Kimberley

Kimberley, geographical area, Australia

Kimberley, geographical area, c.139,000 sq mi (360,010 sq km), Western Australia, NW Australia. The Kimberley Goldfield was the site (1882) of the first major Western Australian gold strike. Cattle and sheep raising are important industries and the region contains four national parks.

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Kimberley, town, Canada

Kimberley (kĭm`bərlē), town (1991 pop. 6,531), SE British Columbia, Canada. Canada's highest city (3,660 ft/1,115 m), it is the site of the Sullivan mine, where large quantities of silver, lead, and zinc are mined.

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Kimberley, city, South Africa

Kimberley (kĭm`bərlē), city (1991 pop. 167,060), Northern Cape, South Africa. Since the 19th cent. the city has been primarily a diamond-mining center, but underground mining, which had not been profitable for some time, was halted in mid-2005. The mine's tailings dumps continue to be processed, and textiles, construction materials, and machinery are manufactured. Kimberley is also an important railroad junction.

The city was founded in 1871 when diamonds were discovered on a nearby farm. The De Beers Consolidated Mines, organized by Cecil Rhodes, assumed control of the diamond fields in 1888, and its headquarters are still in Kimberley. In 1899–1900, during the South African War, the city was besieged for 124 days by Boer (Afrikaner) forces. Northern Cape Technical College and the Alexander McGregor Memorial Museum are in Kimberley.

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Kimberley

City (pop., 2005 est.: urban area, 185,000), South Africa. It is the capital of Northern Cape province. Founded in 1871 shortly after the discovery of diamonds in the area, it was the capital of Griqualand West (1873–80) before it became part of Cape Colony. It was besieged by the Boers for four months (1899–1900) during the South African War. Kimberley is home to several historical memorials and museums that honour its diamond-mining past. It is still a centre for mining and cutting diamonds. Its outskirts are marked by immense pits and heaps of earth, the aftermath of mining operations. The now-defunct Kimberley mine (now called the Big Hole) is nearby.