Ghanzi

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right|225px|A view of Gantsi High Street, Botswana [">cite web
url=http://www.bridgesofhope.net
title=Image taken from www.bridgesofhope.net
accessdate = 2008-06-09]

Capital of the Kalahari

Ghanzi is a town located in western part of The Republic of Botswana in southern Africa. It is the administrative center of Ghanzi District, and is known as the "Capital of the Kalahari". Ghanzi District measures 117,910 sq. km. and is bordered by Ngamiland to the North, Central District to the East, and Kgalagadi and Kweneg Districts to the South. Its western border is shared with Namibia.

Other Spellings

Other spellings of Ghanzi include "Gantsi," which is more consistent with the national language of Botswana, Setswana, "Ghansi," and "Ghantsi." It has also been purported that the various renderings of Ghanzi actually stem from the Naro language word "Gaentsii", meaning "swollen buttocks" referring the good health of antelope and, later, cattle which congregated around a pan in the area.

History

The first Afrikaner to settle in Ghanzi was Hendrik van Zyl, who set up a small hunting and trading enterprise in the area around 1870. However, the first substantial Boer migration into Ghanzi began around 1897-1898.

Geology & Climate

The district’s land surface mainly consists of gently undulating sandveld which lies between 1,100 and 1,230 meters above sea level. The Kalahari is the largest continuous stretch of sand in the world, covering some 2,500 sq. km. Karoo sediments, covered by younger basaltic lavas, underlie most of the Kalahari sands and about half of the country of Botswana. The sands of the Kalahari vary in depth from 5m to 200m.

The climate is semi-arid of the low-altitude, high-steppe variety with summer rainfall. Mean maximum daily temperatures are 30-33°C in January and around 22°C in July; mean minimum temperatures are 4-5°C in the winter months. The long-term mean annual rainfall is around 375mm although this can vary by up to 50% year by year. Generally speaking, both the climate and the soils are unfavorable for arable farming. Small cultivation is spread over the district but is limited to subsistence crops of maize, sorghum, beans, peas, and melons.

Commercial Developments

Ghanzi has only one bank, Barclays Bank, which is a sub branch. The First National Bank has plans to open another sub branch in the town, but when it will open is still unknown. Ghanzi now has three shopping centres, namely Ghanzi Spar, Score and the recently opened Choppies, another great retailer in Botswana.

Tourism & Events

An annual farm show in August attracts many people from all over southern Africa. It is also a great time where all the people in Ghanzi come together and celebrate. Actions are also held at the premisis and BDF usually comes to show their weapondry and stuff. Ghanzi is also a stop over point for travelers wishing to visit the Okavango Delta; there are many lodges in the area and one filling station, namely Shell. It is the only available fill-up point between Kang and Maun, which is a span of about 500 km, if you are travelling to the Okavango Delta.

Agriculture

Ghanzi is primarily a farming community that supplies the Botswana Meat Commission with most of the required beef produce. The town is growing, as many South-African farmers are coming to farm here.

Timeline

* 1989: Telephone service installed in Ghanzi using solar powered towers
* 1990: Education center opened for teacher and government workers ongoing education
* 1993: First private school (Pioneer Academy) to open
* 1995: Senior secondary school opened in Ghanzi
* 1999: Paved road completed linking Ghanzi with Gaborone, the national capital
* 2000: Major flooding of Ghanzi and surrounding areas
* 2001: True Love Waits, an interdenominational abstinence education and support program, launched
* 2006: Broadband services are tested and introduced by GFS (Ghanzi Farmer Supplies) in conjunction with Winagain Holdings [http://winagain.co.za]
* 2008: New Shopping Complex opened in february 2008 with Super Store like Choppies and other shops like Pep,Jb sports with another branch of Cosmos( Specialised with electronic,household,mobile,cosmetic).

For More Information

Please look at Botswana's national website for more info: [http://www.gov.bw]

References