File:Grahamstown_from_the_Fort.JPG · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons
Key facts
- Country
- South Africa
- Province
- Eastern Cape
- District
- Sarah Baartman
- Municipality
- Makana
- Total
- 65.1 km (25.1 sq mi)
- Elevation
- 580 m (1,900 ft)
- Density
- 1,030/km (2,680/sq mi)
- Black african
- 78.9%
- Coloured
- 11.3%
- White
- 8.4%
- Indian asian
- 0.7%
- Other
- 0.6%
- Xhosa
- 72.2%
- Afrikaans
- 13.7%
- English
- 10.8%
- Time zone
- UTC+2 ( SAST )
- Area code
- 046
via Wikipedia infobox
Wikidata facts
- Official name
- makhanda
- Elevation
- 580
- Official website
- www.grahamstown.co.za
- Image
- Grahamstown from the Fort.JPG
- Dialing code
- 046
Show 3 more facts
- Commons category
- Makhanda
- inception
- 1820-01-01
- postal code
- 6140
Sources (3)
via Wikidata · CC0
~18 min read
Article
Makhanda, also known as Grahamstown, is a town of about 75,000 people in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. It is situated about 125 kilometres (80 mi) northeast of Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth) and 160 kilometres (100 mi) southwest of East London. It is the largest town in the Makana Local Municipality, and the seat of the municipal council. It also hosts Rhodes University, the Eastern Cape Division of the High Court, the South African Library for the Blind (SALB), a diocese of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa, and 6 South African Infantry Battalion. Furthermore, located approximately 3 km south-east of the town lies Waterloo Farm, the only estuarine fossil site in the world from 360 million years ago with exceptional soft-tissue preservation.
The town's official name-change from Grahamstown to Makhanda was officially on 29 June 2018. The new name of Makhanda was chosen in memory of Xhosa warrior and prophet Makhanda ka Nxele.
Gallery (12)
On the map
9 mapped locations