Boskop Dam Nature Reserve

General information

About The North West Province

North West was created after the end of Apartheid in 1994, and includes parts of the former Transvaal Province and Cape Province, as well as most of the former Bantustan of Bophuthatswana. It was the scene of political violence in Khutsong, Merafong City Local Municipality in 2006 and 2007, after cross-province municipalities were abolished and Merafong Municipality was transferred entirely to North West. Merafong has since been transferred to Gauteng province in 2009.
Law and Government
The provincial government consists of a premier, an executive council of ten ministers, and a legislature. The provincial assembly and premier are elected for five-year terms, or until the next national election. Political parties are awarded assembly seats based on the percentage of votes each party receives in the province during the national elections. The assembly elects a premier, who then appoints the members of the executive council.
The premier of North West Province as of 2011 is Thandi Modise[3] of the African National Congress. In 2010 she replaced Maureen Modiselle who had only served one year before being removed from office.
Geography
Much of the province consists of flat areas of scattered trees and grassland. The Magaliesberg mountain range in the northeast extends about 130 km (about 80 miles) from Pretoria to Rustenburg. The Vaal River flows along the southern border of the province.
Climate
Temperatures range from 17° to 31 °C (62° to 88 °F) in the summer and from 3° to 21 °C (37° to 70 °F) in the winter. Annual rainfall totals about 360 mm (about 14 in), with almost all of it falling during the summer months, between October and April.
Borders
North West borders the following districts of Botswana:
• Kgatleng – far northeast
• South-East – northeast
• Southern – north
• Kgalagadi – northwest
Domestically, it borders the following provinces:
• Limpopo – northeast
• Gauteng – east
• Free State – southeast
• Northern Cape – southwest
North West Province is traversed by the northwesterly line of equal latitude and longitude.
Municipalities
The North West province has 4 district municipalities and 20 local municipalities, listed below.
• Bojanala Platinum District
o Moretele
o Madibeng
o Rustenburg
o Kgetlengrivier
o Moses Kotane
• Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati District
o Naledi
o Mamusa
o Greater Taung
o Kagisano-Molopo
o Lekwa-Teemane
• Ngaka Modiri Molema District
o Ratlou
o Tswaing
o Mafikeng Local Municipality
o Ditsobotla
o Ramotshere
• Dr Kenneth Kaunda District
o Ventersdorp
o Tlokwe
o Matlosana
o Maquassi Hills

Cities and towns
Population 50,000+
• Klerksdorp
• Orkney
• Brits
• Potchefstroom
• Rustenburg
• Stilfontein
• Mahikeng
• Schweizer-Reneke
• Lichtenburg

Population 10,000+
• Vryburg
• Wolmaransstad
• Pampierstad
• Coligny
• Zeerust
• Christiana
• Ventersdorp
• Letsopa
• Koster
• Mogwase

Population < 10,000
• Mmakau
• Mothibistad
• Reivilo

Economy
The mainstay of the economy of North West Province is mining, which generates more than half of the province's gross domestic product and provides jobs for a quarter of its workforce. The chief minerals are gold, mined at Orkney and Klerksdorp; uranium, mined at Klerksdorp; platinum, mined at Rustenburg and Brits; and diamonds, mined at Lichtenburg, Christiana, and Bloemhof. The northern and western parts of the province have many sheep farms and cattle and game ranches. The eastern and southern parts are crop-growing regions that produce maize (corn), sunflowers, tobacco, cotton, and citrus fruits. The entertainment and casino complex at Sun City and Lost City also contributes to the provincial economy.