Elizabeth Bay is a mining town on the southern coast of Namibia, 25 km (16 mi) south of Lüderitz.[1] It was formerly considered a ghost town. Diamonds were first discovered in the region around 1908.[2] However, it wasn't until 1989 that the government of Namibia spent $53 million on the exploration and creation of a new diamond mine on the site.[3] The mine had a projected life-span of ten years and was expected to produce 2.5 million carats of diamonds. The mine was officially opened by Sam Nujoma on 2 August 1991[1] and stopped being operational around 1998. By 2000, the town was considered a ghost town. Because of being located in a restricted area, a permit is required for a visit.
Elizabeth Bay | |
|---|---|
Ghost town | |
 | |
  Elizabeth Bay Location in Namibia | |
| Coordinates: 26°54′58″S 15°11′02″E / 26.91611°S 15.18389°E | |
| Country |  Namibia |
| Region | ǁKaras Region |
| Constituency | Lüderitz Constituency |
| Population | |
| • Total | 0 |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (South African Standard Time) |
In 2005 it was announced that the mine would be expanded, thus furthering its lifespan by eight years.[4] The mine is currently operated by Namdeb. It is owned jointly by De Beers and the Namibia Government.[5] As of 2009 the Elizabeth Bay mine was operating at a $76 million loss.[6]
Elizabeth Bay is home to forty percent of the world's Cape fur seals.[2]
Media
edit- The derelict theater building in Elizabeth Bay was filmed in a 2010 episode of Life After People: The Series which was mainly featuring Kolmanskop, another ghost town approximately 30 km (20 mi) north of Elizabeth Bay. The episode focused on the effects of wind and sand upon the various run-down buildings and displayed rooms that were filled with sand.
Climate
edit| Climate data for Elizabeth Bay | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 21 (69) |
21 (69) |
20 (68) |
19 (66) |
19 (66) |
18 (64) |
18 (64) |
17 (62) |
17 (62) |
18 (64) |
19 (66) |
20 (68) |
18 (64) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 14 (57) |
14 (57) |
13 (55) |
12 (53) |
11 (51) |
11 (51) |
10 (50) |
10 (50) |
10 (50) |
11 (51) |
12 (53) |
13 (55) |
11 (51) |
| Average precipitation cm (inches) | 0 (0) |
0.25 (0.1) |
0.25 (0.1) |
0.25 (0.1) |
0.25 (0.1) |
0.25 (0.1) |
0.25 (0.1) |
0.25 (0.1) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
1.5 (0.6) |
| Source: Weatherbase [7] | |||||||||||||
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b "Namibia's latest diamond mine opened". Mining Magazine. September 1991.
- ^ a b Steve Keenan (June 10, 2000). "Ghosts of a glittering era". The Times.
- ^ Kempton, Daniel R.; Roni L. Du Preez (December 1997). "Namibian-De Beers State-Firm Relations: Cooperation and Conflict". Journal of Southern African Studies. 23 (4). Taylor & Francis, Ltd.: 585–613. doi:10.1080/03057079708708559. JSTOR 2637428.
- ^ "Namibia;Elizabeth Bay Mine Extension Ready to Roll". Africa News. July 29, 2005.
- ^ "De Beers set to spend US$ 500m in Namibia". Mining Magazine. September 2005.
- ^ "ELIZABETH BAY MINE LIKELY TO POST $76N MILLION LOSS". Namibia Economist. August 28, 2009.
- ^ "Weatherbase: Historical Weather for Elizabeth Bay, Namibia". Weatherbase. 2011. Retrieved on November 24, 2011.