Ulundi

Ulundi, also known as Mahlabathini is a town in the Zululand District Municipality. At one time the capital of Zulu Kingdom[2] in South Africa and later the capital of the Bantustan of KwaZulu, Ulundi now lies in KwaZulu-Natal Province (of which, from 1994 to 2004, it alternated with Pietermaritzburg as the provincial capital). The town now includes Ulundi Airport, a three-star hotel, and some museums amongst its sights. In the 2001 Census, the population of the town was recorded as 18,420.[3]

Ulundi
Ulundi
Ulundi
Coordinates: 28°19′S 31°25′E
CountrySouth Africa
ProvinceKwaZulu-Natal
DistrictZululand
MunicipalityUlundi
Area
 • Total16.62 km2 (6.42 sq mi)
Elevation
540 m (1,770 ft)
Population
 (2011)[1]
 • Total19,840
 • Density1,200/km2 (3,100/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2011)
 • Black African98.9%
 • Coloured0.3%
 • Indian/Asian0.2%
 • White0.2%
 • Other0.4%
First languages (2011)
 • Zulu93.4%
 • English2.6%
 • S. Ndebele1.1%
 • Other2.9%
Time zoneUTC+2 (SAST)
PO box
3838
Area code035

History

When Cetshwayo became king of the Zulus on 1 September 1873, he created, as was customary, a new capital for the nation, naming it "ULUNDI" ("The high place"). On 4 July 1879, in the Battle of Ulundi (the final battle of the Anglo-Zulu War), the British Army captured the royal kraal and razed it to the ground.

Nearby is Ondini, where King Mpande, Cetshwayo's father, had his kraal. A large Zulu hut now is on the site.

Climate

Köppen-Geiger climate classification system classifies its climate as humid subtropical (Cfa).[4] It is rainier in the warmer months.

Climate data for Ulundi
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °C (°F) 28.2
(82.8)		 28.3
(82.9)		 27.3
(81.1)		 25.9
(78.6)		 24.3
(75.7)		 22.4
(72.3)		 22.5
(72.5)		 23.8
(74.8)		 25.0
(77.0)		 25.7
(78.3)		 26.3
(79.3)		 27.6
(81.7)		 25.6
(78.1)
Daily mean °C (°F) 22.9
(73.2)		 23.1
(73.6)		 22.1
(71.8)		 20.3
(68.5)		 18.2
(64.8)		 16.0
(60.8)		 16.1
(61.0)		 17.2
(63.0)		 18.8
(65.8)		 19.9
(67.8)		 20.9
(69.6)		 22.1
(71.8)		 19.8
(67.6)
Average low °C (°F) 17.6
(63.7)		 17.9
(64.2)		 16.9
(62.4)		 14.8
(58.6)		 12.2
(54.0)		 9.7
(49.5)		 9.7
(49.5)		 10.7
(51.3)		 12.6
(54.7)		 14.1
(57.4)		 15.6
(60.1)		 16.7
(62.1)		 14.0
(57.3)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 123
(4.8)		 109
(4.3)		 90
(3.5)		 49
(1.9)		 28
(1.1)		 18
(0.7)		 18
(0.7)		 30
(1.2)		 56
(2.2)		 98
(3.9)		 110
(4.3)		 115
(4.5)		 844
(33.1)
Source: Climate-Data.org (altitude: 535m)[4]

References
  1. "Main Place Ulundi". Census 2011.
  2. Lyde, Lionel William (1907). "South Africa". A Geography of Africa. Adam and Charles Black. p. 97.
  3. "Main Place 'Ulundi Part 1'". Census 2001. Retrieved 3 June 2011.
  4. "Climate: Ulundi - Climate graph, Temperature graph, Climate table". Climate-Data.org. Retrieved 10 December 2013.
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