L'Agulhas

This article is about the town. For other uses, see Agulhas (disambiguation).
L'Agulhas
Agulhas

View over L'Agulhas
L'Agulhas
L'Agulhas
L'Agulhas

 L'Agulhas shown within Western Cape

Coordinates: 34°49′20″S 20°1′0″E / 34.82222°S 20.01667°E / -34.82222; 20.01667Coordinates: 34°49′20″S 20°1′0″E / 34.82222°S 20.01667°E / -34.82222; 20.01667
Country South Africa
Province Western Cape
District Overberg
Municipality Cape Agulhas
Area[1]
 • Total 7.49 km2 (2.89 sq mi)
Population (2011)[1]
 • Total 548
 • Density 73/km2 (190/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2011)[1]
 • Black African 7.1%
 • Coloured 4.6%
 • Indian/Asian 0.2%
 • White 86.3%
 • Other 1.8%
First languages (2011)[1]
 • Afrikaans 80.7%
 • English 17.0%
 • Other 2.3%
Postal code (street) 7287
Area code 028

L'Agulhas (or Agulhas) is a coastal village and holiday resort in the Western Cape province of South Africa. Located just north of Cape Agulhas, the southernmost tip of the African mainland, it is the southernmost settlement in Africa. It is situated next to the town of Struisbaai and about 30 kilometres (20 mi) south of the regional centre of Bredasdorp. The name "Agulhas", Portuguese for "needles", is said to have been given to the cape because the compass-needle was seen to point due north, that is, with no magnetic deviation. The Agulhas Bank is reputed to be the richest fishing area in the Southern Hemisphere.[2]

Lighthouse

The Agulhas Lighthouse
Post box at Cape Agulhas, the most southern post box in Africa.

The Agulhas Lighthouse, the second-oldest working in South Africa, is at the southern end of the town. Designed by Colonel Charles Cornwell Michell in homage of the Pharos of Alexandria, the lighthouse was lit on March 1, 1849. Some 150 ships lay scattered along the South African coast, many due to the treacherous Agulhas Reef. It is in memory of the countless lives lost and to warn passing ships of the pending danger that the Agulhas Lighthouse was designed and built. The lighthouse was declared a National Monument in 1973.

Geography

Climate

L'Agulhas has a mild semi-arid climate (BSh, according to the Köppen climate classification, sometimes written BSn). Summers are mild and dry, winters are cool and wetter. The average annual precipitation is 276 mm (11 in), with most rainfall occurring mainly during winter.

L'Agulhas
Climate chart (explanation)
JFMAMJJASOND
 
 
10
 
 
25
15
 
 
11
 
 
25
15
 
 
17
 
 
24
14
 
 
28
 
 
22
12
 
 
32
 
 
20
9
 
 
35
 
 
18
7
 
 
36
 
 
17
7
 
 
33
 
 
17
7
 
 
23
 
 
19
8
 
 
23
 
 
20
10
 
 
18
 
 
22
12
 
 
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24
14
Average max. and min. temperatures in °C
Precipitation totals in mm
Source: SA Explorer

Another source gives different data, showing that it has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen: Csb), with most precipitation falling in June.[3]

Climate data for L'Agulhas
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °C (°F) 24
(75)		 23.8
(74.8)		 22.7
(72.9)		 20.9
(69.6)		 19.3
(66.7)		 18
(64)		 16.9
(62.4)		 17.1
(62.8)		 17.9
(64.2)		 19.2
(66.6)		 21.1
(70)		 23
(73)		 20.33
(68.5)
Daily mean °C (°F) 20.6
(69.1)		 20.5
(68.9)		 19.6
(67.3)		 17.7
(63.9)		 15.8
(60.4)		 14.5
(58.1)		 13.6
(56.5)		 13.8
(56.8)		 14.6
(58.3)		 16
(61)		 17.8
(64)		 19.5
(67.1)		 17
(62.62)
Average low °C (°F) 17.3
(63.1)		 17.3
(63.1)		 16.5
(61.7)		 14.5
(58.1)		 12.3
(54.1)		 11
(52)		 10.3
(50.5)		 10.5
(50.9)		 11.4
(52.5)		 12.9
(55.2)		 14.6
(58.3)		 16.1
(61)		 13.73
(56.71)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 17
(0.67)		 23
(0.91)		 27
(1.06)		 63
(2.48)		 63
(2.48)		 69
(2.72)		 64
(2.52)		 56
(2.2)		 41
(1.61)		 40
(1.57)		 30
(1.18)		 24
(0.94)		 517
(20.34)
Source: Climate-Data.org[3]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Main Place L'Agulhas". Census 2011.
  2. ↑ Raper, Peter E. (1987). Dictionary of Southern African Place Names. Internet Archive. p. 53. Retrieved 28 August 2013.
  3. 1 2 "Climate: L'Agulhas - Climate graph, Temperature graph, Climate table". Climate-Data.org. Retrieved 16 August 2013.
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