Calvinia

Calvinia
Kalvienieha in Afrikaans orthography
Top left: Hantam House Complex, right: Dutch Reformed Church, bottom left: Dorpshuis, right: Street in Calvinia
Calvinia is located in Northern Cape
Calvinia
Calvinia
Calvinia is located in South Africa
Calvinia
Calvinia
Coordinates: 31°28′30″S 19°46′22″E / 31.47500°S 19.77278°E / -31.47500; 19.77278
CountrySouth Africa
ProvinceNorthern Cape
DistrictNamakwa
MunicipalityHantam
Established1851[1]
Named forJean Calvin
Area
 • Total132.61 km2 (51.20 sq mi)
Population
 (2011)[2]
 • Total2,855
 • Density22/km2 (56/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2011)
 • Coloured52.1%
 • White39.6%
 • Black African5.2%
 • Indian/Asian1.2%
 • Other1.9%
First languages (2011)
 • Afrikaans95.3%
 • English2.4%
 • Other2.3%
Time zoneUTC+2 (SAST)
Postal code (street)
8190
PO box
8190
Area code027

Calvinia is a regional town in the Northern Cape province of South Africa named after the French religious reformer Jean Calvin. The town falls under the Hantam Local Municipality which forms part of the Namakwa District Municipality. The Calvinia district is part of the Great Karoo region of South Africa. The town is just south of the Hantam mountains on the banks of the Oorlogskloof (meaning "War Ravine") River.

Calvinia enjoys 80% starlight and is renowned for its kaleidoscope of spring wildflowers coinciding with the Namaqualand wildflower spectacle.

An asteroid (1245 Calvinia) is named after the town.

  1. ^ Robson, Linda Gillian (2011). "Annexure A" (PDF). The Royal Engineers and settlement planning in the Cape Colony 1806–1872: Approach, methodology and impact (PhD thesis). University of Pretoria. pp. xlv–lii. hdl:2263/26503.
  2. ^ a b c d "Sub-Place Calvinia". Census 2011.