South African family history, genealogy, heritage and interesting places, past and present. All articles researched and written by Anne Lehmkuhl. COPYRIGHT ANNE LEHMKUHL, no article can be reproduced in any manner without prior written permission. EMAIL ME
7 world heritage sites
South Africa now has 7 world heritage sites. The Vredefort Dome, spanning the Free State and the North West provinces, is the latest one declared. The Vredefort Dome is the oldest and largest meteorite impact site in the world, formed an estimated two billion years ago when a giant meteorite hit the earth close to where Vredefort is today. The Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism has allocated R18m from its poverty-relief programme for tourism and infrastructural development of the site. These funds would be used for the eradication of alien invasive vegetation, hiking trails and the construction of a tourism centre.