| Pilanesberg | |
|---|---|
 NASA picture of Pilanesberg with Vaalkop Dam on the right side | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 1,687 m (5,535 ft)[1] |
| Listing | List of mountains in South Africa |
| Coordinates | 25°14′25″S 27°4′33″E / 25.24028°S 27.07583°E |
| Geography | |
  Pilanesberg Location in South Africa | |
| Location | North West Province |
| Parent range | Witwatersrand |
| Geology | |
| Rock age | Proterozoic |
| Mountain type | Extinct volcano |
The Pilanesberg (formerly Pilandsberg[2][3]) is a mountain in the North West Province, South Africa. The mountain is an ancient volcanic structure, circular in shape, that rises from flat surrounding plains. It is formed by three concentric ridges or rings of hills, of which the outermost has a diameter of about 24 km. The Pilanesberg is located 100 km to the North-West of Pretoria and is for the greater part enclosed in a protected area known as Pilanesberg National Park.
The Elands River flows South of the Pilanesberg in an Easterly direction. There are a number of platinum mines right at the perimeter of the crater formation.
The name "Pilanes" comes from a historic Tswana chief named Pilane.[4]
- ^ Impati
- ^ Humphrey, W.A. (1914). The Geology of the Pilandsberg and the Surrounding Country: An Explanation of Sheet 12 (Pilandsberg). Pretoria: Geological Survey, Department of Mines. p. 32.
- ^ Kynaston, H., Humphrey, W.A. (1920). The Geology of the Northern Portions of the Districts of Marico and Rustenburg. Pretoria: Geological Survey, Department of Mines and Industries.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Raper, R.E. Dictionary of Southern African Place Names. Human Sciences Research Council (South Africa).