits has experienced a great deal of growth and development e.g. tarred roads and communication networks. The population counted 507 in the 2011 census.

Kang, Botswana village in Kgalagadi District of Botswana

Kang is a village in Kgalagadi District of Botswana. It is situated in the Kalahari Desert and lies on the Trans-Kalahari Highway between Ghanzi in the north and Sekoma in the south. Kang also provides access to the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park in the south-west and the Central Kalahari Game Reserve in the north-east. The route via Ghanzi takes one to the Namibian border, whilst that to Sekoma leads to Gaborone, the capital of Botswana. The population was 5,985 according to the 2011 census. Kang also falls under the Kgalagadi North constituency whose Member of Parliament is Hon. Phillip Khwae. The village is divided into two wards, Kang North and Kang South.

Demographics

The population was 1,121 in the 2011 census. [1]

Transportation

Transportation in and around Middlepits can be difficult. There is a bus that travels from Gachibana to Tshabong and back twice a day. There is also a bus that goes from Bokspits to Tshabong and back although it does not run consistently. Many people rely on hitchhiking to get to and from Tshabong. There are no taxis or combis in Middlepits.

Bus large road vehicle for transporting people

A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry many passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-deck rigid bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are used for longer-distance services. Many types of buses, such as city transit buses and inter-city coaches, charge a fare. Other types, such as elementary or secondary school buses or shuttle buses within a post-secondary education campus do not charge a fare. In many jurisdictions, bus drivers require a special licence above and beyond a regular driver's licence.

Recreation

There are two football grounds in Middlepits and basketball and tennis courts on the police compound. There is an aerobics club which meets weekly.

Public Services

There is a health clinic located in Middplepits and in addition to serving this village, it also overlooks the health posts of five neighboring villages (Khuis, Khawa, Kolokwaneng, Bogogobo, and Gachibana). The clinic distributes ARVs once a week. There is also a social and community development office. The post office has an internet café which can be used for a small hourly fee. There is a small library trailer in Middlepits.

Related Research Articles

Hukuntsi Place in Kgalagadi District, Botswana

Hukuntsi is a village in Kgalagadi District (Kalahari) in Botswana.

Southern District (Botswana) District in Botswana

Southern is one of the districts of Botswana. The capital of Southern district is Kanye, home to the Bangwaketse, one of the largest growing villages in Botswana. The Southern district, is home to Botswana’s second largest beef farmers where there are large privately owned ranges, and several government run beef ranges which provide agricultural support to the local farmers. Maize and sorghum, Botswana’s staple crop, are also raised in the area. Southern district is where the third diamond mine of Botswana was found, which buoys Botswana’s economic state of prosperity. It was the first district to house the capital city before being moved to Gaborone after independence.

Charles Hill, Botswana village in Ghanzi District of Botswana

Charles Hill is a village in Ghanzi District of Botswana. It is located close to the Namibian border. Charles Hill is the second-largest village in Ghanzi District, with a population of 3,591 in 2011 census.

New Xade village in Botswana

New Xade is a village located in the central part of the Ghanzi District of Botswana. The population was 930 in 2001 census.

Rapples Pan village in Botswana

Rapples Pan is a village in Kgalagadi District of Botswana. It is located at the south-western tip of Botswana, close to the South African border. It has a primary school, and the population was recorded as 283 by the 2011 census.

Khuis village in Botswana

Khuis is a village in Kgalagadi District of Botswana. It is located close to the border with South Africa. Khuis has a primary school, and the population was 897 in 2011 census.

Khisa village in Botswana

Khisa or Kisa is a village in Kgalagadi District of Botswana. It is located close to the border with South Africa, north-east of the district capital Tshabong. The population was 383 in 2011 census.

Kolonkwane village in Botswana

Kolonkwane is a village in Kgalagadi District of Botswana. It is located close to the border with South Africa and it has a primary school. The population was 599 in 2011 census.

Bogogobo village in Botswana

Bogogobo is a village in Kgalagadi District of Botswana. It is located close to the border with South Africa and has a primary school. The population was 360 in 2011 census.

Struizendam village in Botswana

Struizendam is a village in Kgalagadi District of Botswana. It is located at the southern tip of Botswana, close to the border with South Africa, and it has a primary school. The population was 519 in 2011 census.

Bray, Botswana village in Botswana

Bray is a village in Kgalagadi District of Botswana. It is located in the eastern part of the district, on the border with South Africa opposite a village of the same name in that country. The population was 1,041 in the 2011 census. It has a primary school.

Khawa, Botswana village in Botswana

Khawa is a village in Kgalagadi District of Botswana. It is located in the southern part of the district and has a primary school. It has a Christian church and a primitive clinic. The annual Khawa desert challenge is held here. The people speak Setswana as well as Afrikaans, English is understood. The vegetation in and around the village is highly overgrazed and it may seem like a desert inside the village although it is located in a grassland area. All the roads in and around the village are dirtroads. The population was 817 in 2011 census.

Maralaleng village in Botswana

Maralaleng is a village in Kgalagadi District of Botswana. It is located east of the district capital Tshabong and has a primary school. The climate in Maraleng is considered to be a desert climate. The population is 586 according to a 2011 census.

Maleshe village in Botswana

Maleshe is a village in Kgalagadi District of Botswana. It is located close the capital of the district, Tshabong, and it has a primary school. The population was 462 in 2011 census.

Maubelo village in Botswana

Maubelo is a village in Kgalagadi District of Botswana. It is located south of the district capital Tshabong and has a primary school. The population was 514 in 2011 census.

Tshane village in Botswana

Tshane is a village in Kgalagadi District of Botswana. It is situated in Kalahari Desert, and is served by local Tshane Airport. The village has a primary school and the population was 1020 in 2011 census. It has a !Xóõ cultural centre.

Letlhakeng city in Kweneng District, Botswana

Letlhakeng or Lethakeng is an urban village in Kweneng District of Botswana. The village is located 75 km north-west of Molepolole. The population of Letlhakeng was 6,032 in the 2001 census.

References

  1. ↑ "2011 Botswana Population and Housing Census" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-09-23. Retrieved 2013-09-11.

Coordinates: 26°39′45″S21°53′17″E / 26.66250°S 21.88806°E / -26.66250; 21.88806

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.