Virginia | |
|---|---|
  Virginia  Virginia | |
| Coordinates:28°6′23″S26°51′44″E / 28.10639°S 26.86222°E /-28.10639; 26.86222 | |
| Country | South Africa |
| Province | Free State |
| District | Lejweleputswa |
| Municipality | Matjhabeng |
| Established | 1950s |
| Government | |
| • Type | Part of a Municipality |
| • Mayor | (ANC) |
| Area | |
• Total | 82.1 km2 (31.7 sq mi) |
| Population (2011)[1] | |
• Total | 66,208 |
| • Density | 806/km2 (2,090/sq mi) |
| Racial makeup (2011) | |
| • Black African | 88.7% |
| • Coloured | 0.7% |
| • Indian/Asian | 0.4% |
| • White | 9.9% |
| • Other | 0.3% |
| First languages (2011) | |
| • Sotho | 65.4% |
| • Xhosa | 13.1% |
| • Afrikaans | 11.0% |
| • English | 2.7% |
| • Other | 7.8% |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (SAST) |
| Postal code (street) | 9430 |
| PO box | 9431 |
| Area code | 057 |
Virginia is agold mining town located in theLejweleputswa District Municipality and on goldfields of theFree State province inSouth Africa about 140 km (90 mi) northeast ofBloemfontein, the provincial capital.
In1890, tworailway surveyors from the state ofVirginia in theUnited States etched the name of their birthplace on a boulder near the farm Merriespruit. When a railway siding was eventually established at this spot, the name was adopted, and it stuck after the discovery of gold in1949 which resulted in a mushrooming settlement on the banks of theSand River. In1988 the Sand River burst its banks and flooded parts of the town. In1994 theMerriespruit tailings dam disaster occurred just outside Virginia, killing seventeen people.[2]
On 5 December 2000, Virginia was incorporated into theMatjhabeng Local Municipality along with the city ofWelkom and the towns ofAllanridge,Hennenman,Odendaalsrus andVentersburg. During theapartheid era, black people lived outside Virginia in the location ofMeloding. The town itself boomed during the gold mining years' golden age and gold mining is still responsible for most of the town's economy.
Virginia is surrounded by some of the largest gold fields in Free State, and its economy is dominated by mining, gold-extraction plants, and the manufacture ofsulfuric acid from gold ore. It is also known for having the deepest pipe-mine into the earth on the planet.[3] Commercial farms in the surrounding area primarily growmaize (corn) and raise livestock. Virginia is located on the main rail line between Bloemfontein andJohannesburg.
In 2019, significant amounts of helium was found in Virginia, which is said to be the site of the world’s richest helium recorded globally.[4][5]The project is South Africa’s first onshore natural gas exploration and helium liquefaction operation and is expected to boost regional economic development, create jobs, and position the area as a key hub in the global helium and LNG markets.[6]
Places adjacent to Virginia, South Africa | |
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Municipalities and communities ofLejweleputswa District Municipality,Free State | ||
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District seat:Welkom | ||
| Masilonyana | .svg) | |
| Tokologo | ||
| Tswelopele | ||
| Matjhabeng | ||
| Nala | ||
| International | |
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| National | |
| Geographic | |
| Other | |
