Wilderness, South Africa

Wilderness
Wildernis
The town of Wilderness from the Kaaiman's River Pass incline
The town of Wilderness from the Kaaiman's River Pass incline
Wilderness is located in Western Cape
Wilderness
Wilderness
Wilderness is located in South Africa
Wilderness
Wilderness
Coordinates: 33°59′S 22°35′E / 33.983°S 22.583°E / -33.983; 22.583
CountrySouth Africa
ProvinceWestern Cape
DistrictGarden Route
MunicipalityGeorge
Area
 • Total
36.97 km2 (14.27 sq mi)
Population
 (2011)[1]
 • Total
6,164
 • Density170/km2 (430/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2011)
 • Black African12.0%
 • Coloured47.2%
 • Indian/Asian0.6%
 • White38.5%
 • Other1.8%
First languages (2011)
 • Afrikaans68.5%
 • English23.7%
 • Xhosa4.9%
 • Other2.9%
Time zoneUTC+2 (SAST)
Postal code (street)
6560
PO box
6560

Wilderness is a seaside town on the Garden Route of the southern Cape in South Africa. It is situated a short distance to the east from the city of George, on the N2 down the Kaaiman's River Pass.

The area around Wilderness has yielded significant palaeoclimatological data on the prehistoric climate of South Africa. Sediment core data from the nearby coastal lake Eilandvlei indicate higher aridity relative to the present day during the intervals spanning ~8,900-7,900 years BP and ~6,400-3,000 years BP, whereas the interval from 7,900 to 6,400 years BP was relatively moist and similar to the present day. Wilderness is known for being the death place of former South African Prime Minister P.W. Botha.[2]

  1. ^ a b c d "Main Place Wilderness". Census 2011.
  2. ^ Wündsch, Michael; Habertzettl, Torsten; Cawthra, Hayley C.; Kirsten, Kelly L.; Quick, Lynne J.; Zabel, Matthias; Frenzel, Peter; Hahn, Annette; Baade, Jussi; Daut, Gerhard; Kasper, Thomas; Meadows, Michael E.; Mäusbacher, Roland (April 2018). "Holocene environmental change along the southern Cape coast of South Africa – Insights from the Eilandvlei sediment record spanning the last 8.9 kyr". Global and Planetary Change. 163: 51–66. doi:10.1016/j.gloplacha.2018.02.002. Retrieved 7 November 2022.