Isandlwana
Isandlwana | |
---|---|
Isandlwana with a Scottish cairn marking a grave from the Battle of Isandlwana | |
Highest point | |
Elevation | 1,284 m (4,213 ft)[1] |
Listing | List of mountains in South Africa |
Coordinates | 28°21′7″S 30°39′6″E / 28.35194°S 30.65167°E |
Geography | |
Location | KwaZulu-Natal |
Parent range | Drakensberg foothill |
Climbing | |
First ascent | Unknown |
Easiest route | From Dundee |
Isandlwana (Zulu pronunciation: [ísanˈdɮwáːna])[2] (older spelling Isandhlwana, also sometimes seen as Isandula) is an isolated hill in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa. It is located 169 kilometres (105 mi) north by northwest of Durban.[3] The name is said to mean abomasum, the second stomach of the cow, because it reminded the Zulus of its shape.
History[edit]
This mountain has historical significance. On 22 January 1879, Isandlwana was the site of the Battle of Isandlwana, where approximately 22,000 Zulu warriors defeated a contingent of approximately 1,750 British and African troops in one of the first engagements of the Anglo-Zulu War.[4] The Zulu force was primarily under the command of Ntshingwayo kaMahole Khoza. The battle was one of the worst defeats suffered by the British Army during the Victorian era.[5]
Isandlwana hill rises 16 kilometres (10 mi) Northeast of Rorke's Drift, a ford on the Buffalo River, a tributary of the Tugela River.
See also[edit]
- Battle of Isandlwana
- List of mountains in South Africa
- SAS Isandlwana (F146) - a Valour-class frigate of the South African Navy
References[edit]
- ^ Google Earth
- ^ John Wells: the symbol ɮ. John Wells's phonetic blog, 19. September 2012.
- ^ Encyclopædia Britannica (1950), v.12, 703.
- ^ BritishBattles.com "The Battle of Isandlwana"
- ^ The Battle of Isandlwana
External links[edit]
