Limpopo is one of the nine provinces of
South Africa.
Area: 123,910 Km2 (10.2% of South Africa)
Population at 2001 census: 5,273,637 (11.8% of South Africa)
Population density: 42.56 people per Km2.
Proportion of national GDP (2001): 6.1% The Limpopo province has the second-lowest contribution to South Africa's GDP
Per capita GDP (2001): R6 869 This is the lowest in the country
Capital: Polokwane (formerly known as Pietersburg)
Languages: Sepedi (52%), Xitsonga (22%), Tshivenda (15%), Afrikaans
Borders with provinces: North-west province, Gauteng, Mpumalanga
Borders with countries: Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique.
Before 1994 the Limpopo province was part of the Transvaal.
Limpopo is one of the five landlocked provinces.
The Limpopo province has gone through the most name changes. At the 1994 split it was called "Northern Transvaal". In 1995 this was changed to "Northern Province" and in 2002 the name changes of the province to "Limpopo" and the Capital to "Polokwane" were announced. These were approved in 2003.
Just south of the Limpopo river that forms a border with Zimbabwe, the Limpopo province is the northernmost of South Africa. The Limpopo province is the poorest in the country. Much of the population is rural, and subsistence farming is practiced by many. Work continues to alleviate poverty.
The Great North Road travels through this province to Beit bridge, the main border crossing into Zimbabwe.
Mining is the main money-earner, with copper, asbestos, iron ore, gold, chrome, vanadium, diamonds and phosphates being unearthed. Farming of vegetables, fruit, cattle, tea and and coffee are also important cash crops. Important towns are Polokwane and Potgietersrus. Tzaneen (farming), Phalaborwa and Thabazimbi (mining).
Most of the Kruger National park is in the east of the Limpopo province - the southern part spills into Mpumalanga. The park is important for tourism. This is the archetypal African summer-rainfall bushveldt Savanna, dotted with baobab trees, with the big five African animals roaming. There are other smaller game parks and resorts, some in the Soutpansberg and Waterberg mountains, and the Olifants river valley.
The nine provinces of South Africa are Western Cape, Eastern Cape, Northern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Free State, Gauteng, North-West Province, Mpumalanga, Limpopo
Sources:
http://www.saweb.co.za/provs.html
http://www.statoids.com/uza.html
http://www.southafrica-newyork.net/consulate/provinces.htm
http://www.sairr.org.za/members/pub/ff/200309/provinces
http://www.limpopo.gov.za/