Krugersdorp

Krugersdorp kro͞o´gərzdôrp [key], city, part and seat of Mogale City local municipality, Gauteng prov., NE South Africa. The chief industrial city of the W Witwatersrand , Krugersdorp is the center for a region where gold, manganese, asbestos, lime, and uranium are mined. The city has uranium extraction plants. It also serves as the trade center for the surrounding farming area.

Founded in 1887, it was named for Paul Kruger , president of the Transvaal republic. The Paardekraal monument marks the spot where in 1880 Boers (Afrikaners) pledged themselves to end British rule in the Transvaal. Nearby are the Sterkfontein Caves (an important archaeological site), Kromdraai Paleontological Reserve, and Krugersdorp Game Reserve. The city has a technical college.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2012, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

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