Oranjemund

History

The entire area along the shore of the Atlantic Ocean was proclaimed restricted (the Sperrgebiet) in 1908 due to the occurrence of alluvial diamonds. Since then, the public has been forbidden entry into the area. In 1927 diamonds were found south of the Orange River in South Africa. Hans Merensky and other prospectors assumed that the shoreline north of the Orange river mouth in Namibian territory would also have diamonds. A year later they conducted an expedition from Lüderitz south to the mouth of the Orange River, where they found rich deposits on the north side of the river and the adjacent coastline and established a tented camp from which Oranjemund developed. Due to the Great Depression, diamond mining was not undertaken until 1935; a year later, workers' houses were erected. Production of mainly gem-quality diamonds has remained at approximately per year, mainly through improvements in technology. Oranjemund was proclaimed a town in 2011. Until 2017 the town was run by Namdeb (formerly Consolidated Diamond Mines), now a subsidiary of De Beers. Access to, and settlement in Oranjemund was restricted to employees and their relatives. The infrastructure is superior to that of other towns in Namibia's South, due to it not being dependent on cost recovery from its inhabitants. In the second half of the 20th century, Oranjemund featured a large recreational complex with swimming pool, cinema, restaurants and bars. Water is still provided free of charge, and until 2016, so was electricity.

Geography

Oranjemund has a desert climate (BWk, according to the Köppen climate classification), with pleasant temperatures throughout the year. The average annual precipitation is .

Most-observed species

• Pied Crow

  Corvus albus Statius Muller, 1776 · Aves
  67
• Kelp Gull

  Larus dominicanus M.H.K.Lichtenstein, 1823 · Aves
  58
• Cape Wagtail

  Motacilla capensis Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  53
• Hartlaub's Gull

  Chroicocephalus hartlaubii (Bruch, 1855) · Aves
  50
• South African Shelduck

  Tadorna cana (J.F.Gmelin, 1789) · Aves
  47
• Lesser Flamingo

  Phoeniconaias minor (É.Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1798) · Aves
  44
• Gray/Purple Heron

  Ardea cinerea Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  42
• Little Egret/Western Reef-Heron

  Egretta garzetta (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  40