Limpopo

Limpopo /lɪmˈpɔpɔ/ is the northernmost province of South Africa. It is named after the Limpopo River that flows on the western and northern borders of the province, the name "Limpopo" has its etymological origin from the Sepedi word diphororo tša meetse - meaning strong gushing waterfalls. (The Sepedi language or Northern Sotho language is spoken by a third of the people in the province.) The capital is Polokwane, formerly named Pietersburg.

The province was formed from the northern region of Transvaal Province in 1994, and initially named Northern Transvaal. The following year, it was renamed Northern Province, which remained the name until 2003, when the name of the province was formally changed to the name of its most important river–on the border with Zimbabwe and Botswana–after deliberation by the provincial government and amendment of the Constitution. A notable consideration for the name was Mapungubwe, the area where the most ancient gold-using civilisation of the province was discovered a few years earlier.

Limpopo (disambiguation)

Limpopo may refer to the following places and landforms:

1490 Limpopo

1490 Limpopo, provisional designation 1936 LB, is an asteroid from the inner regions of the asteroid belt, about 19 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered by English-born South Africa astronomer Cyril Jackson at Union Observatory, Johannesburg, on 14 June 1936.

The X-type asteroid orbits the Sun at a distance of 2.0–2.7 AU once every 3.61 years (1,318 days). Its orbit shows an eccentricity of 0.16 and is tilted by 10 degrees to the plane of the ecliptic. It has a rotation period of 6.2 to 6.6 hours. According to the surveys carried out by IRAS, Akari, WISE and NEOWISE, it has an albedo of 0.07–0.10.

The minor planet was named after the Limpopo River, which rises in central southern Africa, and flows through Botswana, Mozambique, South Africa and Zimbabwe into the Indian Ocean.

References

External links