Kimberley (city)

Kimberley (city), city in central South Africa, capital of the province of Northern Cape. Kimberley is the main population center of a sprawling diamond-mining region. The principal industries include diamond cutting, lime and tungsten processing, and cement and brick manufacturing. A chance discovery of diamonds in the late 19th century brought thousands of miners, mining engineers, construction workers, and fortune seekers to the area, and the boomtown of Kimberley was founded in 1870. The discovery also renewed British interest in the region. In 1888 De Beers Consolidated Mines acquired control of all of the Kimberley mines. The competitive spirit and rugged camaraderie of the diamond rush was soon replaced by the prison-like atmosphere of the mining compounds that housed black mineworkers. The city continued to grow during the 20th century as the hub of one of the country’s key mining regions. Population 62,526 (2001).