Mier | |
|---|---|
 Seal | |
.svg) Location in the Northern Cape | |
| Coordinates: 26°20′S 20°20′E / 26.333°S 20.333°E | |
| Country | South Africa |
| Province | Northern Cape |
| District | ZF Mgcawu |
| Seat | Rietfontein |
| Wards | 4 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Municipal council |
| • Mayor | Sophia Kethrina Coetzee |
| Area | |
| • Total | 22,468 km2 (8,675 sq mi) |
| Population (2011)[2] | |
| • Total | 7,003 |
| • Density | 0.31/km2 (0.81/sq mi) |
| Racial makeup (2011) | |
| • Black African | 4.0% |
| • Coloured | 90.4% |
| • Indian/Asian | 0.6% |
| • White | 4.4% |
| First languages (2011) | |
| • Afrikaans | 97.0% |
| • Other | 3% |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (SAST) |
| Municipal code | NC081 |
Mier was a local municipality within the ZF Mgcawu District Municipality in the Northern Cape province of South Africa. Its area includes the South African portion of one of the world's largest conservation areas, the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. The main settlement in the municipality is the town of Rietfontein.
According to the 2011 census Mier has a population of 7,003, which is the smallest of any municipality in South Africa. It is also the most sparsely populated municipality in the country, covering a land area of 22,468 square kilometres (8,675 sq mi) with a population density of 0.31 inhabitants per square kilometre (0.80/sq mi). Mier is the municipality in South Africa with the highest percentage of Afrikaans speakers at 97.1%.
The name Mier is an Afrikaans word that originates from the word "mere" which means "lakes". When German missionaries visited the area a long time ago, they found the pans in the area full of water. They called them "mere". As language changed, the people later pronounced it as "mier".[3]
After municipal elections on 3 August 2016 it was merged with the //Khara Hais Local Municipality to form the Dawid Kruiper Local Municipality.
- ^ "Contact list: Executive Mayors". Government Communication & Information System. Archived from the original on 14 July 2010. Retrieved 22 February 2012.
- ^ a b c "Statistics by place". Statistics South Africa. Retrieved 27 September 2015.
- ^ South African Languages - Place names