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Location |
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Middelburg is situated in the province of Mpumalanga in South Africa. The town is situated conveniently close to one of the main routes to the Kruger National Park. |
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History |
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Middelburg was established as Nasareth, (root from dry land), in 1864 by the Voortrekkers on the banks of the Klein Olifants River. The name was changed in 1872 to Middelburg to mark its situation midway between the Transvaal capital Pretoria and the gold mining town of Lydenburg. A Dutch Reformed Church was built in 1890 and became a focal point in the area. The British built a large concentration camp in Middelburg during the Second Boer War. The Memorial Museum was built at the site next to the 1,381 graves of women and children who died here. |
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Attractions |
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Middelburg has a small but growing tourism industry. Some land marks and notable features in or around the town include the Middelburg Dam, site of the annual Middelburg Mile swimming event, the Botshabelo mission station museum and associated [Ndebele] tourist village, several hiking trails and the Dutch Reformed church in the town center. A well maintained country club provides facilities for tennis, bowls, a golf course and swimming pools, as well as a bar, hotel and dining room. Furthermore, you will find the Kees Taljaard Park Stadium, which is primarily a rugby stadium, but also has hockey fields. A lot of the local festivals are hosted in this stadium as well. Within the town itself, several popular night spots, cinemas and family restaurants entertain the locals and visiting tourists. |
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Climate |
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Middelburg normally receives about 234mm of rain per year, with most rainfall occurring mainly during autumn. The town receives the lowest rainfall (3mm) in July and the highest (51mm) in March. The average midday temperatures for Middelburg range from 15.3°C in June to 30.2°C in January. The region is the coldest during July when the mercury drops to 0.2°C on average during the night. |
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