Bitterfontein

Place in Western Cape, South Africa

31°02′10″S 18°15′58″E / 31.03611°S 18.26611°E / -31.03611; 18.26611CountrySouth AfricaProvinceWestern CapeDistrictWest CoastMunicipalityMatzikamaArea

^[1]

• Total39.90 km² (15.41 sq mi)Elevation

355 m (1,165 ft)Population

(2011)^[1]

• Total986 • Density25/km² (64/sq mi)Racial makeup (2011)

^[1]

• Black African3.5% • Coloured91.2% • Indian/Asian0.4% • White4.7% • Other0.2%First languages (2011)

^[1]

• Afrikaans97.4% • Xhosa1.3% • Other1.2%Time zoneUTC+2 (SAST)Postal code (street)

8200

PO box

8200

Area code027

Bitterfontein is a village in the Knersvlakte, the northernmost area of the Western Cape province of South Africa, 320 kilometres (200 mi) north of Cape Town. It is the railhead of a line from Cape Town; ore from the copper mines at Okiep is transferred there from road transport to the railway. It is also located on the N7 (Cape Town–Namibia) national road; the distance from Cape Town is 386 kilometres (240 mi) by road and 465 kilometres (289 mi) by rail.^[2]

Bitterfontein is located in the Matzikama Local Municipality, which is part of the West Coast District Municipality. According to the 2001 Census, it had a population of 906 in an area of 1.77 square kilometres (0.68 sq mi).^[3] It is served by a police station,^[4] a primary school,^[5] a library,^[6] and a satellite health clinic.^[7]

Trivia

The South African country singer Ruben Lennox wrote a song about Bitterfontein

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "Main Place Bitterfontein". Census 2011.
^ Boonzaaier, Boon (2008). Tracks Across the Veld. ISBN 978-0-620-41711-2.
^ Census 2001 — Statistics for Main Place
^ "Bitterfontein Police Station". Cape Gateway.
^ "Bitterfontein Primary School". Western Cape Education Management System. Archived from the original on 2011-07-21.
^ "Bitterfontein Library Depot". Cape Gateway. Archived from the original on 2012-07-29. Retrieved 2012-08-15.
^ "Bitterfontein Municipality Satellite Clinic". Cape Gateway.