Bitterfontein | |
---|---|
Coordinates: 31°02′10″S 18°15′58″E / 31.03611°S 18.26611°E | |
Country | South Africa |
Province | Western Cape |
District | West Coast |
Municipality | Matzikama |
Area | |
• Total | 39.90 km2 (15.41 sq mi) |
Elevation | 355 m (1,165 ft) |
Population (2011)[1] | |
• Total | 986 |
• Density | 25/km2 (64/sq mi) |
Racial makeup (2011) | |
• Black African | 3.5% |
• Coloured | 91.2% |
• Indian/Asian | 0.4% |
• White | 4.7% |
• Other | 0.2% |
First languages (2011) | |
• Afrikaans | 97.4% |
• Xhosa | 1.3% |
• Other | 1.2% |
Time zone | UTC+2 (SAST) |
Postal code (street) | 8200 |
PO box | 8200 |
Area code | 027 |
Bitterfontein is a village in the Knersvlakte, the northernmost area of the Western Cape province of South Africa, 320 kilometres (200 mi) north of Cape Town. It is the railhead of a line from Cape Town; ore from the copper mines at Okiep is transferred there from road transport to the railway. It is also located on the N7 (Cape Town–Namibia) national road; the distance from Cape Town is 386 kilometres (240 mi) by road and 465 kilometres (289 mi) by rail.[2]
Bitterfontein is located in the Matzikama Local Municipality, which is part of the West Coast District Municipality. According to the 2001 Census, it had a population of 906 in an area of 1.77 square kilometres (0.68 sq mi).[3] It is served by a police station,[4] a primary school,[5] a library,[6] and a satellite health clinic.[7]